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Carrollton’s farm-to-school program finds success By Mike Tanchevski Contributing Writer

Steel mills in Weirton see a rebirth of industry By Liz Partsch

Farm and Dairy Staff Reporter

WEIRTON, W.Va. — Decades ago, Weirton, West Virginia was a bustling community; trolley cars lined Main Street, storefronts welcomed families and steelworkers went to their local pubs for a beer after work. Now, Main Street remains, but the hustle and bustle has diminished. Similar to communities all across the Rust Belt, people flocked to Weirton for the decent pay the steel industry offered. In 1900, 6,693 people lived in Hancock, County, where the city of Weirton is located. By the 1960s, the county had grown to 28,201 residents — a time when steel production was at a peak in the region. The industry that employed thousands has now been reduced to several hundred workers. As the steel industry continues to operate in tight quarters, a new industry is looking to employ the community on the same grounds as the steel mills, but with new technology designed for the future of energy. In May 2023, Form Energy, an American technology company, announced the con-

see a complete timeline of the weirton steel mill on A9

struction of its Form Factory 1 on top of one of Weirton’s former steel mills. The factory will produce iron-air batteries used for longterm energy storage all across America. Some believe Form Energy’s factory is only the start of another manufacturing revolution. “I can see in the future where a lot more of that land will be utilized, more companies coming in and a regrowth of work,” said Enzo Fracasso, a Weirton City Councilman and former steelworker. “I’ve seen Weirton in its heyday and I’ve seen Weirton when it was on its knees. And right now we’re starting to get off our knees.” History. The story of Weirton begins with two brothers, Edward T. and David M. Weir, who moved to Weirton — then known as Holliday’s Cove — in 1909 to build a steel factory. Before the mill, Holliday’s Cove was used primarily for farmland. The Weirs had a vision: the potential for land and waterways like the Ohio River to be used for steel production and easy transport. That year, they bought 105 acres of land that would become Weirton Steel Corporation. Bob Kelley grew up in Weirton, West Virginia during the steel boom. He currently volunteers at the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center, working to educate others about Weirton’s vast history and tight-knit community — particularly about the steel industry. Kelley’s great-grandfather and great-uncle were some of the first African Americans to work in steel mills in 1916. He and his family were part of many who flocked to Weirton for steel jobs during that time. Immigrants

Situated next to a former steel mill on Main Street, construction of Form Energy’s new battery facility continues in Weirton, West Virginia on Jan.4, 2024. (Liz Partsch photo)

from over 40 countries came to Weirton, and within a few years, Weirton became a cultural hub. The majority of these workers lived in North Weirton, where Kelley grew up. “We literally had every (ethnicity) in this town, and when they worked in the mill, they got along,” Kelley said. At its peak, in 1942, Weirton Steel employed 13,000 and would continue to employ 12,000 people for the next few decades. By 1950, Weirton Steel produced half of the world’s raw steel, but this wouldn’t last for long as many countries worked on strengthening their manufacturing sectors after WWII. In 1968, Kelley moved back to Weirton after attending college and serving in the military. He hoped to obtain a steel job through his family connections but had no luck. “If you had family in the mill, usually you were able to get a job. But I just couldn’t get one,” Kelley said. As other countries amped up production, Weirton Steel began to produce less and less steel for the world. The gradual decline of Weirton Steel. In the late 70s, Weirton Steel’s parent company, (Continued on Page A7)

SALEM, Ohio — When the Carrollton Exempted Village School District hired Barbara Burns to turn around the school’s nutrition program 11 years ago, they also had high hopes for a farm-to-school program that would save the district money by growing their fruits and vegetables. The district used $50,000 from an Ohio Department of Education Straight A grant for a greenhouse and handed Burns the reins. The greenhouse was built, but fruit and vegetable production did not meet expectations. “They wrote the grant because they wanted to have a greenhouse,” Burns said. “They thought that by putting in this greenhouse they were going to save the cafeterias $30,000 by growing their fruits and vegetables. That’s not possible. That’s production farming.” However, that wasn’t the end of the program. With the support of administration and grant money, Burns has been able to scale the farm-to-school program and supplement fruits and vegetables in the cafeteria, expose students to various agricultural practices and incorporate nutrition and agricultural practices into the curriculum. “What I’ve learned with farm to school is it’s one thing to do production but most schools are just going to be able to do smallscale projects where they involve kids with hands-on experiences,” Burns said. “It may be something as simple as putting lettuce on a salad or making a little side salad and then taking cherry tomatoes that we harvested and putting one or two tomatoes on each salad. I just want to be able to save the cafeteria some money and I want the kids to have hands-on learning experiences.” Recipe for success. Farmto-school programs in Ohio have been around for decades. However, the number of schools participating in farm-to-school (Continued on Page A20)

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