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Turning Mountaintop Coal Mines into Farms

By Shanna Edberg
April 25, 2018

Coalfield Development, a nonprofit social enterprise in West Virginia, is working to turn former coal mining areas and mountaintop removal sites into farmland and forest, using farm animals to root out invasive plants and fertilize the depleted soil. These efforts have created dozens of full-time jobs, and residents are offered training and stipends to work on their associate’s degrees. The social enterprise also helps low-income people access fresh produce and animal products by offering a sliding-scale Community-Supported Agriculture program that accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.