Hailing from rural Southwestern Virginia, Travis Milton spent his childhood in a true Appalachian kitchen, learning the proper method for shucking beans, preserving and canning, and planting gardens—all under the tutelage of his great (and great-great) grandparents. A reverence for the traditions and heritage of southern kitchens was instilled in Milton from his earliest days spent behind the counter of the Village, a restaurant in Castlewood, Virginia owned by his great grandparents. Milton moved to Richmond to attend school and started cooking on his own in his early teens, initially just as a way to make money doing something familiar. Soon, jobs in the kitchen became more than just income, and before long Travis was staging in kitchens across the country, like Todd Gray's Equinox in D.C. and Chris Cosentinos’ Incanto in San Francisco. When Milton joined his friend and fellow Virginian Jason Alley to work as Chef de Cuisine at Comfort in Richmond, he realized his ability to combine the memories of his family's kitchen with the techniques of his mentors, creating composed and modern Appalachian dishes. It was with these two culinary traditions in mind that Milton left Comfort and embarked on his dream of a genuine Appalachian restaurant where he opened his first (three!) restaurants in 2017: Miltons at the Western Front in Saint Paul, Virginia and Shovel & Pick and Simply Grand just minutes away in Bristol, Virginia. Most recently, Travis has embarked on his latest dream venture with the opening of signature restaurant, Hickory, in the new Inn at Nicewonder located in the highlands of Bristol. Through Hickory, Chef has the stage to further explore unique, elevated spins on Applachian cuisine that does not replace original techniques, but adds to the heritage story. Travis pulls in fresh ingredients grown right on the farm at Nicewonder to create classic southern-inspired dishes on Hickory’s menu, as well as experiment with more out-of-the-box creations such as Miso Paste made out of Doritos and Cheetos. Outside of the restaurant space, Milton is at the forefront of the grassroots effort working to preserve the heritage of the Appalachia kitchen, including having had a hand in the creation of the Appalachian Food Summit, where Milton serves on the Board of Directors. He also works to highlight the rich history of the area in conjunction with the Central Appalachian Food Heritage Project, the Clinch River Valley Initiative, and the Virginia Food Heritage Project. Milton spends much of his free time traveling to Virginia farms and fostering relationships with purveyors across the state. When not in the kitchen, his favorite place to be is sitting on his front porch, enjoying his whiskey collection, and listening to Whitney Houston in one of his 680 pairs of Nikes!

Old North Farm is the heart center of the work that Jamie Swofford and Keia Mastrianni do together. Located on the land where Jamie was born and raised, Jamie, a former chef turned farmer, runs the small scale operation in Western North Carolina focused on crop diversity and regenerative practices. Keia, a former food writer turned baker is the owner of MIlk Glass Pie, a cottage bakery dedicated to the seasons and located right on the farm. Together, the two live a life centered on food, community, and service. In rural Cleveland County, the husband and wife duo aim to create a vision of a different world. They host seasonal suppers and collaborative events showcasing the bounty of their region, including their rich relationships with people in and around the South. Additionally, Jamie is the creator of Old North Shrub, an award-winning craft beverage that shines a light on North Carolina ingredients

As a 5th generation Southwest Virginian, Lori Briscoe is passionate about deepening the connections between plants, people and place. As a Certified Herbalist she is driven to help individuals explore the value of bioregional plants as food and medicine. For the past 20 years she has been educating and inspiring adults and children to value and conserve Southern Appalachia's biological diversity and rich cultural heritage.

Lori holds a B.A. in Anthropology, an M.A. in Appalachian Studies and Sustainable Development, and is a certified herbalist of the Appalachian School of Natural Health.

In 2020 Lori founded Appalachian Teas & Botanicals bringing full circle her academic and deeply experiential approach to the wonder of the region. Her largely regionally gathered and grown teas and botanical products lift the body and spirit not only in Appalachia, but across the country.

Elizabeth Hill Gardner is the owner of Full Bloom Farm House in Abingdon, Virginia with her 6 year old daughter, Ava Jean. They offer weddings, classes, live music & photography on their 12 acre farm, which was built in 1900.

Both ladies moved from Point Reyes, California in 2018, following their best friend, who grew up in Damascus. Full Bloom is Elizabeth’s fourth business and the culmination of her passion for hospitality, education, gardening & good food! She is a Stanford graduate with a Masters degree in Education, as well as a Master Gardener & Certified Natural Chef.

Stormbrew Farm is a cut flower and vegetable operation in Abingdon, VA, run by mother & daughter, Jenny Martin and Daisy Sturgill. They have been life-long gardening buddies, turning hobby to business in 2020 and then moving the operation from Smyth to Washington County in 2021. From floristry to farming to agritourism events to restaurant supply, Stormbrew Farm does a little bit of everything. Visit their website to learn more and join Jenny & Daisy at the farm stand on Watauga Road every Saturday (10am-2pm) beginning in May.

Pick n Grin Farms is an all-natural, sustainable farm located in Bristol, VA specializing in greenhouse raised specialty mushrooms: King Trumpet, Lion's Mane and Chestnut and Blue Oyster Mushrooms. Mushroom Grow-Kits and materials are also available at the Abingdon Farmers market. Mushroom tinctures are also available, along with a full range of mushrooms at Blue Hills market. Adam is a fountain of knowledge on mushroom cultivation and is happy to share so swing by and see him on Saturdays and Tuesdays during the Farmers market. pickngrinfarms@gmail.com @pickngrinfarmsdescription

Walter Groux is a local farm owner and grower. His passion is sharing the intense nutritional value of Microgreens and empowering people to grow their own food.

Walter “Grew” Craft Microgreens is the signature product of Nature’s Edge Farm.

N.E.F. is a regular vendor at our Abingdon Farmers Market, and he serves on their Steering Committee.

Jerry is a botanist by training, and he just wants to make great cider! He’s our nerd cider maker. Jerry gets excited when talking about how fantastic cider can be, and how much you’re going to like our cider.

Justen is a Geologist/Environmental Scientist by day; Hop Grower and Cider Maker by night. Justen has been in the Environmental industry since 1999 and has been an avid home brewer and cider maker since 2012. Justen is often the boots on the ground at the cider barn; working on expansions, repair, cider making and giving tours to all that are interested.

Tom is passionate about growing food, education and community. As the orchardist he works hard to propagate and grow heirloom apple trees that produce excellent cider apples. You will probably find him talking about apples at the taproom, doing community service or in the orchards with his sons.

Mark grew up in southwest Virginia, spending his time outdoors and eating apples and cherries right off the trees. He loves playing bass guitar, riding his BMW through these hills and hollers and spreading the word about great cider and Virginia heritage apple varieties.

Patrick is a proud native of the Virginia Appalachians, was born and raised in Roanoke, and has family ties to Wythe County that go back several generations. He has been an avid home fermentationist since 2009; and in 2017, he followed a passion he had developed for homebrewing to Durham, North Carolina to a career change into commercial brewing. While living in NC, he met and eventually married Jupiter, Florida-native, Leanne, who had “always wanted to marry a red-headed Virginian and live in the mountains.” When he isn’t making silly faces at their son Jack, Patrick likes playing disc golf and basketball, growing food and cooking with it, riding his bike, and quaffing a cold pint of crisp pilsner after a long day of smelling hot mash and wort cooking.

Clemson-grad Leanne has lived in the proper south since she moved to South Carolina for college in 2009. She has a master’s in horticulture and is currently launching a mail-order nursery off of Alvarado Rd. in Abingdon, specializing in woody trees and shrubs, specialty grafts, and other interesting perennials and annuals. When she isn’t tending to our young son Jack, Leanne enjoys disc golf, reading history books in the tub, and shooting the breeze at the bar over a pint of hoppy ale.