~ Appalachian Supper Meets Retro! ~

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!

Sheri Castle hosts and produces The Key Ingredient, an Emmy-winning food show on PBS. She’s also an award-winning professional food writer, recipe developer, and cooking teacher known for melding stories, humor, and culinary expertise. She’s authored sixteen cookbooks and her writing appears regularly in national publications. The Southern Foodways Alliance presented Sheri with their prestigious Keeper of the Flame Award and named her one of 20 Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Mohsin is ethnically Pakistani; his parents immigrated to New Jersey in the 1980s. He is a conservation photographer and co-owner of Tamandua Expeditions, with a Masters in Environmental Science and Policy. Katlin roots from a community of tomato vines and Sunday dinners in the heart of Southwest Virginia, Castlewood. Katlin is an educator with an EdS in Educational Policy and Administration. Their combined passion of education and the environment, coupled with their love for the Appalachian Mountains, has motivated them to give back to the area. Mohsin and Katlin aim to direct a portion of their profits to Southwest Virginia in the form of meaningful, local projects related to their fields.

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.

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.

In 2001, Deni and Tom settled in Abingdon, VA to raise their twin boys. As true community farmers, they began Blue Door Garden, a flourishing two-acre farm that grows flowers, vegetables, and herbs for the Abingdon Farmers Market, local businesses, and C.S.A subscriptions. Over time, Blue Door Garden has grown into Southwest Virginia’s primary source for fresh, local, organically grown fresh and dried flowers, while Deni’s unbound creativity has developed a reputation for providing full-service floral arrangements that are stunning to behold and a treat for the eye.

In 2007 we established our business in Southwest Virginia, and pride ourselves on providing customers with personal service. Our farm is conveniently located in Southwest Virginia near the North Carolina and Tennessee borders. We are located just 2 miles off Interstate 81 at exit 24. We have fiber quality to show quality Alpacas on our farm for the varied Interest in Alpacas.

We will work with you every step of the way to help assure your success in the alpaca business. Our goal is to remain client-oriented, and provide good service which means taking the time to listen.

Wolf Hills Coffee, founded in 2020 by Sarah Beth Childers, brews its passion for quality coffee in the heart of Abingdon, VA. What began as a humble roastery has evolved into a beloved community hub. In 2023, KayLee and Tyler Reynolds-Taylor joined as partners, expanding the vision with Sidebar at Wolf Hills Coffee. This vibrant addition boasts a full bar, enticing lunch offerings, live music, and engaging events, creating an inviting space where every sip tells a story, and every visit feels like coming home.

From a family of fruit explorers, Richard was immersed in growing, foraging, preserving and eating a wide variety of fruits. His college summers included foraging across Norway, Puerto Rico, and along the Appalachian Trail. At King University since 1992, Richard's growing family planted and enjoyed over 20 kinds of fruit and many varieties within those. A sabbatical allowed sampling from 10,000 fruiting plants in Oregon (a USDA living collection) as well as five months immersed in Korean cuisine. Farming full-time since 2008, Richard and his family sell from their excess each Saturday at the Abingdon Farmers Market including fruit. Through King University Cross-Cultural Experiences, Richard continues to teach students how to explore unusual local fruits, as well as foodways of SW Florida, the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.

Red Tail Grove is a veteran-owned, 10-acre regenerative farm located outside Abingdon, VA, that focuses on intensive grazing, no-till gardening, and permaculture-based land management practices.   Trevor Hansard is committed to the conservation of the land and the welfare of his animals as he serves the local community by providing the highest quality meat, eggs, and produce available.  Products are available directly to consumers, or through local retail outlets.

The Crosswhites have a long history with construction, so owning a restaurant may not have been an obvious choice! Zac always remembered the great atmosphere at White Birch when he enjoyed brunch there. Appreciating its history on Main Street, Zac partnered with his parents, Celillia and Rick, and purchased the restaurant in 2024. The goal was to continue the great vibe, fantastic food and the only local cold pressed juices available in the area. Restaurants being different from construction, the Crosswhites have had to lean on their talented staff and great customers. They are incredibly grateful for this support. White Birch has always secured fresh, local produce and ingredients for their eclectic menu along with their popular cold pressed juices. The Crosswhites have certainly continued that tradition. The restaurant also has outside seating where pets are welcome!

Nestled in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, Wyndale Gardens is a family-owned company built on sustainable farming and strong community partnerships. They provide fresh produce via the Abingdon Farmers Market, Blue Hills Community Market, Food City and other vendors. Community collaboration is a tenet of Wyndale in addition to the lettuce project featured in Food.Flowers.Fish. farm tour. They are currently working with Patrick Atkins at Sweetbay to produce a honey beer. We can’t wait for a taste!