Outreach is a core element of the Sustainable Development Program. We encourage students and faculty to combine theory and practice by collaborating with other organizations and communities to support and promote sustainable activities in the High Country.

Outreach activities utilize expertise from ASU, other organizations and community members to enable communities to identify key concerns and address them. The diverse array of Sustainable Development Outreach efforts include recycling initiatives, watershed and farmland protection planning, and sustainable micro-enterprise development. We are also well-integrated into regional sustainable agriculture projects.   

High Country Local Food Summit  

Building Diverse Community Networks to Grow the Local Food Economy

The 2009 High Country Local Food Summit was coordinated by the Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Program at ASU.  Strategic outreach efforts such as this demonstrate the Sustainable Development Program's commitment to collaborating with and supporting local community efforts.  The Summit would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the Harold and Mazie J. Levenson Fund for the Environment.  We hope that this will be an annual event.

Nearly 80 people attended the Summit, which was held March 26, 2009 at the Apple Barn in Valle Crucis.  It was a great success! 

Participants shared their knowledge in order to develop a visual model of the High Country local food system.  This model highlighted the strongest parts of the system; illustrated the linkages between the arenas of production, consumption, distribution, and recycling; and created an opportunity to strategically identify three action-oriented initiatives.  

The Summit also featured three amazing guest speakers!  Later that evening, Joel Salatin delivered the keynote address at ASU's Farthing Auditorium.

Read more about the High Country Local Food Summit 2009

Elk Knob:

Sustainable Development Outreach emphasizes building and sustaining positive relationships between communities and their environments. We, therefore, worked with communities in the New River Headwaters area, regional land preservation organizations and the state to establish Elk Knob State Park.
 

Elk Knob and the surrounding northern peaks are special places, environmentally and culturally. This area is home to rare southern red spruce stand, is a headwaters region, and offers one of the highest peaks in North Carolina. Additionally, many of the families here can trace their lineage back to this area for generations. Because these communities are facing change, Sustainable Development Outreach obtained funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to establish a non-profit group dedicated to ensuring a sustainable future. This new organization, Elk Knob Community Heritage, Inc (EKCHO) will apply sustainable development principles to assist these communities in preserving their heritage.

Cove Creek:

Sustainable Development Outreach was instrumental in revitalizing the historic WPA-build Cove Creek School to promote sustainable, economic development in this area. The refurbished school generated 40 jobs and no houses several business and non-profits. The school is also the site for the annual Music Fest n’ Sugar Grove. This project promotes historical and cultural awareness as well as providing opportunities for economic development, which are key to sustainable development.

The Parkway School Research and Educational Greenhouse:

In 2002, a research and educational greenhouse was constructed at Parkway Elementary School. This greenhouse utilizes a unique absorption/collection configuration designed by faculty in the Sustainable Development Program. The focus is to enable year-round growing, even in cold climates and the performance data has been very promising. The greenhouse has been a successful project to connect University researchers with K-12 educators.

Elk Knob:

Sustainable Development Outreach emphasizes building and sustaining positive relationships between communities and their environments. We, therefore, worked with communities in the New River Headwaters area, regional land preservation organizations and the state to establish Elk Knob State Park.
 

Elk Knob and the surrounding northern peaks are special places, environmentally and culturally. This area is home to rare southern red spruce stand, is a headwaters region, and offers one of the highest peaks in North Carolina. Additionally, many of the families here can trace their lineage back to this area for generations. Because these communities are facing change, Sustainable Development Outreach obtained funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to establish a non-profit group dedicated to ensuring a sustainable future. This new organization, Elk Knob Community Heritage, Inc (EKCHO) will apply sustainable development principles to assist these communities in preserving their heritage.

Cove Creek:

Sustainable Development Outreach was instrumental in revitalizing the historic WPA-build Cove Creek School to promote sustainable, economic development in this area. The refurbished school generated 40 jobs and no houses several business and non-profits. The school is also the site for the annual Music Fest n’ Sugar Grove. This project promotes historical and cultural awareness as well as providing opportunities for economic development, which are key to sustainable development.

The Parkway School Research and Educational Greenhouse:

In 2002, a research and educational greenhouse was constructed at Parkway Elementary School. This greenhouse utilizes a unique absorption/collection configuration designed by faculty in the Sustainable Development Program. The focus is to enable year-round growing, even in cold climates and the performance data has been very promising. The greenhouse has been a successful project to connect University researchers with K-12 educators.