The New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) was honored to receive a 2025 Appalachian Foodways Fellowship Award at the 48th Annual Appalachian Studies Conference, held at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee. This recognition places NOSW alongside esteemed Appalachian foodways experts Marcus West, Chris Smith, and Ronnie Mae Tartt—each deeply involved in traditions like gardening, butchering, canning, cooking, and seed saving.
As part of this honor, Sam Cole, NOSW’s Development & Communications Coordinator, was invited to present on a panel discussing her personal experiences with regional foodways and how NOSW’s programs help preserve and share this knowledge. Having grown up on a mountainside farm where planting by moon signs was a family tradition, Sam shared how these time-honored practices continue to influence her work today.
NOSW has long integrated courses on gardening, canning, and regional culture into its programming. With the support of this award, we’re expanding our impact through Holler Harvest, our newest initiative. This program provides graduates with container gardening supplies and hands-on training in gardening fundamentals, planting by moon signs, and food preservation. Interest in the program has been overwhelming—our first class reached full capacity in under 24 hours!
We’re excited to share more updates as Holler Harvest takes root. Stay tuned for stories from our participants and insights into Appalachian food traditions that nourish both body and community.
