EDGE and Together for Hope partnership bolsters Black brilliance in a West Virginia community
In McDowell County, West Virginia, local entrepreneurs are creating new opportunities from the land around them. Through agriculture, small business development, and community partnerships, they are building a more sustainable future for their region. One example is Appalachian Gold, a Black-owned food brand born from a collaboration between two Together for Hope member organizations.
At the heart of this work is EDGE, a grassroots organization focused on workforce development, training, and entrepreneurship. EDGE supports small business projects in agriculture, tourism, housing, hospitality, and renewable energy, helping break down barriers to opportunity across southern West Virginia.
EDGE co-founder Jason Tartt has spent the better part of a decade exploring the potential of agribusiness in McDowell County and building awareness of the opportunities it can create. Alongside fellow co-founder Amelia Bandy, Tartt is working to demonstrate Black excellence through creative agricultural and entrepreneurial projects, turning access to land into new farms, businesses, and pathways to economic independence.
Together for Hope’s role is to help local leaders and organizations like EDGE reach further. After connecting with Tartt and Bandy, Together for Hope introduced them to Josh Magee of Y’all Sauce, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Within weeks, the two organizations collaborated to create a new brand of sauces from West Virginia.
That collaboration led to Appalachian Gold, a Black-owned food brand selling products grown and made entirely in Appalachia. It is an example of what becomes possible when local vision and resources are connected through relationships and shared purpose.
The brand draws on the legacy of Grandma Penny, who was born in the late 1800s in Uniontown, Alabama. A strong matriarch, Grandma Penny demonstrated remarkable resourcefulness when she crafted the first batch of Mama’s Meat (Barbecue) Sauce. Her creativity transformed lesser cuts of meat into flavorful meals, beginning a family tradition of making something extraordinary from limited resources. Her legacy lives on through Appalachian Gold’s Mama’s Meat Sauce.
Today, Appalachian Gold is more than a food brand. It is a social enterprise focused on revitalizing rural Appalachian communities through sustainable farming and economic development. By partnering with local farmers, Appalachian Gold promotes the cultivation of heritage crops and organic produce, helping preserve traditional agricultural practices while strengthening the local economy.
The organization creates jobs, provides training for underserved populations, and supports food security initiatives. Through its commitment to environmental stewardship and community empowerment, Appalachian Gold is helping build a more resilient, self-sustaining future for the Appalachian region.
What began with local leaders imagining new possibilities for their community has grown into a collaboration that connects entrepreneurship, agricultural heritage, and economic opportunity. Appalachian Gold demonstrates how relationships can help community-driven ideas take root and grow, while keeping ownership and opportunity in the hands of the people doing the work.
