McDowell County man to be featured on CNN show

Jul. 16—WELCH — Jason Tartt, Sr., a McDowell County entrepreneur and a co-founder of Economic Development Greater East (EDGE), is going to be featured on the United Shades of America show on CNN on Sunday, July 17.

The show was created by the comedian and commenter W. Kamau Bell, and it features Black life in Appalachia, and after the show, Tartt will be with Bell at 11 p.m. on Bell's Instagram, @wkamaubell, Live for a Q&A.

In the show, Tartt will be letting Bell work with bees at the site of the training center Tartt leads that prepares and supports land for developing pollinator corridors.

According to a press release sent by EDGE executive director and other co-founder Amanda Bandy, Tartt says, "Prior to his coming with his production crew, I was told Bell would want to ride a tractor, but when he saw the hives, that was it! He wanted to give it a go, so we got him in the suit and working with the bees."

He also added, "The master trainer at Appalachian Beekeeping Collective has stated that right here in McDowell County we have some of the best conditions in the region for large scale honey production."

Tartt, who is a Bluefield High School (BHS) graduate, became interested in farming and its benefits after being a substitute teacher at BHS years later.

"He also became interested in using food as a means for health and healing after his mother was diagnosed with what was often considered a fatal disease."

Tartt and Bandy began this company in order to promote "McDowell County as a beacon for food production, heritage skills and tourism, workforce development, remote work, outdoor and ATV recreation, and entrepreneurship."

Tartt's role in EDGE is being the "principal trainer in mountain farming, and, as CEO of Vallscreek Demonstration and Production Farm."

He also "leads the development of a training center to prepare and support land to develop pollinator corridors for a large scale apiary (honey production), maple syrup production, compost production, fruit orchard development, and soil management."

According to the EDGE website, "EDGE was formed when a group of community members and land-based producers realized the need for coordination of, and support for, regional education and programming in land-based sectors ripe for scale."

It also adds, "While EDGE focuses on entrepreneurship and agripreneurship and food as the foundation of community well-being and economy. EDGE has since expanded its commitment to local work to include remote and other trade opportunities."