LENOIR, N.C. – When we acted upon a dream of several years and opened up Grassroots Appalachia here last month, we really didn’t know what to expect. We knew from asking around for some time that what we were pondering would indeed fill a gap. So we took the leap.

While we have no idea what the future holds, the beginning is beyond encouraging. It is heartwarming.

In June, after securing the space, I sent a short email to a fairly small list of people. What resulted has been amazing. Since that day through today, we have not quit welcoming new artisans, authors, musicians, and experts in various crafts, including fly-tying for fishing. Arts councils and others contacted us, invited us to visit and learn, and have been an ongoing source of support and ideas.

In short, we started with an empty space and invited others to visit it and share their vision of what the space could offer the community. What we imagined others have created. You can see our Appalachian Fair Trade Arts & Crafts items for sale here. Since I posted those photos, we’ve added several items.

This process has mushroomed and we continue to meet new creative, kind and imaginative people. I’m honored to know each of our vendors. How many other places where you shop can you say that the owner knows each person that provides the merchandise you are buying? How many other places can you be confident that the workers are being treated fairly when you don’t know who is making what and where it is being made?

Every day, we ask ourselves, “What conditions to we consider favorable for community life?” Certainly, having so many artisans join us was our first answer to that question. But being able to say, “Have merchants in town that knows everyone in their stores – customers as well as suppliers and just passers-by” and have it become a reality for us is not what I expected. I should have.

Kind enthusiasm is contagious in Western North Carolina. I hope you’ll visit Grassroots Appalachia to see for yourself and so that we can get to know one another and continue to expand our community of creatives. We are located at 458-B Harper Avenue. We are open Wed. – Sat., 11 – 4 and other times for special events.

© Michael M. Barrick, 2026. The Appalachian Chronicle is a publication of Grassroots Appalachia.