FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/5/2016 Contact: Sylvia G. Crum, Director, Communications, and Development 276-623-1121 scrum@asdevelop.org
Radio Bristol and Appalachian Sustainable Development create alliance to bring back Farm and Fun Time
Abingdon, VA (July 5, 2016) – Nationally known and respected for its commitment to local farmers, Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) has entered into an alliance with the Birthplace of Country Music’s Radio Bristol, to bring back the historic radio show, Farm and Fun Time.
Each month Radio Bristol and ASD will visit local farmers and highlight their work and their farms by shooting video segments (called the ASD farm reports) on location. Farmers will tell personal stories about their farms, their crops, their connections to the land, and more, all set against the backdrop of traditional music. Footage will then be edited to produce 5-7 minute videos that will be rebroadcast on all Radio Bristol platforms. Production expenses will be provided by HVAC, Bristol Tenn.
The alliance has a shared mission to deepen the connections of Radio Bristol listeners to Appalachian music and farming – both central to the cultural heritage of the region, by bringing back the popular 1946 radio show Farm and Fun Time as a live monthly radio program. Farm and Fun Time featured artists that would share their unique musical styles and vocals. In the past, the show was broadcast live from a studio in the General Shelby Hotel and reached into Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky. Bluegrass greats such as The Stanley Brothers, Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt, the Osborne Brothers, and Jim and Jesse McReynolds were often show guests.
In July, Radio Bristol and ASD will feature the third video segment featuring different aspects of a local farm. In addition, later this summer, each of the videos will be available to view on Radio Bristol’s website and social media pages, as well as ASD’s media platforms. Farmers will also be able to use the videos as marketing tools and ASD plans to heighten awareness of its work by telling stories of local farmers, sharing economic impacts of farming and increasing food access in the region.
About Radio Bristol
Radio Bristol is a network of three radio channels showcasing the diversity of American roots music from the early recordings era to today. Reaching the world through a local FM Station (100.1 FM), online media center and App, Radio Bristol produces original programming through recordings and live sessions from the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and the region.
About ASD
Since 1995, Appalachian Sustainable Development, a ‘home-grown’ nonprofit has been dedicated to its mission to grow food, communities, and opportunities to build a thriving Appalachia. ASD serves Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wise counties in southwest Virginia and Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, and Washington counties in northeast Tennessee. ASD operates programs in sustainable agriculture/food system development and food access. For more information please visit www.asdevelop.org, Facebook or Twitter.