West Virginia Executive Spring/Summer 2020 | Page 40

Appalachian
Botanical Company
By Katlin Swisher, Ph.D.
Photo by Chad Foreman.
300 Court Street
Charleston, WV 25301
[phone]
www.hilton.com/en/embassy
Charleston’s Premier Hotel
• 253 newly renovated
two-room suites
• Complimentary cooked-toorder
breakfast and evening
reception every day
• 13,000 square feet of flexible
meeting and event space
• Indoor pool, fully equipped
fitness center, restaurant,
bar and room service
• Downtown businesses,
convention center, vibrant
shops and dining at
your doorstep
• Complimentary shuttle
service available to
nearby Yeager Airport
Many companies and nonprofit organizations
in West Virginia have pioneered innovative
ways to put coal-mined land and its people
back to work.
One West Virginia woman has taken those
ideas to heart, embedding them in her vision
for a for-profit company. Jocelyn Sheppard,
president of Appalachian Botanical Company,
has created a model for expanding and sustaining
the social, environmental and economic
benefits of the state’s natural resources.
Founded in 2018, Appalachian Botanical Company
is growing lavender on reclaimed mine
land in Ashford, WV, that is sold and used to
make essential oils.
“Lavender is a high-value crop that grows well
on coal-mined land, so the decision was easy,”
she says.
Lavender is a featured ingredient, fragrance
and flavor in a wide range of personal care,
cleaning, decorative and food and beverage
products. Most large-scale U.S. lavender
operations are located outside Appalachia.
Customers in the region can now purchase
high-quality products from Appalachian Botanical
Company and avoid paying high shipping
costs. It can also be found at farms, shops
and farmers markets around West Virginia.
The company is creating jobs in Boone County,
a region adversely affected by the downturn
in the coal mining industry. Sheppard’s team
started by planting 35 acres of lavender and
plans to scale up to 120 acres or more in the
next two years. This summer, the team will
harvest the lavender, distill the essential oils
and hydrosols and wholesale its products to
local and regional customers.
“As we plant more lavender, we are hiring more
people,” she says. “We’re seeing opportunities
for others in Southern West Virginia to
start and grow small businesses like daycare,
transportation, food service and artisanal
lavender products.”
Appalachian Botanical Company recently
received a Power of Performance Award at
the 2019 Small Communities, BIG Solutions
Conference, a recognition for its efforts to put
Southern West Virginians back to work. The
majority of Appalachian Botanical Company’s
employees live in Boone County with the rest
coming from Fayette and Raleigh counties.
“We believe in giving people second chances,”
says Sheppard. “We’re proud to be working
closely with state government agencies and
social services organizations to help people
overcome barriers to employment.”
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE