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CARLY STOVER
Hometown Hero
Mary Surbaugh
The town of Rainelle during the 2016 flood. Photo by Rob Atha.
Mary Surbaugh recalls that it rained for 23 hours straight in her hometown of Rainelle, WV, on June 23, 2016. Living in a food desert, which is common in rural areas of the state, she wanted to find a way to save her garden, but she understood there were far more important things to care for at the time. She quickly realized that if there was a foot of standing water on top of the mountain on which she lived, this rainstorm would be unlike any other, and the effect on agriculture in the area would be crippling.
After the rain stopped, Surbaugh rode to town in a Humvee that pushed cars and debris out of its path. The devastation was unfathomable. Some individuals were being saved from their attics while others worried about whether their loved ones were safe. The water rushed out of the river banks with immense force that day and took everything in its path. She can’ t forget the horrible stench that lingered in the air and the amount of mud and sludge that caked every last surface of the town.
“ One foot or more of black, greasy, smelly muck had to be shoveled out of every store in town,” she says.“ I wore muck boots for a week.”
Rebuilding Agricultural Livelihoods
As a grower and market manager for the Western Greenbrier Farmers Market, Surbaugh knew this flood meant the worst for agriculture and food access.“ Every garden in Rainelle had been washed away,” she says.“ Potatoes were found 100 yards from their beds.”
Even after all the debris was cleared and the mud was scrubbed away, she knew the work had just begun. The market had been eagerly planning for the launch of its Local Food, Local Places Initiative, and in an instant, it was no longer possible. Two of the biggest producers at the market experienced a total loss of their crop. During the flooding, diesel fuel leaked and seeped into the ground, making the soil unfit to grow edible food for at least three years.
Surbaugh teaches a local child about gardening. Photo by Rebecca Crane.
The adversity the community faced was vast, but Surbaugh turned to her faith.“ My inspiration to leave this world we live in a much better place comes from God,” she says.“ Whenever God wants something to happen, it will happen. I ' m just the tool.”
She decided to take the gardens to the mountains to find safe ground to feed the community. She also helped initiate 25 family gardens and three community gardens, stressing the importance of the community coming together to save its home.“ No one was coming to our rescue,” she says.“ It was up to us to make it happen.”
The Human Element
Crops, while important, are not the only component to running a successful market. The organization and people running the market are equally as crucial. Surbaugh gathered a new team and formed a board of directors for the Western Greenbrier Farmers Market. It also became a 501( c)( 3) nonprofit organization, opening the door for multiple grant and funding opportunities.
Reopening for business in May 2017, the market began accepting WIC and SNAP benefits and started a mobile pop-up event to reduce food waste and reach outlying areas with limited food access. According to Surbaugh, 2017 was the market’ s best year ever.
“ It has been like a miracle to see us come from where we were under the murky flood water to something bigger and better,” she says.“ I’ ve learned to keep following the dream. Hard work and perseverance always pay off.”
Despite the devastation brought by the flooding, Surbaugh, the local farmers and the community have together accomplished what many thought impossible by bringing back the farmers market from total loss. Surbaugh ' s work is a true testament to the resiliency and fortitude of West Virginians. •
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE