Twenty-nine years ago, fate intervened when Alan Hartman and Rick Green met literally by accident. Rick’s car had gotten stuck in a ditch on Wades Gap Mountain. When Alan stopped to help, neither man knew it would be the beginning of a long-lasting friendship, much less an eventual business partnership!
At the time, both had been working in the HVAC business for different companies. In 1990, however, they decided to team up and open their own full-service heating and air conditioning company called Tinbenders. The whimsical name comes from the fact that the partners made their own metal ductwork to help offset initial costs. The name also reflected their additional service of making and installing metal roofing.

In those early years, the Tinbenders established themselves by installing and servicing standard HVAC equipment, gas and oil furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioners. When the company began to grow, they hired their first employees and never looked back.
In the Fall of 1995, Rick and Alan were approached by WaterFurnace International; an alternative heating and cooling company. WaterFurnace told the partners that there was an abundant source of free, renewable energy that could be used to heat a house in the winter, cool it in the summer, and provide hot water at the tap all year round. Skeptical yet intrigued, the Tinbender boys proceeded to have themselves trained in this alternative technology, and in 1996, they installed their first geothermal heat pump system. This kind of set-up delivers an amazing four units of energy for every one kilowatt of electric energy used. That is an efficiency rating of 400%!
In addition to the geothermal, the technologies for other heating and energy systems have also advanced. Oil, gas, and heat-pump systems have all become more energy efficient. To keep up with the new technologies, Alan and Rick and all the employees at Tinbenders continue to learn with ongoing training. They also constantly upgrade their services and products as the industry moves forward.
Though located at 422 Wades Gap Road in Callaway – just five minutes from Floyd County – 80% of Tinbenders’ customers live in Floyd. The boys even take part as annual participants in the Floyd Energy Fest which is put on by SustainFloyd.
Sales and Marketing Representative, Ed Ricci, tells us that Tinbenders have replaced three systems for the Floyd County Library, and have also improved the ductwork, replaced one system, and installed a mini split in the new kitchen at the Country Store. They’ve replaced the radiant heaters at the Floyd Firehouse, as well as the Park Ranger station, and have installed and maintained mini split systems at Big Indian Farm Bakery and Plenty! Tinbenders even do all the work for Harris Construction of Floyd, as well as dozens of residential customers.
Originally from Philadelphia, Ed first arrived in the area when he bought two-hundred acres of land on Walker Mountain in Giles County. That was 1976. By 1986, Ed was already building houses and selling them. For a while, he owned an energy management system business, and was actually a competitor for Tinbenders.
But it wasn’t an adversarial competition. Rick and Alan had just as much respect for Ed and Ed had for them. In fact, when Ed closed his business due to injury, the Tinbender boys called and asked him to come work for them. That was seven years ago, and Ed says the reason he’s still with them is because “they’re great guys to work for.”
Ed says moving to the area was the best thing he ever did, but it’s certainly different from Philly! “If you need a plumber down here,”, he jokes “they might not be available because they’ve gone hunting!” Lots of folks in Floyd have gotten to know Ed because he’s the guy who comes out to the home or business to evaluate the need and provide and estimate.
Ed loves the moment when someone first hears his still-strong, Philly accent. “You’re not from down here, are ya?” It’s always fun and helps customers to relax and enjoy the process of the Manual J load Study – the evaluation to determine the needed system size.
Ed tells us that the people of Floyd are so happy with Tinbenders that a lot of their business comes directly from references. They also get calls when folks see the Tinbenders vans driving up and down the roads of Floyd on other appointments. All in all, Tinbenders has a great reputation in Floyd County, and all the guys at Tinbenders appreciate the support the County has provided them.
Before contacting Tinbenders for installation or replacement, Ed would like folks to know that the process begins with an in-home inspection and the Manual J load study. This evaluation includes room sizes, insulation, windows, and the direction of the sun. This information allows Tinbenders to determine the correct air flow for the rooms, as well as the correct size needed for the HVAC system.
Years ago, systems were sized according to the square footage of a home with no consideration to its construction. Consequently, many systems installed were oversized. The oversizing not only caused short cycling, but it also created hot and cold spots, as well as higher utility bills. It is Tinbenders’ mission to help folks to replace their old, costly, and inefficient ones by using the load study to determine the proper need.
Comfort is Tinbenders’ goal with every installation. Their ductwork is designed so that air moving from one end of the system to the other is constant, leaving no hot and cold spots in the home. It is then sealed to prevents any loss of air. Tinbenders is primarily a Trane dealer, “It’s hard to stop a Trane!” But they are also a dealer of Mitsubishi Diamond.
Tinbenders, Inc. offers free estimates, maintenance contracts, system replacements, new installations, and 24-hour repair service. They also install geothermal systems, on demand water heaters, boilers, and radiant floor heating systems.
For more information visit Tinbenders on Facebook, for online at Tinbenders.com. You can also call (540)334-5841 to schedule your free estimate!

Tinbenders • (540)334-5841• Tinbenders.com
422 Wades Gap Road, Callaway VA
facebook.com/tinbendersinc/

Dogtown, from its beginnings, has been oriented around the idea of family and friends: fresh, delicious food made to order, great company, and comradery. Followed, of course, by lots of memorable experiences.
Dogtown Pizza started out many years ago when two friends had a chance encounter at a party. The location of this party was home to a single, wood-fired, brick oven. After John Roberts and Scott Smith combined their culinary experience, the party was brought to life with their delicious wood-fired pizza creations. Discussion soon began around the idea of further collaboration. The property where the party took place was referred to by its owner as “Dogtown”, and the name stuck.
A crew set off across the east coast in an old farm truck with a brick oven built on its bed, baking beautiful pies everywhere they went; building the reputation of Dogtown Pizza. In the summer of 2010, however, after having travelled like this for a few years, a great permanent location presented itself. Dogtown settled in Floyd, Virginia.
In 1999, Anga Miller had purchased an old sewing factory building, previously known as “The Shirt Factory”. After extensive renovations, a large portion of the main sewing floor was then converted into a music venue called “The Sun Music Hall”. Since its grand opening in 2002, Anga’s primary goal for “The Sun Music Hall” had been to present live music from both regional and national acts. She also wanted the venue to be a place for the local community to enjoy Floyd’s many talented local artists. This is where Dogtown found its home.
With the addition of Dogtown Pizza and hearty libations, “The Sun Music Hall” took a big leap forward. It then became the landmark establishment that many Floyd residents and visitors have come to know and love as “DOGTOWN ROADHOUSE”.
Scott and Jon eventually moved on to pursue other paths in life, leaving Dogtown Roadhouse solely owned by Anga and her husband, Ed Erwin. Anga and Ed have continued the legacy of Dogtown; keeping spirits high while making improvements toward an even brighter future.
Over the years, Dogtown Roadhouse has grown an amazing reputation due to its delicious, wood-fired pizza, as well as its sixteen local, regional, and national craft beers on tap! Their good name is also due to their extensive menu and full bar service.
In addition to the brick-and-mortar location at 302 S Locust Street in downtown Floyd, Dogtown has kept the spirit of its roots intact by keeping the wheels attached. With the original Dogtown Pizza Truck, the folks at Dogtown continue to cater numerous events such as festivals, weddings, private parties, game day tailgating, and more!
In essence, Dogtown has become its own culture; filled with many different characters all coming together to create a community-based experience for all. Dogtown Roadhouse strives to provide a family-friendly environment that serves delicious pizza creations, as well as a variety of beverages. All this in one lively spot where people can enjoy the kind of great company and comradery that continues to build and foster lasting relationships.
The folks at Dogtown would like to invite everybody to visit and enjoy all the regionally crafted libations and the gourmet, wood-fired pizzas while listening to the evening’s live music. To make your experience even more memorable, Dogtown is pleased to announce their brand new, private party room! Featuring an amazing view of Downtown Floyd, this room is a great place to host your next private event. Come create your own memorable experiences!
For more information about Dogtown Roadhouse and Sun Music Hall, to peruse the menu, to see a calendar of events, or to book catering, visit online at www.dogtownroadhouse.com. You can also follow Dogtown Roadhouse on Facebook to keep up to date on acts hitting the stage!

DogtownRoadhouse • 302 S. Locust Street, Downtown Floyd
www.dogtownroadhouse.com • 540-745-6836
facebook.com/DogtownRoadhouse
Wed – Thurs: 4pm-10pm • Fri- Sat: 12pm-12am • Sun: 12pm-10pm

Situated on the rolling mountainside of the Rush Fork valley in southwestern Floyd County, lies a grass-fed beef and certified natural produce operation with two guiding values: to embrace environmental stewardship and to provide nourishment to Floyd County and its visitors. The farm sits on an expanse of property that has provided for four generations of the Slusher family, and as a result, land stewardship is a primary consideration in decision-making at the farm. The health and longevity of their land is key as they look to the future of their operation and reflect on its past.
“We’ve farmed this valley for generations, and it always comes back to stewardship,” says Roger Slusher. “It’s the focus of our work. The direction we are always working towards is how we can make this operation sustainable for the long run in order to hand it over to the next generation in better shape than how we received it. Practices like cover cropping, minimum tillage, and rotational grazing go a long way.”
“We try to be good stewards of the land, water, and air,” adds Leslie Slusher. “And through that commitment, better neighbors and community-members. It is important that we remain a positive community influence, on and off the farm. We are proud to provide for the community we cherish.”
Two years ago, with an eagerness to provide for that community, Roger and Leslie Slusher approached their local Farm Credit loan officer with a vision of raising better food. Today, they are doing just that, having gathered an abundance of local support along the way.
Fields Edge Farm supplies the area with fresh, local food, and offers farm-to-table events to help folks develop a better understanding of where their food comes from. Farm Manager, Kat Johnson tells us, “We bring a lot to the table in Floyd County, primarily our amazingly fresh produce. Often, we harvest and deliver our products in the same day, so people can get a variety of veggies straight from the farm that maybe they haven’t experienced elsewhere.”
In addition to delicious foods, Fields Edge Farm offers agritourism experiences for the everyone to enjoy. “We’re creating opportunities to get people out to the farm to learn about the things we grow,” says Kat. “To appreciate the scenery and connect with farmers in a new way.”
Fields Edge Farm hosted their first formal event last spring for which they created a fireside gathering. A Brazilian chef served a savory feast of produce and meats from the farm. In addition to a meal, the event included music, theater, and an opportunity for people to come together and experience the parcel of picturesque countryside that has been in the Slusher family since 1892. Since the Fireside Gathering, Fields Edge Farm has hosted dinners, tours, and various other events to engage the community, as well as visitors.
For information about upcoming events at the Farm, as well as locations where you can purchase Fields Edge Farm products, visit online at www.fieldsedgefloyd.com or follow Fields Edge Farm on social media.

Fields Edge Farm • www.fieldsedgefloyd.com
info@fieldsedgefloyd.com • 540-789-2347
Farm Credit of Virginias • www.fcvirginias.com
Steven Bowman • sbowman@fcvirginias.com • 540-745-2071

By Sandra Smith

The community of Willis is nestled within the rolling hills and green pastures of southwestern Floyd County, just eleven scenic miles from downtown Floyd, down Floyd Highway, south. Willis his home to friendly neighbors who look out for each other. It’s a place where familiar faces always have a smile and a “Hi, how are you today?”
If you speed through or blink, you might miss it. It may be small, but it’s a community with a big heart, and it’s a place where everyone comes together to provide for those in need. It is with these ideals firmly in heart that Sandra Smith, manager of Willis Village Mart, started Neighbors Helping Neighbors: to help provide for those in need.
The greenhouse at Willis Village Mart is typically full of flowers and vegetable plants for your garden needs during the spring, summer and fall months. Instead of lying dormant and empty during the cold winter months, however, the greenhouse was transformed last year into a donation area and place of giving! Individuals and families in need were able to shop for much-needed items for free. That’s right! All donated items were passed along to families in need for free. Neighbors Helping Neighbors was a go!
Many of us want to help but may not know how. With help from our neighbors, however, the greenhouse will be transformed again this year; allowing everyone in the community to be engaged in helping those around us.
Starting November first, the greenhouse doors will be open to families and individuals from 8:00am – 8:00pm, seven days a week, to shop for needed items. If you don’t find the items you need, please feel free to check back often, as new donations come in daily. Donations can be dropped off at Willis Village Mart from 8:00am – 8:00pm daily, from November 1, 2019 through March 1, 2020.
The winters in Floyd County can be brutal, and heating costs can be expensive. There’s a phrase around Willis/Buffalo Mountain/Indian Valley in the wintertime – ‘Never mind the forecast, we make our own weather here’. Thus, gently used clothes, shoes, coats, blankets, household items, toys, etcetera are greatly appreciated, and much needed by families who otherwise may not be able to afford these things. These donations will allow families some relief from choosing between paying the electric bill and having coats and warm clothing for the winter. All items will be collected at Willis Village Mart and then organized in the greenhouse for easier shopping.
With a collective heart that embraces caring for others being such a prevalent part of this community, the support for this new endeavor has been overwhelming. When you consider how vast the need is across the country, one person may not be able to do a lot. But when people come together, anything is possible.
The people of Willis are honored to be able to provide a measure of relief to those who need it most, and they want to say a big thank you to everyone who donated to the cause last year! Neighbors Helping Neighbors is just another example of the special brand of kindness and generosity that comes with living in a tight-knit community of people that have hearts grown for giving. For further information about the Neighbors Helping Neighbors program, of if you wish to donate, please call 540-789-7241. Or, you can stop by the Willis Village Mart located at 5602 Floyd Hwy S. in Willis.
Sandra Smith would like to say thank you to everyone who donated to the cause last year and offer a thank you in advance to those who are planning to donate this year! She’d also like to thank the employees of Willis Village Mart who help collect and organize the daily donations for the greenhouse shop.
Willis Village Mart has everything you need for one stop shopping: from fresh produce, hand cut steaks, fresh cut meats and seafood, gas, groceries, craft beer, and wine. We support many local farmers with locally grown produce, honey, and crafts. Also, if you are looking for a quick dinner option, Willis Village Mart now has fresh baked pizza by the slice, and whole pizzas to go. As mentioned, we have local bedding plants for your garden and flower garden and hanging baskets to decorate your porch, as well as roses and mums in season. Shirley and Stacy Moran, owners of Willis Village Mart, have been leaders in supporting local charities, community fundraisers and events for over thirty years. Thank you so much for supporting our community, for your business, and for shopping local!

Neighbors Helping Neighbors • 540-789-7241
Willis Village Mart • 5602 Floyd Hwy S., Willis, VA

By Sheilah Elwardani

On a cool, damp morning in late August, Sheilah Elwardani of the Floyd County Historical Society found herself following signs with arrows marked simply, ‘Sing’, down increasingly narrow dirt roads, to a farm gate which led across a field and up a hill. Beyond the signs there was nothing to suggest she was doing anything other than trespassing on private property. At the top of the hill, a small barn surrounded by parked cars came into view. She stepped from her car and was immediately carried back in time. She stood for five minutes and simply absorbed the resonating a cappella music rolling strong, clear, and moving from that small building. The Floyd Shape-Note Singers had congregated at this small venue with its excellent acoustics for a full day of traditional, Sacred Harp Shape-Note singing. She was hooked at first note.
Sacred Harp shape-note singing can trace its roots all the way back to Puritan New England during the early 1700’s. The phrase ‘Sacred Harp’ refers to the human voice as the instrument of worship most pleasing to God. Calvinist by theology, the Puritans forbade the use of instruments during worship services.
Early Puritan practices minimized the use of traditional hymns and moved toward a focus on the singing of psalms. The practice of disregarding traditional, sacred hymns became tedious for Puritans during the early 1700’s, leading to a desire to reinvest services with sacred music.
Access to a musical education for the average person in Puritan New England was nearly non-existent. The answer to re-teaching harmony singing to a population with no access to traditional musical instruction was a simplified form of presenting hymns using shapes on the notes to denote how each was to be sung. Sacred Harp shape-note singing was born as a push back against Calvinist minimalism.
Soon after the development of the shape-note system, singing schools emerged, using shape-notes for the purpose of teaching lay-people the foundations of reading music. Singing schoolteachers and composers began to produce new tunes and hymns using the new system, with an adapted four-notes to express the seven-note scale: fa, sol, la, fa, sol, la, mi.
Eventually, hymnals began to appear using the seven-note system: do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti. Each hymn began with singing the notes of the entire song prior to beginning the hymn, leading some to affectionately dub these groups ‘the fasola-folk’. Singers were arranged in a square, with the leader standing in the center: altos facing tenors and trebles facing basses. Different parts were often entered at intervals, forging the tune in a manner similar to a round.
Singing schoolteachers found themselves in demand beyond New England and were soon traveling as circuit riders throughout the Appalachian Mountains. Teachers were commissioned by church congregations to conduct singing schools for children and young adults; often staying within a community for several weeks. The tradition of the singing school survives in Floyd with instruction in shape-note singing continuing to this day. The tradition of Sacred Harp Shape-Note singing is alive and well throughout the Mountain South and has spread across the Atlantic to Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and beyond.
Shape-note singing in Floyd County is vibrant with an active and growing group known simply as the Floyd Shape-Note Singers. The group meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month throughout the year, and welcomes anyone who would like to visit or join in the singing.
The Floyd County Historical Society is paying homage to this traditional music as part of this year’s “Tribute to the Churches of Floyd County”. The current exhibit features Shape-Note hymnals from nearly every denomination in the county. The Floyd County Historical Society will host a public event on Saturday, November 9, 2019 featuring the history of shape-note singing, as well as the Floyd Shape-Note Singers at the Floyd Center for the Arts. The event will begin at 10:00 am with a brief Historical Society meeting followed by guest presenters and shape-note singers. This event is open to the public and the Historical Society invites everyone interested in this traditional music to attend.
For more information about Shape-Note singing, as well as the Tribute to the Churches of Floyd exhibition, please visit the website at: http://www.floydhistoricalsociety.com
For more information about the Floyd Shape-Note Singers, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/floydshapenote.

Floyd County Historical Society
217 North Locust Street • (540) 745-3247
www.floydhistoricalsociety.com

Photo Cutlines:
Singing school teachers traveled to Floyd regularly. This singing school photo was taken of the Topeco Church of the Brethren group with their circuit riding teacher in 1918.

Chris Wolf, (leader, organizer and teacher), of the Floyd Shape-Note Singers leads the group in a hymn at an all day singing event on August 24, 2019.

The geometric shapes on the notes denote how each is to be sung. This method is much easier to teach students with no classical music education.

Built in 1927, the construction of StoneHaven Bed & Breakfast features soapstone that was quarried in Floyd, as well as rich, original woodwork throughout. This Georgian style home is located at 244 Christiansburg Pike NE in Floyd; just one mile from the stoplight downtown.

This B&B offers four, handsomely decorated bedrooms; each with a unique theme and special name. In addition to the comfort of private bathrooms and central air, StoneHaven offers wi-fi, flat-screen televisions, a library, an expansive porch, and a gazebo, as well as homemade breakfasts made with organic and locally sourced ingredients. This B&B is also just minutes away from the stoplight in downtown Floyd, where visitors can enjoy local, world-class music, fine arts and crafts, shopping, dining, recreation, and adventure!
Owners Chris and Jennifer Miller feel that buying StoneHaven Bed & Breakfast was their destiny, and according to Jennifer, it was a story that was years in the making.
In the summer of 1972, Jennifer was just six years old while her sister, Amy, was five. The girls’ dad had a friend named Bobby who’d called to say that his own girls had outgrown their playhouse and he wanted to know if Jennifer and Amy might like it.
With a father working overtime to provide for his family and a mother staying at home to care for three children, fancy toys and elaborate playhouses were a reason to get excited. It wasn’t long before the small, stick-built house was unloaded and placed in the side yard.
Jennifer fondly remembers the tiny kitchen sink, the small cabinets, and the little bench table. It even came complete with checkered curtains and dishes! “Oh, the meals we made with sticks, grass, and mud!” recalls Jennifer. “My favorite task was to fill the little vase with wildflowers I would gather from the wood’s edge.”
Jennifer also tells us that it was easy to play house because she had such a good teacher. Her mother was a talented seamstress and gardener; taking pride in her cooking, as well as decorating her home with the labor of her hands. “I can remember lying flat on my back at her feet and looking up to watch her sew,” says Jennifer. “Catching stray threads between her lips and talking to me all the while.”
Jennifer also spent many hot summer afternoons watching her mother water the flower gardens. “I can still smell the lovely fragrance of the gardenias that graced the sides of our front entrance.” It was there in the family’s first brick home that Jennifer’s mother imparted to her a joy of flowers.
Years later, Jennifer’s early adult life revolved around raising her own family; a task for which she kept in constant touch with her favorite teacher. “I spent hours on the phone with Mama,” she says. “She literally taught me to cook over that old rotary telephone with its ten-foot cord.”
With her mother’s help, it would be in her first home as an adult that Jennifer finally became what she would consider “domesticated”. Her husband, as well as her church family, would often rave about the chocolate pound cakes and chicken casseroles she’d proudly make for the monthly fellowship meals.
And thanks to her mom’s help with decorating ideas, Jennifer’s husband would often return from work to find the furniture moved and the walls newly painted! Playing house had become Jennifer’s passion.
In 1995, however, she found herself single and raising two small boys. But fate was just getting started. In 2004, Jennifer met and married the love of her life, Chris Miller, and she became enchanted with Maine when they visited for their honeymoon. Incidentally, it was during this visit that the new couple had their first experience with a Bed & Breakfast, at the refurbished home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Portland. During a second B&B stay at the beautiful Spouter Inn in Lincolnville Beach, Jennifer found herself admiring the vibrant blues and whites in the dining room and thinking how much fun that type of life could be.
The defining moment of their experience in Maine, however, came when they’d stopped at a well-known restaurant in Camden; famous for their lobster rolls. Unaware of the time, Jennifer and Chris had arrived when the place was closing to prepare for the dinner crowd. As they turned to walk away, they were quickly greeted by the owner who escorted them back in and insisted on serving them personally. Afterward, he walked them back out and asked if they had any plans for their future together.
The restaurant owner complemented their Southern hospitality and quickly offered a tantalizing opportunity. The man also owned a local Bed & Breakfast and was looking for the perfect couple to run it. Chris and Jennifer humbly thanked the kind stranger, but ultimately declined the offer to move to Maine. Yet they never forgot the seed that was planted that day.
That was fifteen years ago. In May of 2018, however, the whisper of destiny that had been following Jennifer since childhood finally became a triumphant song. She and Chris purchased the old soapstone home on Christiansburg Pike and opened StoneHaven Bed & Breakfast two months later.
“It has been pure joy,” says Jennifer, “to serve ‘all who enter in’.” And that joy is reflected in the appreciation of the guests who have found their way there. As one returning guest recently emailed: “We’ll treasure the memories of gathering around your breakfast table and we feel as though we’ve made friends with you and your other guests. We respect your sacrifice and the hard work it must take in providing much more than a room in a hotel—you are touching people’s hearts and turning strangers into family.”
For more information about StoneHaven B&B, to see photos of the beautiful rooms, or to make a reservation, visit online at www.stonehavenbnbfloyd.com. You can also check them out and follow on Facebook at StoneHaven Bed and Breakfast.

StoneHaven B&B • Jennifer & Chris Miller
www.stonehavenbnbfloyd.com • (540) 745-4018
244 Christiansburg Pk. NE, Floyd, Virginia
facebook.com/stonehavenbnbfloyd/

By William Bell

I was interested in photography from an early age.  I remember buying a little Kodak camera when I was in the fourth grade.  My interest was rekindled in high school after taking a basic darkroom course and having access to a good darkroom for a couple of years.  With this new-found passion, I then began to study the inspirational work of some of the early Masters of Photography.
Twenty years or so later, while living in Floyd County with my wife, Joanne, we were making our living at Art and Craft shows.  While exhibiting at these shows, I would often see other people selling their photography.  Then one day, it occurred to me that I could do it, too!  I had loved the Ridge and Valley country of Virginia since I lived in Lexington as a boy.  And now that I was living in the Blue Ridge, surrounded by amazing natural beauty, it seemed a dream within reach that I could make and sell landscape photographs.
Having considered printing as an integral part of the photographic process, I built my darkroom in 1989 and began to print my own pictures so I could have control of my images.  I then learned how to do matting and framing, and it was time to launch my new career.
I traveled the Blue Ridge regions of Virginia and North Carolina with my large format, 4X5 camera; taking photographs of the natural beauty to be found there.  I enjoyed using this big, bulky, awkward, and slow camera because it imposed discipline on the art of seeing.  When I went out for a day of shooting, I would just take around twenty sheets of film.  This limited number of shots for a long day of picture-making required a deliberate and thoughtful approach.  Of course, I also wanted to have some film left for the often-magical evening light.
Along with my camera and three lenses, a tripod, a handheld light meter, and a dark cloth were my essential tools.  It took some time to set up and compose the image, all the while seeing the world upside down and backwards in the ground glass screen at the back of the camera!  But the image quality from a 4X5 negative is impressive.  It’s roughly the equivalent of a ninety-megapixel, digital camera; allowing me to make large prints with great resolution.
Upon returning to the darkroom, I would make prints from my negatives.  I would then mount, matt, and sometimes frame the pictures, all in my own shops!  The cameras and lenses I had were beautifully made, and the film I used was superb; the culmination of decades of refinement.  And my darkroom was state-of-the-art.  But then things changed.
The first digital camera I was aware of had a one-megapixel sensor and was made for NASA in the early 1990’s.  The pace of development for this new technology was amazing, and it caught many people by surprise, including me!  By the late 1990’s, the evolution had begun in earnest.  Hundreds of new digital cameras were on offer while film and darkroom supplies were getting harder to find.  I realized that if I wanted to continue my photography business, I would need to make the complete change to a digital workflow.
After working in my darkroom for eighteen years, I began to make the transition; first to wide format digital printing on canvas, and then to using a professional digital camera.  This was a challenge.  I was not a computer guy.  But I did learn, and I’ve become a big fan of the process, as well as the beautiful prints I can make.  The tools I use now allow even greater control and artistry than I had in the darkroom.  I still love printing, and I still get great satisfaction from producing a beautiful image, even after printing over twenty thousand photographs!
When I go out to shoot photographs, I try to attune myself to the visual world in a special way.  I see the angle and color of the light, and I imagine what the scene might be like from a different point of view or at a different time of day.  I move slowly along the trail, paying attention to small details.  I stop and observe.  I move a little to the left or right and observe some more; sometimes looking through the camera or changing the lens.  This is how I slowly work my way into a scene.  From a day of photography, I can hope to get one or two special images.  That’s always a good day!
For thirty years I have been my own boss, and I like this aspect of my work.  I built my own shops, I go to places that I love, and I take pictures that are pleasing to me.  I have been fortunate.  Because other folks have liked some of the same things that I do, I’ve had some success in selling my work.  Most days, I consider myself lucky to do what I do.
Joanne and I own the Bell Gallery and Garden in downtown Floyd, just a few steps from the light.  We always have a large collection of my photographs there, in different sizes, including paper prints, and we have the work of many other artists and craftspeople as well.  Please come see us.
For more information about William Bell, Joanne Bell, their art, and all the art to be found at the Bell Gallery & Garden, visit online at Bellgalleryandgarden.com.  You can also follow them on Facebook at Bell Gallery.

Bell Gallery & Garden • William Bell & Joanne Bell
Bellgalleryandgarden.com • 540.745.4494
For Reservations Call: 540.250.6802
info@bellgalleryandgarden.com
112 N. Locust Street, Floyd, Va

by Karl H. Kazaks

Late one morning, Corinne Graefe walked through an outbuilding that is part of Phoenix Hardwoods; the fine furniture business that she and her husband, Bill, operate in Floyd. In the warm shadowy light, she examined slabs of various hardwood species, including rare specimens of walnut root and burled poplar; imagining what the rough-cut lumber would become one day – a table, a stool, or a headboard perhaps.
“This is what happens when your addiction is wood,” she explains. What happens when you possess a Phoenix Hardwoods creation is you become the caretaker for a piece of wood furniture which contains an undeniable, natural sense of grace. No matter how large or small, the Graefe’s furniture pieces all exhibit thoughtful design and craftsmanship.
Phoenix Hardwoods’ products exhibit a clear, practical utility, as well as an obvious connection to the original tree and a genuine beauty. Take, for example, a stool with a seat that shows the warm hue and chatoyant gleam of butternut. Or a table with a top and legs made from the same piece of curly maple; featuring an entrancing, rippling figuring, as well as a live edge. Or even a headboard in which the original shape and coloration of a thick walnut slab is captured in a Shaker-style frame. “It still looks like the tree,” Bill says.
Customers especially like the Graefe’s live-edge products, whether it be a table, a floating shelf, a box, or a vase. “People love it because it’s real,” Corinne exclaims.
The business began in 2002, a few years after the Graefes opened a custom lumber operation built around a sawmill and a wood-drying kiln. The couple still use the mill and kiln, largely to supply wood for their furniture business. But the kiln, it should be noted, is only the last step in their slab-drying process. The first step is to dry the hardwood outdoors, a year for each inch of thickness. That means a three-year drying period for a three-inch slab.
That level of dedication to making sure everything is just right can also be found on Phoenix Hardwoods’ shop floor, where, in addition to Bill and Corinne, four full-time employees build furniture by hand. To be sure, they use power tools, but the machines are hand-controlled, not computer-operated, and no detail is overlooked. For example, the stools use wedged mortise and tenon joints to connect each seat to its legs. This joinery technique involves hand rasping the opening of the mortise (in the seat) to create a wider opening, which allows for the insertion of a wedge into the end of the tenon (the top of the legs). The result is a much stronger joint.
Walk into the shop one day, and you may see Henry Vangunten working on his original new design; a table with a floating top. Beside him, Eric McDaniel may be gluing and clamping stool legs, then setting them aside to dry for a day. Caleb Johnson, who has been with Phoenix for over fifteen years, will be coming up with unique ways to use the unusual scraps of highly figured lumber.
“I get the greatest job satisfaction here out of any job I’ve had,” says McDaniel. “You actually get to see the end product and be proud of what you’ve done.”
Bradley Lawson agrees. “I enjoy bringing to life something that could outlive me.” Lawson crafts beds and tables and does much of the finishing work.
The Graefes mostly use a linseed oil-citrus solvent finish; applying a minimum of three coats and burnishing between coats. The tables are mostly finished with a dull, waterproof varnish. Preparing and finishing a burl live-edge piece is incredibly time-consuming, but it’s the kind of work which brings Corinne satisfaction. “I’ve always been interested in woodworking,” she relates. “I was the first girl in my shop class.”
“She’s very particular…” Bill added.
In describing how the couple partition their duties, Corinne explains, “You’ll be more likely to see Bill with a chain saw and me with a chisel.”
Phoenix Hardwoods is particularly known for its larger pieces. Bill loves working with five-foot wide logs. They are also famous for being featured in the rooms and lobby of Hotel Floyd. The company uses mainly hardwoods native to New River Valley forests, but they will also work with hardwoods recovered from planted species. “Arborists bring us all kinds of amazing logs,” they say.
In the hands of the Graefes, lumber that may have otherwise vanished in ash and smoke as firewood is harvested and given a new life; one which honors and illuminates the life that came before it in the shape and character of the original tree.
Phoenix Hardwoods is located at 2540 Floyd Hwy. N. in Floyd, Virginia. For more information, follow Phoenix Hardwoods on Facebook, visit online at www.phoenix-hardwoods.com, or call (540) 745-6403.

Phoenix Hardwoods • (540) 745-6403 • 2540 Floyd Hwy. N., Floyd, VA
www.phoenix-hardwoods.com • facebook.com/PhoenixHardwoods/

By Colleen Redman

Patrick Sisk, Kerry Underwood, Derek Wall, and Daniel Sowers have pooled their entrepreneurial spirit and skills to launch The Buffalo Hemp Company: Floyd’s first hemp farm and retail store!  They’ve spent all summer growing their first crop of premium organic hemp, and with a focus on CBD (Cannabidiol) products, have opened their storefront on Main Street in Floyd this September!
Currently, the Buffalo Hemp Company are leasing to buy a seventy-five-acre farm on Franklin Pike.  That land, along with an eight-thousand square foot building and outbuildings provide plenty of room for the business to grow. Their first field acre of hemp for CBD should be ready for harvest around October, and other plants have been grown onsite in greenhouses.  Some of the harvested plants to be used for free-roll CBD smokes are already hanging in a drying room.
CBD oil is an active ingredient in cannabis derived from the hemp plant.  Unlike marijuana, it is not psychoactive; having no – or negligible amounts – of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).  Preliminary studies have shown CBD to be helpful in the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, cognition issues, and pain.  Evidence suggests it can be helpful in curbing opiate, alcohol, and tobacco abuse, as well as in preventing or reducing the symptoms of withdrawal.  Users have described CBD as having a calming and focusing effect that is fast-acting, non-addictive, and without side-effects.
Buffalo Hemp Company partner, Patrick Sisk, tells us, “the U.S. is pushing to be the third largest hemp producer in the world, next to Canada and China.”  CBD was first legalized in Virginia in 2015 for the treatment of epileptic seizures.  Since then, laws have allowed its use and availability to be expanded.
Sisk admits, however, that the industry is still evolving and still fighting long-engrained perceptions.  Even after the agricultural production of hemp was legalized by Congress through the 2018 Farm Bill, there still remains some stigma around the cannabis plant.
Sisk, who grew up in Fauquier County, first came to Floyd County through an agricultural scholarship to Virginia Tech.  He says he’d like to see Buffalo Hemp Company become a boon to the area.  The partners hope to eventually process their crop into CBD products on site, but the changing laws may have them outsourcing that work to other states.  Though Buffalo Hemp Company paid for their grower’s certificate before breaking ground, they have found that only a handful of companies in Virginia have been granted the right to process hemp.
“The demand for this product is growing quicker than it can be grown,” says partner, Kerry Underwood. “But because of our farming heritage, we’ll be able to meet that demand.”  In the mid-nineties, Underwood owned and managed a Hemp store in Roanoke that sold mostly items made from hemp fabrics.  He also noted that hemp was grown by our founding fathers and that cannabis has been a safe part of our nature-based pharmacy for ages.
“To be able to grow this plant is an honor and privilege,” Underwood continued. “It can make a huge contribution to solving the ecological problems of the planet.   An acre of hemp will consume over one-and-a-half tons of carbon dioxide.  And it’s a soil remediator, leaving the soil better than it was found.  But,” he joked, “it’s not like growing tomatoes.  It’s a lot more complicated than that.”
Partner Derek Wall is more newly-come to the industry.  “I knew nothing about farming,” said Wall, “but I’ve learned a lot in the last five months.”  Although he and the other partners are involved in all aspects of the business, Wall said he got on board to help run the retail part of the operation.
Attracted to the challenge of creative business development in a new industry, Wall said he likes the idea of CBD products being part of the “farm-to-table” movement, as well as the local economy.  The first step toward the focus on the local economy, Wall tells us, will be to hire local employees to run the shop and harvest the crop.

Unlike Wall, farming has been in Daniel Sowers family for generations.  “I think the products will help a lot of people,” said the Floyd County native.  Sowers criticizes how pharmaceutical companies have been responsible for many people becoming addicted to pain medications.  He further points out the tendency for doctors to prescribe them like candy.  However, there are studies indicating that CBD could be a promising treatment for opioid addiction, as well as prevention.  Sowers says he likes growing plants and leading the way for something new.
Each member of the Buffalo Hemp Company partnership also maintains other successful businesses.  Sisk and Underwood are owners of 5 Mile Mountain Distillery, Floyd County’s first distillery since Prohibition. The business features micro-distilled moonshine with Appalachian roots, and houses a tasting room and gift shop.  Wall is co-owner of the Thomas and Wall Real Estate firm in downtown Floyd.  Sowers owns and operates On the Water; a Floyd kayak, canoe, and tube outfitter along the Little River. He is also a Thomas and Wall agent.
Together, the four partners manage the logistics of production, marketing and retail sales, as well as getting their hands in the dirt. “We all bring something to the table,” says Sisk.  I can’t imagine doing this without any one of us.”
For more information about the Buffalo Hemp Company, follow them on social media at thebuffalohempcompany.  To learn about or to purchase products, visit online at thebuffalohempcompany.com.

Buffalo Hemp Company • thebuffalohempcompany.com
540-745-TBHC (8242) • info@thebuffalohempcompany.com
facebook.com/thebuffalohempcompany/

By Vickie Holt

About twelve years ago or so, Robert Nickell was sitting down with some time to kill.  On the coffee table next to him was a book written by Dr. Donald Perry.  Dr. Perry is a Biologist famed for studying the rain forest canopy of Costa Rica.  The book was called “Life Above the Jungle Floor”, and it not only catalogued several new species, but it also inspired the 1992 film, “Medicine Man”, starring Sean Connery.
Perry’s work appeared on the covers of Scientific American, Smithsonian, and New York Sunday Times magazines, and was featured in Newsweek, Life, Geo, Paris Match, and Quick of Germany, as well as many other publications and documentaries worldwide.
What made Perry’s work so unique was that, in 1991, he was the first biologist to go up into the canopy ecosystem.  No one had ever done it before, and because of it, several new species were discovered.  Among them was a monkey no one had ever seen because it lives its whole life high in the trees.  There were also two new snake species no one had ever seen.
“It was really interesting,” says Nickell.  But the part that interested him most was the intricate system of ropes, platforms, and hammocks Perry had created so he could spend prolonged amounts of time in the treetops.  Perry had built the world’s first prototype zipline and was the first researcher to ever use one to study the rainforest canopy.
After the research was over, however, he didn’t know what to do with it.  The entire infrastructure was still there, with ropes stretched tree to tree.  Finally, Perry had decided to create a canopy tour where visitors could pay $45.00 to be manually hoisted into the treetops.  They would then then pull themselves along, hand over hand, from platform to platform.
After learning about the tours, Robert Nickell went to Costa Rica, had a go, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  He was also privileged to meet Dr. Perry, personally!  Robert tells us he was a nice guy.
Being engineer-minded and in the construction business at the time, Robert began thinking that if the ropes were pulled really tight between the trees, and if better pulleys were used, someone could just zip along the lines instead of having to pull hand-over-hand.
Robert decided to present his ideas to a couple of property owners in Costa Rica.  He didn’t have to try very hard to convince them.  “They thought it was such a great idea that they just went for it.  They just did it!”  And that’s how Robert Nickell designed the world’s first proper, recreational zipline.
After that first zipline had been built, another thought came to Robert’s mind.  “I need to be doing this!”  And that was all it took.  It wasn’t very long until Robert’s ziplines were being commissioned and built all around the world.
He designed and/or built in China, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, Scotland, Wales, Mexico, and more.  He also built the first and biggest (to this date) zipline in Canada.  Located on the east coast, North Atlantic Ziplines is huge, with its longest line stretching over two-thousand feet from mountaintop to mountaintop.
Among many other places, he also built a zipline facility for Sir Richard Branson on his privately-owned Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.  Three years after it was built, Necker Island got hit by a devastating hurricane.  Days later, the billionaire called Robert personally to tell him the only thing left standing on the island was his zipline.
Eventually, Robert wanted to build in the United States.  This time, however, he wouldn’t be building for an investor.  This time, Robert aimed to own and operate the facility, himself.  It would be located in North Carolina, and it would be the first the country had ever seen.
Almost immediately, there were problems.  Insurance was impossible to get.  Nobody in America had ever heard of ziplines, and from the sound of it, no one wanted anything to do with them.
Building inspectors had no way to inspect them because there was no one qualified.  It was suggested that if he could get an engineer to sign off on the project, things could move forward.  Even then, it was difficult finding an engineer willing to look at it.  No one in America was familiar enough with what a zipline should be to judge the quality of the design or the completed structure.
Finally, however, Robert found an engineer who gave his design the stamp of approval.  He was then approved by the county and began to build.  After that, he obtained a conditional use permit, but soon hit another roadblock.
The state said that because there was no precedent for this type of facility, and because there were no inspection standards and no regulations, he would have to obtain a million dollars in insurance!  Robert called every insurance company there was.  Nobody would touch it.  He’d been building ziplines all over the world for almost twelve years and there had never been a single incident or accident.  Robert was baffled by the resistance.  After all, insurance is written every day for amusement parks, water-sport parks, public auto-racing facilities, ski resorts, and all other manner of adventure sport businesses.
He just couldn’t understand the reluctance.  So, he opened for a year with no insurance.  There are no state regulations for facilities that operate for free, so for the first year, his zipline was a non-commercial experiment.  The facility operated on donations; advertising to churches.  Their first customers were dozens of field trips and church groups.
After a year of no accidents or incidents, Robert returned to the insurance companies to challenge the denials based on no history or precedent.  “Please insure me,” he asked.  Finally, in 2006, he was able to get insurance and America’s first zipline officially opened for business.  Then it took off and exploded!
The local Fox news station came out and filmed a segment that aired during the evening news.  The piece was so popular that calls poured into the station!  There were also hundreds of hits on their website, with comments asking for more information.  As a result, Fox re-ran the story three times a day for a whole week.  Signature Magazine in North Carolina also did a story, and it was the most-hit story on the magazine’s website in five years!  Hundreds of people came for ziplining after having seen that article.
These two pieces of media coverage made Robert’s zipline so popular that he went from getting about sixty hits a week on his website to getting about 350,000 hits a month!  Apart from speaking to churches during that first year, Robert never advertised that zipline park.  He never needed to.
Upon reflection, Robert says he didn’t build in the United States until 2006 because he’d always thought the perception was that ziplines were for jungles and rainforests.  He really didn’t think anybody in America would be interested.  But as they, “if you build it, they will come,” and boy, was that famous movie quote on the money!
Not only was Robert responsible for the first zipline in America, as well as the first in North Carolina, he was also behind the first ziplines in Tennessee, West Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas, California, and more!  Most were built for other investors, but he also built two more for himself; one in Missouri and one in Arkansas.  He has since sold the ones in North Carolina and Missouri, but he still owns the one in Arkansas and it’s still doing great!
Robert and his family had moved to Branson, Missouri to build Zipline USA after having sold the first one in North Carolina.  At the time, Zipline USA was the biggest in the world.  It covered 120 acres of land and had twelve cables; one of which was three quarters of a mile long and 350 feet high – stretching from mountain top to mountain top.  It’s still one of the biggest in the world, and still probably the biggest in United States for land area and length of the cables.  “With close to five miles of cable,” says Robert, “it’s a heck of big zip line”.
Robert then set his sites on Virginia.  Having spent his childhood just across the North Carolina border in Stewart, Robert was often brought to Floyd with his family, many times visiting Mabry Mill.  Robert fondly remembers dancing at the Country Store when he was young; before it was the thing to do.  He’d come to the jam sessions where folks would just sit around play music.  In later years, he’d drive all the way from Winston-Salem to dance and clog in Floyd because there was nowhere to do it back home.
“I’ve always loved this area since I was seven years old,” says Robert.  “Even then, in the back of my mind at age seven or eight, I was thinking man I’d love to live up here.  It’s beautiful.  And you know just how life comes full circle…it just comes back around.”
Robert says that he and his wife, Joanna, looked all over Virginia to find a location that would support a large zip line, but they just couldn’t find the right land in the right place.  They looked at Nelson County, Amherst County, Augusta County, and Montgomery County.  They even checked Damascus and Abingdon, but multiple issues, including zoning, kept them returning them to Floyd.  “We found a good piece of land out near Copper Hill,” says Robert, “but it was at the end of six miles of narrow dirt road.  The traffic would have made it a nightmare for customers.”
More and more, the multiple return trips began to convince Robert that his favorite childhood destination was the perfect place for his Virginia-based zipline park.  “We spent a lot of money going back and forth, looking for land.  And we spent over $1000 at Floyd Motel!” he jokes.  “But that’s a good place, we like it a lot.”
They finally settled on the location at 3253 Black Ridge Road SW because it was situated only a mile off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  “It just seemed like the right place to do it.”  They broke ground earlier this year at the beginning April, and by the end of June, everything was built, complete, and ready to open.  Everyone was amazed!
On June 29, 2019, Buffalo Mountain Ziplines – the biggest zipline park in Virginia – opened to the public.  Along with Joanna, Robert runs the facility with his nephew, Laith, his son, Joseph, and daughter, Makayla.  In addition to finding a home for his zipline park, Robert also found a new home for his family; a little house on Slate Mountain, about two miles from Mabry Mill…and Robert couldn’t be more tickled about it!
A month later during FloydFest 2019, close to eighteen hundred people tried Robert’s temporary set-up that included two, 60-foot high lines that stretched 385 feet, each way.  “It’s hard to say no to free ziplines”.  With such excellent promotion, Buffalo Mountain got a solid start, and now averages two tours a day during the week and more on weekends.
Robert says that the zipline is already contributing to the community and its economy!  Not only does he hire local employees, but people who have come to the area for the first time after seeing the zipline on Facebook have been completely blown away by the beauty of this region.  And the folks at Buffalo Mountain Ziplines – especially Robert – are always happy to tell new visitors about the Country Store, Mabry Mill, the hiking trails, the music, the shopping, the art, and everything else there is to do and see Floyd.
At Buffalo Mountain Ziplines, guests can soar through the treetops on cables that reach as high as 150 feet above the forest floor while traversing distances up to 2400 feet!  Suitable for adventurers ages three and up, experiences include the Blue Ridge Adventure Tour which features eight ziplines for almost two hours of high-flying fun!  There is also the Rocky Knob Treetop Tour which can accommodate those with tighter schedules.  In just forty-five minutes to an hour, this tour features the park’s first five cables, and is perfect for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and birthday parties!
For ages eight and up, Buffalo Mountain also offers the Full Moon Tour!  Even seasoned zipliners may find this nocturnal ride a new experience.  This tour features eight cables, as well as a host of Floyd’s night-time wildlife.  Afterward, guests can also enjoy making s’mores and roasting marshmallows around a campfire.
A minimum of two guests is required for booking.  For more information, details about the tours, booking, pricing, and group discounts, visit www.buffalomountainziplines.com online!
Looking forward, Robert hopes to create more zipline locations throughout Virginia, as most are concentrated in the north; closer to Washington, DC.  The plan is for some of these to be commissioned by investors, while others will be owned and operated under Robert’s growing zipline company.
He also wants to further develop Buffalo Mountain Ziplines in Floyd by adding more lines and features.  The details are still hush-hush, but when building the ziplines, Robert discovered the site where the last moonshine still in Floyd County was busted, decades ago.  He tells us that on the Buffalo Mountain Ziplines property is an area littered with the shrapnel from where authorities used dynamite to destroy the still, as well as the structure that housed it.  The foundation of the building remains, as does the moonshiner’s specially-ordered car; now rusting and riddled with bullet holes.
Robert hopes to create a partnership that would result in a Moonshine Zipline Tour that would allow guests a birds eye view of the artifacts while zipping over them, followed by a walk-through tour and commentary.
Because there has never been a moonshine museum erected in Virginia, Robert also envisions creating one as part of the main building at Buffalo Mountain Ziplines.  It would be complete with artifacts, old photographs, and lots of information.  Robert is very excited about these plans and hopes to make them all a reality next summer.  In fact, if you have any artifacts, photos, or information pertaining to the old moonshine era that you would like to donate to this future museum, please contact Robert Nickell by calling 540-200-5234, emailing zip@buffalomountainziplines.com, or just stop by Buffalo Mountain Ziplines!
Stay tuned to further issues of Floyd Virginia Magazine for all the news and updates on this exciting new attraction in Floyd!