Nathan Hall
My blogs
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Sustainable / Social Entrepreneur |
| Location | Allen, Kentucky |
| Introduction | Born and raised in Eastern Kentucky mountains, 9th generation Appalachian trying to make positive change in the region. I spent time before university working manual labor jobs (including underground coal miner) before deciding my life's focus should be on developing a more sustainable future for coalfield Appalachia. In 2009 I finished a self-designed BA at Berea College. Since then I have built a portable biodiesel production system that will be used as the foundation for East Kentucky Biodiesel, LLC. I have received a grant to travel for one year through the Watson Fellowship, enabling me to explore issues of renewable energy, organic agriculture, and mining-affected areas around the globe. I have plans that reach beyond the biodiesel project, and these include remediating surface mined lands through agroforestry systems with native trees and grasses that rebuild organic matter, provide wildlife habitat, and create a short-rotation feedstock base for bioenergy systems with an eventual transition back to hardwood forest. I also intend to develop a regional initiative to promote organic farming and value-added products as an economic option for underemployed Appalachians. |
| Interests | sustainable entrepreneurship, renewable energy, biomass gasification, organic farming, value-added products, agroforestry, permaculture, DIY, many kinds of music, playing guitar fiddle and drums, riding building and repairing bicycles, hiking in mountains, many more |
| Favorite movies | Wall-E, Dancin Outlaw |
| Favorite music | Pelican, Sleep, Dock Boggs, John Haywood, Guns'n'Roses, Don Caballero, John Coltrane, Mastadon, Ghostface |