Out-Of-Work Appalachian Coal Miners Train As Beekeepers To Earn Extra Cash
In West Virginia, mining jobs have been declining for years, and there have been few other options to make a living. The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective is hoping to help turn that around.
by Jodi Helmer
Jan 28, 2019
3 minutes
Just like his grandfather and father before him, James Scyphers spent almost two decades mining coal in West Virginia.
"These were the best jobs in the area; we depended on 'em," he recalls.
But mining jobs started disappearing, declining from 132,000 in 1990 to, devastating the area's economy. In a state that now has the , the long-term decline of coal mining has left West Virginia residents without new options to make a living.
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