When the farming start-up, AppHarvest, launched in Kentucky, it promised good jobs in coal country — but some workers called it a grueling hell on earth. We also explore an island of Japanese culture in West Virginia called Yama. And fish fries have been a staple in Charleston, West Virginia’s Black community for years. We visit one and learn a little about what’s made them so popular. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In 2016, a wildfire escaped the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It killed 14 people, injured dozens more and destroyed parts of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. We talk with an investigative journalist who has new information on the incident. Also, four decades ago rice seeds from Laos crossed the ocean to California and made their way to a family of Hmong farmers in North Carolina. And the Appalachian trail has been exhaustively hiked, explored and written about, but it’s still got a few secrets left. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Alleghany and Covington high schools were rivals for decades. But now, they’ve merged. This week, we head to a home football game and learn how it’s going. Also, the daughter of a legendary guitar maker didn’t set out to take up her father’s craft — but she’s found it irresistible. And, we take a trip to the mushroom capital of the U.S. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Black lung disease is back. In fact, it never went away. Now, younger and younger miners are living with a particularly nasty form of black lung disease. Regulators and the coal industry have known about the problem for decades — but they’ve been slow to respond. One reporter asks, “What would happen if thousands of workers in any other industry got sick and died just because of where they worked?” This week, we’re talking about the black lung epidemic, Inside Appalachia.

Since 2019, Inside Appalachia has brought you stories from our Folkways Reporting Project. Folkways was created to boost awareness of Appalachian folk traditions and how they’re passed between people. In 2023, we added 25 stories to our growing archive that explore diverse arts, culture, food and people of Appalachia. This week, look back at some of the past year’s Folkways highlights.

Since 1967, Foxfire has been a storehouse of traditional Appalachian knowledge that still helps people today. It continues to preserve music and history, but part of Foxfire’s heritage has been recording the stories of Appalachian women. This week, Inside Appalachia, explores Foxfire –its past, present and future.

This week, we return to some of our favorite stories from 2023. Appalachia saw challenge and calamity, but people found joy … and strength. We learn about how an old family tradition is connecting with a new generation –and we find unexpected views and surprises just off the interstate.

This week, we go a-wassailing in Asheville, North Carolina. It’s kind of like Christmas caroling, with a kick. We also visit Kentucky’s Minnie Adkins. She’s had a long career as a folk artist, which began with a pocket knife. And, family recipes bring generations together. But what happens when you’ve got grandma’s potato candy recipe, and it doesn’t have exact measurements? You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags... Climbers have also been working to make the New River Gorge more inclusive. And a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles remembers some advice. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, punk music photographer Chelse Warren takes us into the pit. We hop a tiny train to discover the miniature wonders of a West Virginia model railroad. Then, we journey to eastern Kentucky, where they’re reclaiming their bootlegging heritage –along a new moonshine trail.