By reclaiming abandoned mine sites and other acreage throughout the region, Green Mining’s vision is to grow and harvest lavender while recreating jobs for our miners and their families through training and continued resources. With their state of the art facilities and team of Ph.D. chemists, they are able to produce the highest grade oils available on the market. By supporting existing businesses and setting a foundation for new business, regions hit the hardest will begin to flourish once again with sustainable businesses like poultry, plant farming, chemical processing, engineered soils, fertilizers, water purification. Which in turn creates further job growth in the production of nutritional supplements, fragrances, flavors and other lavender – based products to be sold to manufactures and consumers.
This is West Virginia’s new economy. It is remaking itself.
The project, officially called the Green Mining Model Business Program, is a partnership with the Benedum Foundation. Benedum funds kicked off the project with a study to determine which high-demand crops could bring long-term return on post-mind land. Mining took place on two acres during the feasibility stage, but the project now has grown to 104 acres.
The project will take place on Four Mile Mine, which was previously mined by Pritchard Mining Co. The program will start by training 25 former miners. They will learn to grow lavender. They also will receive entrepreneurial training. The lavender plants will be harvested and sent to the WV Regional Tech Park (WVRTP) where the essential oils will be extracted from the plants and then sold for use in perfumes, soaps and lotions.
The West Virginia Regional Technology Park is a multi-tenant research facility with a commitment to innovation, technological advancement and education. The WVRTP is an ideal location for technology based companies interested in expansion, new businesses requiring research and laboratory space, and technology-based and research- oriented educational institutions.
The West Virginia Regional Technology Park is the ideal location to transform an abstract idea into a completed, market- ready project. Starting with conveniently located office space and the capacity for state-of-the-art laboratory space, new concepts, technologies or systems can be created and refined.
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