Celebrated for its scenic beauty and connections to Appalachia culture, the Blue Ridge Parkway stretches 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina and serves as the longest linear park in the United States. While its footprint is massive, it's impacts are felt on a hyper-local level, with communities uniquely imprinting themselves toward the 16.7 million visitors that pass through the park each year.

After years spent gathering support, the Blue Ridge Parkway was granted $127M of the $1.3 million Great American Outdoors Act, which was passed by Congress in 2022. This established the opportunity to complete decades-long deferred maintenance along the Parkway's entire corridor.

The combination of these planned projects and the necessary detours, partial, and full road and feature closures in areas now impacted by Hurricane Helene have communities, visitors, and residents concerned about the short and long-term impacts of these necessary projects.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we set the context for the economic and community impact of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and provide an update on what comes next in terms of decisions about current repairs and long-term infrastructure upgrades. We'll hear from Jesse Pope, Executive Director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Association, one of the Parkway's most visible attractions. We'll also talk with Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, a 501c(3) organization tapped with assisting Parkway staff with funding, marketing, and other support not covered as part of the Federal budget. The BRPF is behind the Blue Ridge Rising action plan, which will help connect Parkway communities and visitors with travel experiences, enhanced cultural attractions, and more. Other organizations like the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea trail and the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area also provide volunteer, programmatic, and marketing support along the Parkway.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday morning at 9AM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

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Agriculture has always been an influential contributor to Watauga County's economic performance.

In its 2024 statistics report, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture reported $13.85 million in cash receipts generated by Watauga County farms, with an additional $5 million in economic impact coming from Watauga County Christmas Tree growers. The business of farming has changed a great deal over the decades. Now agritourism is counted on to keep many of these multi-generation family-farms producing.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we discuss the state of the agriculture community in Watauga County with Gray Shipley of Shipley Farms Beef. We'll hear some history about production in the area as well as how changing market realities have caused farms to focus more on providing experiences rather than high-volume yields.

In the spirit of the emergence of warmer weather, we'll also hear from several local business owners about what they are most looking forward to this summer. We also provide an update on a key economic development project aimed at providing broadband connectivity in hard to reach places.

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday morning at 9AM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce and the Watauga County Economic Development Commission see access to quality and affordable childcare as one of the top economic development priorities in our region.

Western Youth Network is in the public phase of fundraising for a project that would provide a significant boost to afterschool and out-of-school care for children across Watauga County. On this week's Mind Your Business, we visit with Jennifer Warren, Executive Director of WYN, to hear more about their Building Brighter Futures Campaign, and the needs this project addresses for children, parents, and local businesses.

We'll also provide an update on key early childhood legislation as we move closer to a new state budget in North Carolina.

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday morning at 9AM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

Who are the two people that have the most impact on the High Country's outdoor economy? Mother Nature and Old Man Winter! Our opportunities for recreation are not only a magnet for visitors, but they are also a core component of the quality of life that makes this region so attractive to residents.

On this week's Mind Your Business, we hear the latest on the State of the Outdoor Economy. Andy Hill is the Watauga Riverkeeper and Regional Director for Mountain True. He shares the latest on post-storm river cleanup efforts, improved water quality, and the latest on where and what types of fish are biting.

We'll also hear from River Girl Fishing Company's Renata Dos Santos, as she gives an account of the status of the river for tubing and kayaking, what outfitters see daily, and what they need most at this point in our Helene recovery.

We wrap up with Howard Street construction news and details about the sale of a legacy local business.

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to sponsorship support from Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday morning at 9AM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

Since when did the stock market start following the High Country weather pattern? If you don't like what you see, wait a few days!

The economic ups and downs of today have an impact on the stability and predictability many High Country businesses. On this week's Mind Your Business, we examine the long-term impacts from the daily financial volatility we see every time we look at the news. We define some "terms of the moment," to provide basic understanding of what we are seeing and look at how today's economic landscape is shaping the hurricane recovery efforts Northwest North Carolina. We get these details and more during our quarterly check-in with Jonathan Allen of Allen Wealth Management.

Next week's groundbreaking on the Howard Street revitalization project has stirred excitement throughout the community. We hear from two long-time Howard Street business owners about their hopes and expectations for the project, and what they need most from customers and the Town of Boone during construction.

Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday morning at 9AM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

Boone is soon to check another long-discussed project off the list!

On this week's Mind Your Business, we share the details of the Howard Street Revitalization Project, including information about the groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for April 14th. Lane Moody, Director of the Downtown Boone Development Association discusses project details, communication plans, and how this project has been designed to enhance pedestrian access for both events and day-to-day use.

We also hear the in-the-moment reaction from the 2025 4 Under 40 honorees.

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This program is made possible thanks to sponsorship support from Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Catch the show each Thursday morning at 9AM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.

Support the show

We recorded this episode of Mind Your Business six-months to the day Hurricane Helene made her way through the High Country. We start the program with a message of hope to sew into our daily conversations along with some updates on where progress is emerging.

Earlier this week, Cheap Joes Art Stuff announced its closing the doors on a 40-year run as one of the nation's most popular art supply depots. Joseph Miller joins us to answer the question of why the time to say goodbye is now.

We also recap the 9th-annual 4 Under 40 awards and give the details on the next big Chamber event. Fore!

Mind Your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

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Mind Your Business is back in your inbox this week with a breakdown of the latest Helene recovery bill passed Wednesday by the NC General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Josh Stein. We'll outline some specific local examples of how these helpful dollars will be allocated.

While Helene may still be grabbing the headlines, there are many other core economic and community development projects that are ongoing. This year's legislative calendar could yield some significant progress for the childcare industry. One local business is taking a key point of action and advancing it forward before the legislature gets involved. Hear the story of Kid Cove, and Halee Hartley's recent announcement of a new benefit she is providing for the workforce behind the workforce.

Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, made possible through the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.

Support the show