Martin Keck, owner of the Barrel Chest Wine & Beer has begun brewing beer in a two-barrel system, which brews 60 gallons of beer. Martin's plan is to brew small batches and to continually focus on experimentation. His first batch is a stout going by the name "Entire Double Extra Imperial Stout."

While he posted to Facebook that he was making beer last week, he only began selling it this week, and as of today, he is almost out! What will be brewing next at the Barrel Chest?

Outreach and International Affairs invites faculty members and researchers to submit proposals for small incentive grants to support innovative research and engagement projects at the Catawba Sustainability Center (CSC). Proposed projects should focus on sustainable land use for agricultural, recreational and research purposes.

Jessica Fintel, Economic Development Specialist for Roanoke County, received a scholarship from the Virginia Economic Developers Association to attend the Virginia Institute for Economic Development (VIED). VIED provides training in the economic development process, and outlines how this process is used to benefit Virginia's cities, counties and towns in furthering economic growth. During this 2-day course, industry professionals will focus on the fundamentals of economic development and set the stage for what the fundamentals mean to economic developers in Virginia.

For the first time ever, Virginia's Blue Ridge lodging industry experienced record Room Revenue totaling over $101 million, a 1.8% increase over the previous year. Approximately 1.2 million hotel rooms were sold, resulting in an increase of 1.7% according to STR, INC. A record number of sports groups and events held in 2016 attributed to this growth.