Charleston, W.Va. (WVDN) – During a recent episode of “Just Three Questions!”, Nancy Bruns, co-founder and CEO of J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works, and WV Secretary of State Kris Warner discussed salt harvesting and how the state is uniquely positioned to produce agriculture products.
J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works is a seventh-generation salt-making family in the Kanawha Valley. In 2013, Bruns and her brother, Lewis Payne, revived the salt industry in the region and restored a 200-year-old family tradition.
Bruns said, “This is where my heart is. I was living in North Carolina at the time. I was a chef and spent 20 plus years in the food industry and had my finger on the pulse of the food industry and what trends were happening, and salts became a very important focus. And with my family history in it, I felt like I needed to get back here and start a salt business again on our property.”
The salt harvested is enjoyed in homes and restaurants around the world. While salt is a mineral, Bruns considers it an agriculture product because it’s pulled from the ground.
“I think West Virginia sits in a unique position because we’re not the land of huge industrial farming. We have these small family farms that can do niche production of really interesting and needed agricultural products for chefs and restaurants in the region. So, I think that is a real opportunity for people who want to go into farming or are already in it,” Bruns added.
“The agriculture sector creates employment opportunities while maintaining local communities and building stronger regional economies through its diverse operations. J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works with its extensive history demonstrates both the survival of one family business and the permanent value of agriculture for our state’s future economic growth,” Secretary Warner said.
The interview with Bruns and other recorded episodes of “Just Three Questions!” can be found on the WVSOS YouTube channel.
