Faculty Bio

Anthony Flaccavento is an economic development consultant and organic farmer from Abingdon, in the heart of Appalachia, and is the author of Building a Healthy Economy from the Bottom Up: Harnessing Real World Experience for Transformative Change (University Press of Kentucky, 2016). His consulting business, SCALE, Inc, works with communities around the world to help build more locally-rooted, sustainable economies and healthier food systems. Anthony was the founder of Appalachian Sustainable Development and a number of other ‘social enterprises’ in affordable housing, food and farming and forestry and wood products. He is also the author of “Healthy Food Systems: A Toolkit for Building Value Chains”. Anthony writes and speaks regularly about the economy, sustainability, rural development, culture and politics. Whether as a conference keynote speaker, a seminar leader or a presenter to civic, community and political gatherings, he has built a reputation as an outstanding speaker who brings complex subjects to life with real-world experience and straightforward discussion. His You Tube channel, “Take Five with Tony”, covers similar ground in down-to-earth, five-minute segments.