Woodshed: An Appalachian Joint

02/13/2025

“If we want to celebrate the good things our ancestors did, we have to reckon with the bad things they did as well.” Our founder Mark Lynn Ferguson's forebears established his Bedford, Va. farm, but his family isn’t the only one rooted there. Descendants of an enslaved woman named Adeline are too. Together, they’re exploring their shared, complicated history.

Mark Ferguson and his husband purchased his family's 226-acre Bedford County farm in 2022. His goal is to restore the land environmentally and to atone for the sins of his ancestors.

02/08/2025

Ready for huckleberry moonshine?! Find it — plus the region's signature Monongahela rye — on this epic distillery tour.

The Pour Tour connects 64 distillaries and related stops, including Tall Pines Distillery and the James B. Beam Pennsylvania Whiskey Heritage Center, which holds the largest, publicly-displayed collection of Pa. whiskeys.

02/01/2025

You know what's not getting hit with tariffs? Appalachian-made goods like these! Find them at www.woodshed.life.

01/20/2025

Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to go up to the mountaintop because Mrs. Rosa Parks kept her seat. Turns out, she studied the principles of nonviolent resistance in the Tennessee mountains.

A bullied Appalachian teen, all grown up now, reflects on his unlikely kinship with Rosa Parks, who studied nonviolent resistance the Highlander Center.

01/20/2025

“Big🌲news! We planted 8,500 native trees on our Bedford, Va. farm via a record-breaking U.S. Department of Agriculture collab. As this forest grows, it will restore nature’s balance in an area clear-cut by my ancestors. Plus, we included rare American chestnut hybrids. Once comprising 1/3 of the Great Eastern Forest, this tree was wiped out by a foreign blight. Now it’s back and blight resistant.” — our founder, Mark Lynn Ferguson

Through a collab with the USDA, my husband and I planted 8,500 trees on our Bedford, Virginia farm. As this new forest grows, it will restore nature’s balance in an area that was clear-cut by my ancestors nearly two centuries ago. Plus it introduces American chestnut hybrids to our land.

01/19/2025

Today is Dolly's birthday! See why we think she's the Patron Saint of Appalachia.

Dolly Parton's charitable acts are legendary. With these eight acts of kindness, she proved she's the Patron Saint of Appalachia.

01/19/2025

Happy birthday, Dolly Parton! Celebrate her 79th year with amazing Dolly goods: https://woodshed.life/collections/dolly

12/24/2024

Who else had an aluminum tree as a kid? Our founder Mark Lynn Ferguson (on left) recalls being mortified by one his momma borrowed in Roanoke, Va.

Tinsel trees, aluminum trees — whatever you call them, these retro artificial trees are making a comeback and being celebrated at the Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Ornament Museum in North Carolina.

12/22/2024

Tacky tree alert! One Brevard, N.C. museum celebrates over-the-top aluminum Christmas trees. Bonus prize — a goofy photo of our founder Mark Lynn Ferguson at age ten.

Tinsel trees, aluminum trees — whatever you call them, these retro artificial trees are making a comeback and being celebrated at the Aluminum Tree and Aesthetically Challenged Ornament Museum in North Carolina.

12/18/2024

We were thrilled to contribute to this event's raffle. Many of our makers are in communities damaged by Hurricane Helene, and their road to recovery is still very long.

🎄 Jingle all the way to Big Lick Brewing Company on December 21st for a night of festive fun and heartwarming generosity! Sip, sing, and spread the holiday cheer while helping those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Don't forget to bring your ugliest sweater for a chance to win a prize and maybe catch a glimpse of Santa himself! 🎅✨

🎁Family-friendly
🎁Live Music
🎁Holiday Brews
🎁Raffles
🎁Sweet Treats
🎁Festive Activities
🎁Ugly Sweaters

Details ➡️ https://www.facebook.com/share/ijHQTiZumCwmHH7R/

12/18/2024

Let's support Appalachian makers! We've made it easy by adding 100s of new products this year. From Vermont to Georgia, our mountain craftspeople continue innovating and developing amazing goods all of us can enjoy. Shop at www.woodshed.life.

12/14/2024

"When I walk into a home, what's the first things I notice? Handmade goods! They add instant warmth and charm to any room." — Mark Lynn, our co-founder | Find more gift ideas at

Stories about modern Appalachian life plus funky crafts from the region — jewelry, candles, woodworking, needlepoint kits, letterpress cards, unique gifts, and so much more.

12/08/2024

Brank spankin new! We just scored these adorable candles from Verba Candle Co. in Knoxville, Tenn. Supplies are very limited, so snag yours today at www.woodshed.life.

12/06/2024

Make your holiday memories magical! Join Santa on old-fashioned locomotives that chug through the hills and hollers of Appalachia, spreading Christmas cheer one whistle-stop at a time.

Join Santa on old-fashioned locomotives that chug through the hills and hollers of Appalachia, spreading Christmas cheer one whistle-stop at a time. These four train ride make magical holiday memories.

12/01/2024

On a budget? Find hundreds of gifts under $35 at www.woodshed.life!

12/01/2024

Authentic, affordable, and creative — gifts in this year's guide make it easy to give handmade for the holidays!

Give Appalachian this holiday season! All year, we've been combing hills and hollers for fantastic gifts, and, dang it, our collection of handmade crafts and small batch foods has never been more exciting.

11/23/2024

Tee time! New tees, sweatshirts, hats, and more. Appalachian-made products arriving daily at www.woodshed.life.

11/17/2024

Moonshining sent Peg Hatcher to prison. Fiddling landed him in the The Library of Congress. Today, his family keeps both traditions alive at Twin Creeks Distillery.

Rock Mount, Va.’s Twin Creeks Distillery is built on a legacy of moonshining and fiddling that dates back to the 1930s when folks from the Southern Recording Expedition pulled up to Peg Hatcher’s home, wanting to record the old-time musician’s famous fiddling. But fiddling wasn’t all Peg was...