Get ready to experience a chef-curated, multi course dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients! This is your chance to get up close and personal with the chefs, farmers, and traditions at the heart of West Virginia’s thriving agritourism movement. Enjoy an authentic taste of Appalachian heritage set against a stunning riverside backdrop at the scenic Laurel River Club Bed & Breakfast. Join us on September 20th – it’s more than just a meal.
Chef Melanie Campbell, Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Davis and Elkins College, will create the evening’s fare. This Certified Executive Chef was selected as one of the “Top 5 Chefs” in West Virginia for sustainable efforts by Executive Magazine of West Virginia. Campbell has extensive experience in her field and has won and judged numerous culinary competitions.
All proceeds will help fund the creation of an educational commercial kitchen at Laurel Fork Farm, home of the West Virginia School of Traditional Skills. The facility hosts year-round workshops in farming, food preservation, cooking and many more heritage skills that were once part of everyday life in an effort to back the old ways to create new agritourism programs.
Laurel River Club B&B is managed by the Waybright family, and run by Marsha Waybright. As a West Virginia female business entrepreneur, she also manages the West Virginia School of Traditional Skills and the Laurel Fork Farm, along with her family. Together, the facilities provide a unique destination for distinctive learning experiences that connect you to the region’s rich heritage and nature.
Waybright said the West Virginia School of Traditional Skills is “a 501c3 dedicated to preserving and passing on traditional rural and natural skills via immersive, hands-on learning. Held in a scenic farm and Bed & Breakfast setting, its workshops and field experiences range from food preservation and herbalism to wildlife encounters – and enrich both personal growth and professional development.”
She said the goal of this fundraiser dinner is “not only to introduce visitors to the work of the Waybright Family at this “cutting edge” agritourism destination, but also to highlight and promote the many other agritourism ventures, agricultural enterprises, and small businesses across our beautiful state of West Virginia.”
Chef Melanie Campbell holds an M.B.A. with an emphasis in Hospitality Management from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, and a B.S. from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Campbell. She has served in key culinary roles, including Executive Chef at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Chef at Lakeview Resort & Conference Center, and apprentice at the renowned Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs. Waybright said that as a four-time American Culinary Federation re-certification holder, Campbell has completed over 320 hours of continuing education. She frequently supports community initiatives, including teaching and judging youth culinary projects through 4-H. Her recent appearances include serving as guest chef at the Annual Legislative Reception at the West Virginia Culture Center and participating in West Virginia Tourism Day at the Capitol.
With so many accolades, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Davis & Elkins College and Chef Mel. This collaboration will offer a valuable learning experience for her hospitality team and provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase a beautiful West Virginia farm-to-table meal,” Waybright said. For the meal, “we will be using food grown right here on our farm, as well as from other local farms in our area – all proudly grown in West Virginia.”
Meet the additional team members making this farm-to-table culinary experience possible: Appalachian Acres, Cork’s Turkey Knob Wines, Big Timber Brewing, The Allegheny Trail, and Seven Islands Farm, Mitzco and many more added daily. Farm Tours begin at 3 pm, with a Meet & Greet at 5 pm, followed by dinner at 6 pm. Seating is limited and is by reservation only. Please visit www.lrcbnb.com and reserve your spot on the Experiences page. The Laurel River Club B&B is located at 417 Jenningston Farm Road in Bowden, WV.
For more information about the Laurel River Club B&B and Laurel Fork Farm, upcoming classes through the West Virginia School of Traditional Skills and Mama Bear Protection, or to book a stay, please visit www.lrcbnb.com or call (304) 402-7095. Find more info on Facebook, Instagram, TikToc and YouTube. Also check out the family podcast shown live on the YouTube channel, The Waybright Family, Experience West Virginia With Us, every first Monday of the month at 5:30pm throughout 2025.
