#growov

He talks it and he walks it, and Matt Porter does both while looking at you eye to eye.He deserves such a compliment, too, because most of the time Matt appears on his toes and ready for anything, or so it has seemed since he moved to Wheeling and helped manufacture Twin Pops, grow vegetables, and now coach and conduct of arena football.And don’t be mistaken, Porter wanted to suit up again and play for the Wheeling Miners when his old California high school friend Josh Resignalo initially contacted him, but his bride, children, and those who genuinely care about his safety talked him out of it.Instead, he’s the team’s assistant general manager and defensive line coach, and now the Miners are 4-0 heading into their Mother’s Day matchup Sunday afternoon against the Michigan Avengerz at Wesbanco Arena. The franchise is utilizing local talent for the entertainment side of home games and Resignalo has recruited players from throughout the country for the on-field product that, thus far, has outscored opponents 218-62.While his current full-time employer has committed to playing at least two more seasons inside Wesbanco Arena, Porter is “in it to win it” here in Wheeling, so local folks can be sure no matter what endeavor he embraces next, they can be sure it’s something very positive for his new, adopted hometown.Porter and Miners GM/Head Coach Josh Resignalo were teammates in California when the two were in high school.Why arena football?The short answer is that it's fast-paced and exciting.This is my first experience with indoor football so I’m still learning. I’m involved because it’s an opportunity to reunite and coach with Josh (Coach Res), who was my high school teammate in Marysville, California. My dad passed away a little over a year ago and Josh was one of his favorite players, largely because they both had to overcome a lot of challenges growing up.I like to imagine my dad is up in heaven rooting for us.Why do you enjoy working with your friend, Josh Resignalo, and the Wheeling Miners?Culture and connection. I’m not trying to compare making frozen, flavored water to winning football games, but I learned during my time at Ziegenfelder the impact culture and truly loving the people you work with can have on results. I see similar aspects in this Miners team.We have high-character players who play for each other. I don’t give bold predictions like Coach Res, but I believe as long as we maintain our culture, our results will continue to be positive.Not only has Matt's wife, Mia, played for the Wheeling Lightningbirds, but their children are very active in the valley's sports community.As far as attending a Miners game at Wesbanco Arena, how much is football and how much is a show?A ton of work goes into making sure we put the best possible football team on the field. I would say the ratio between football and the show comes down to how well we execute.So, if we are up big in a game, I think the aspects of the show can become more creative. You might see anything from our sponsors or young fans calling offensive plays to local media personalities suited up and playing in the game. If I’ve learned anything this season, it’s that there is very little that’s off the table when it comes to engaging the fans and giving them a unique experience.What do you enjoy most about your adopted city of Wheeling?To me, Wheeling has such an interesting story. I love that I’m always learning something new about where we have been. I also love that so many lifelong residents fondly remember aspects of the past.However, what I enjoy the most is Wheeling’s current momentum and its potential. I spend a lot of time downtown and despite what the naysayers believe, I’ve seen so much progress, and it makes me hopeful for our future.Porter and "Coach Res" have used as much local talent as possible for in-game production during Miners games at Wesbanco Arena.Where do your kids want to go most often in Ohio County? My older three would probably say school. They go to Wheeling Country Day, and the staff there does an awesome job of engaging the kids and making learning fun. They also love the Wheeling Park pool, the Oglebay pool, Wesbanco Arena, and The Highlands Sports Complex … to name a few others. Read the full article

He talks it and he walks it, and Matt Porter does both while looking at you eye to eye.He deserves such a compliment, too, because most of the time Matt appears on his toes and ready for anything, or so it has seemed since he moved to Wheeling and helped manufacture Twin Pops, grow vegetables, and now coach and conduct of arena football.And don’t be mistaken, Porter wanted to suit up again and play for the Wheeling Miners when his old California high school friend Josh Resignalo initially contacted him, but his bride, children, and those who genuinely care about his safety talked him out of it.Instead, he’s the team’s assistant general manager and defensive line coach, and now the Miners are 4-0 heading into their Mother’s Day matchup Sunday afternoon against the Michigan Avengerz at Wesbanco Arena. The franchise is utilizing local talent for the entertainment side of home games and Resignalo has recruited players from throughout the country for the on-field product that, thus far, has outscored opponents 218-62.While his current full-time employer has committed to playing at least two more seasons inside Wesbanco Arena, Porter is “in it to win it” here in Wheeling, so local folks can be sure no matter what endeavor he embraces next, they can be sure it’s something very positive for his new, adopted hometown.Porter and Miners GM/Head Coach Josh Resignalo were teammates in California when the two were in high school.Why arena football?The short answer is that it's fast-paced and exciting.This is my first experience with indoor football so I’m still learning. I’m involved because it’s an opportunity to reunite and coach with Josh (Coach Res), who was my high school teammate in Marysville, California. My dad passed away a little over a year ago and Josh was one of his favorite players, largely because they both had to overcome a lot of challenges growing up.I like to imagine my dad is up in heaven rooting for us.The Miners are undefeated thus far this season. Why?Culture and connection. I’m not trying to compare making frozen, flavored water to winning football games, but I learned during my time at Ziegenfelder the impact culture and truly loving the people you work with can have on results. I see similar aspects in this Miners team.We have high-character players who play for each other. I don’t give bold predictions like Coach Res, but I believe as long as we maintain our culture, our results will continue to be positive.Not only has Matt's wife, Mia, played for the Wheeling Lightningbirds, but their children are very active in the valley's sports community.As far as attending a Miners game at Wesbanco Arena, how much is football and how much is a show?A ton of work goes into making sure we put the best possible football team on the field. I would say the ratio between football and the show comes down to how well we execute.So, if we are up big in a game, I think the aspects of the show can become more creative. You might see anything from our sponsors or young fans calling offensive plays to local media personalities suited up and playing in the game. If I’ve learned anything this season, it’s that there is very little that’s off the table when it comes to engaging the fans and giving them a unique experience.What do you enjoy most about your adopted city of Wheeling?To me, Wheeling has such an interesting story. I love that I’m always learning something new about where we have been. I also love that so many lifelong residents fondly remember aspects of the past.However, what I enjoy the most is Wheeling’s current momentum and its potential. I spend a lot of time downtown and despite what the naysayers believe, I’ve seen so much progress, and it makes me hopeful for our future.Porter and "Coach Res" have used as much local talent as possible for in-game production during Miners games at Wesbanco Arena.Where do your kids want to go most often in Ohio County? My older three would probably say school. They go to Wheeling Country Day, and the staff there does an awesome job of engaging the kids and making learning fun. They also love the Wheeling Park pool, the Oglebay pool, Wesbanco Arena, and The Highlands Sports Complex … to name a few others.

He’s an idea guy. A big-picture person. And that’s the way he explains things, too.And he loses some people when he extrapolates. Not everyone can follow, imagine, or believe in pie-in-the-sky ideas that sound too good even for a kindergartner’s daydream. Some, in fact, have walked away mad, but they’ve returned to the table to hear Jason Koegler’s next-best idea because the man has hit a few home runs at West Liberty University and in the community.And he’s hoping to do the same now as the executive director of Grow Ohio Valley, a non-profit super-success when it comes to winning state and federal grants and promoting proper nutrition with a locally owned food system. Koegler now works directly with GOV founder Danny Swan to create that operation utilizing home-grown harvests partnered with local farmers for local products.The good news? The Public Market in downtown Wheeling has proven very popular since opening in October 2019, and the model works better than expected.The better news? The better news is that there’s no bad news except that there are more steps to take, and the next ginormous stride is the “Wheeling Food Hub.”And yes, Koegler has his visions of that could look, too.Jason and his wife Sarah lived in California before moving to Wheeling to raise their children.Which vegetable is your favorite to eat raw and which vegetable is your favorite to eat cooked?Raw = Tomatoes. My father grew up on Wheeling Island where my grandfather and great-grandfather both grew tomatoes in their backyards which often were planted along the gentle hills rolling adjacent to the river on the north front side. At some point a tradition was stolen or created by one of these guys of picking fresh tomatoes and serving them cut and chopped atop a plate of cottage cheese with salt and pepper.I am not an expert chef, and I am not really into the art of cooking, but I appreciate it and in this case, if the tomatoes are still warm from the heat of the day they were picked, the cool cottage cheese seems to balance the heat perfectly. Cooked = Three-Way Tie: Broccoli, Mushrooms, Swiss Chard- Gram Kull's Thanksgiving Brocolli Casserole.- Any New York thin-style pizza with mushrooms. - When Sarah sautes swiss chard with olive and garlic. Do you have a green thumb or a brown thumb? And how do you know?I don't do well with houseplants. Sarah takes care of the vegetable garden. Stop by some time though and see my mason work - I love landscaping spaces for others to use as gardening spaces. Koegler and his daughter Cora enjoy the many activities in the Wheeling area as often as possible.What is the “next best thing” to be developed by Grow Ohio Valley?That's an easy one - The Wheeling Food Hub.Grow Ohio Valley, in just 9 years, is a non-profit that has grown from $3k in 2014 to over $10 million by 2022. Through this dramatic growth, GrowOv has planted the flag in a few important categories. We produce food, we sell food and we create awareness of the importance of food sovereignty.We feel strongly that the WFH is the missing link in the creation of a fully integrated and local food system. Currently, our urban farms team works hard to grow food and our Public Market team manages the point of sale to customers. Both of these entities are connected to community partners, farmers and producers, yet the WFH will give us the ability to help make more and stronger connections with these groups.At the same time, it will help platform their business to gain the opportunity to reach a greater audience via larger grocery chains and partner organizations in Ashtabula, OH, Athens Ohio, Huntington, WV and more.What item on your bucket list are you planning to do next and why?Growing up I played soccer but was a huge baseball fan, especially in the history and mystique of the past time. Over the years I have made a commitment to see a game in as many different ballparks I could and I am currently at 14. At the top of the list of the "not been to" fields is Boston's Fenway Park.In June Sarah and I are headed to Boston to catch Dead and Company, the current version of the Grateful Dead, at Fenway and I am beyond excited. (This is the last tour ever for the aging Dead).In October Sarah and I are headed to Portugal to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We try not to visit a country more than once in order to gain a diverse experience of cultures. When the pandemic hit, our whole family almost got stuck in India. It was a harrowing and at the same time unique travel experience.Needless to say, we will never forget this trip. We were fortunate to gain five seats on the last plane to New York from Delhi, just 15 minutes before the country shut down on March 23 2020. It was after this when I requested - if we ever get to travel again, maybe we could go somewhere easier next time?And thus Portugal. This will be my 11th country visited in my lifetime.As shown in this archive photo, Koegler has been very active in the lives of his two sons and daughter.What is the biggest obstacle to getting people in the Wheeling area to eat healthier and how does Grow Ohio Valley plan to overcome it?The biggest obstacle for a healthier Wheeling, in my opinion, centers on access to a nutritious diet. Before the Public Market opened in 2019, downtown Wheeling was a true "Food Desert," meaning no grocery store in the downtown proper. The only options for food pre-2019 were at convenient stores like 7/11 - which one could argue does not provide a diverse offering of healthy options.If you are without access to transportation, what are your options? Bus, hitch a ride or walk to the Martins Ferry Kroger? If you are living with these challenges, are you able to prioritize healthy food? Most likely not.The ease and access to Burger King and KFC in this case will reign. According to research performed by BMC Public Health:Low income is associated with poor-quality dietary intake. Compared to those with higher income, lower-income individuals consume fewer fruits and vegetables, more sugar-sweetened beverages and have lower overall diet quality.How can GrowOV help?Of course, our Public Market, which accepts SNAP funding, provides a direct, positive impact on this public health challenge. However, I believe the key for our organization is to help our community overcome its health crisis via healthy eating; we have the ability to create awareness of the benefits of healthy eating, and it starts with our programming and partnerships with our region's youth, in partnership with folks who bring the wisdom of earlier generations (gardening, food preservation, healthful cooking) in our community.I think we do a great job in this area and I am very impressed with the team so far. Stay tuned for further news from us in this area.We have some things "cooking".