Edward Keith Dix

Nellysford, Virginia.

Keith was born on August 14, 1932, in Lakeland, Florida, the son of Alexander Franklin “Frank” Dix and Frances (Hendrick) Dix. His father’s work as an executive with the Boy Scouts of America took the family to several cities including Atlanta and Chicago where Keith graduated from Lyons Township High School in 1949. Keith later reflected that his early years and later values were shaped by his father’s work with the Boy Scouts and his philosophy of life to “leave your campsite better than you found it.”

Keith graduated from Millsaps College in 1954. He spent a summer working in the mineral mines of Idaho, where he first encountered the demanding work of miners and the crucial role of unions–an experience that later impacted his academic career. He earned a master's degree from Duke University and a PhD in economics from the University of Maryland in 1964. He taught at the School for Workers, University of Wisconsin, before joining the newly founded Institute for Labor Studies at West Virginia University as its assistant director of research in 1968. He spent nearly twenty years teaching union members throughout the state and researching the experiences and history of coal miners, which led to several publications and valuable research projects, including his book, What’s a Coal Miner to Do? The Mechanization of Coal Mining.

While working at WVU, Keith built a house and farm for his blended family of five children on Cobun Creek Road outside of Morgantown. With just a few power tools, Keith “learned by experience” the needed skills to build the house, barn, greenhouse, and cider press. He grew an apple orchard, market garden, and raised chickens and goats for a “life off the land.” With the help of his kids, Keith sold his first tomatoes off a card table in front of the county courthouse in 1975.

Over the years, the market garden and orchard expanded and Keith’s determination to farm organically led to a second career. In 1988, soon after retiring early from WVU, Keith founded and served as the first president of the Mountain State Organic Growers and Buyers Association. He later returned to WVU, founding the extension program’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture, pioneering the needed resources and guidelines for regional organic agriculture.

Keith’s farming career continued for a few years in Wooster, Ohio, where he offered the direct sale of his organic produce and started the city’s Saturday morning farmer’s market in 1997. Keith experimented with livestock and raised Jersey heifers for local dairies. With help from the Natural Resources Conservation Services, USDA, he employed sustainable grazing systems, which earned him the Ashland County Conservation Farmer of the Year award in 1998. However, his greatest achievement in Wooster, Ohio, was meeting the love of his life, Beverly Lacey.

After starting a new life on Blue Heron Farm in Nellysford, Virginia, Keith married Bev in 2004. Keith established a successful Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) program for his impressive organic produce, which he also sold at the Nellysford Farmers’ Market. As Keith began to scale back his produce production, Bev expanded her organic cut flower growing and he proudly supported her expanding business, which now is the primary focus of the farm. During the farm’s transition years, Keith continued to grow produce, especially sweet potatoes, for the Nelson County Food Pantry and garlic for sale.

After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Keith and Bev went to New Orleans to help gut damaged houses. In the fall of 2006, Keith spent a month working with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild the city that became a second home to Keith. In the ten years following Katrina, Keith spent a total of 24 months working in New Orleans building homes and forging deep friendships with people from across the country who served there.

Although Keith loved city life in New Orleans, his spirit was fed by being in nature and learning ways to promote a healthy environment. He became a Purple Martin “landlord” and successfully fledged 80 Purple Martins from his two colonies in 2024. Over the years, when he could sneak away from his farming, he loved to travel and hike, tent camping on the way. Whether he was at a campsite in the mountains, at a bar in New Orleans, or in his favorite chair at home, he believed in “two shots of bourbon at 5:00” while he sat and reflected on the state of the world.

Keith is survived by his wonderful wife, Beverly Smith Lacey, his brother, Paul Dix (Pam Fitzpatrick) of Eugene, OR, his daughters, Kiran Dix (Stephen Tittle), Becky (Dennis) Plane, Rachel (Greg) Colker, and stepchildren Scott (Sarah) Lacey, and Megan (Anthony) Tongen. Keith is also survived by thirteen grandchildren: Madeline Colker, Jacob Colker, Simon Colker, Austin Plane, Rosemary Plane, Charles Lacey, Joseph Lacey, Micah Tongen, Paul Tongen, Samuel Tongen, Estrella Tongen, Ana Tongen, and Milagros Tongen.

Keith certainly left his campsite, and this world, better than he found it.

Donations in memory can be made to https://habitatnola.givecloud.co/giving