Pandemic left graduating high school seniors no time to say goodbye

Eligh Ros, a dual-enrollment 12th grader at Martin L. Nesbitt Jr. Discovery Academy, is on track to graduate as part of the class of 2020 with both a high school diploma and some college credit from A-B Tech. Early this spring, he was busy with classes and multiple club activities, his sights set on studying computer science or engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York in the fall, when he suddenly found his life upended by Gov. Roy Cooper’s March 14 executive order to close schools.

Michael Stratton at Fairview Road Resilience Garden

Oakley residents plant seeds of community resilience

Since late March, Michael Stratton, his wife, Amanda, and a small, hardworking steering committee have managed to transform a 4,000-square-foot grassy field near Fairview Road into 15 neat garden beds, which in mid-April were already speckled with green sprouts of onions, potatoes, kale, chard and more. The group plans to donate the produce to food pantries and neighbors in need due to COVID-19.

Isa Whitaker

Isa Whitaker builds community resilience through gardening

As coordinator of Bountiful Cities’ Asheville Buncombe Community Garden Network, Whitaker manages communication, educational programming and resources such as free seed and tool libraries for more than two dozen local gardening efforts. And after COVID-19 began impacting life in Western North Carolina, he’s seen an increase in the number of local residents interested in starting new community gardens.

Leah Penniman

Organic Growers School Spring Conference ushers in the WNC growing season

Now in its 27th year, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference welcomes growers and sustainability-minded folks of all types for a weekend of region-specific educational offerings, a trade show, seed exchange, guest speakers and opportunities for socializing and networking. This year’s conference takes place Friday-Sunday, March 6-8, at Mars Hill University.

Haywood County Extension hosts Master Gardener Plant Sale, Jan. 31-Feb. 27

Press release from Haywood County Cooperative Extension: The annual Haywood County Extension Master Gardener plant sale has begun.  Edibles (berries and asparagus) and hard-to-find native plants (perennials to attract pollinators) are available at exceptional prices. Order forms are available at the Cooperative Extension Office on Raccoon Road, by calling the office at 828-456-3575, on the […]