Elaine Ingham’s manifesto: Let your garden’s wisdom guide your gardening and your life

“We need to educate people to understand that plants can, indeed, take care of themselves without people getting in the way,” asserts Elaine Ingham, an iconic figure in organic farming and a world-renowned soil microbiologist who is returning to Western North Carolina for two upcoming engagements later this week.

Commentary­: Highest and best use? Or absolutely the worst use?

Editor’s note: The issues of density, zoning, Smart Growth and quality of life in the city of Asheville continue to generate interest and concern among Mountain Xpress readers. Recent letters to the editor on the topics have generated multiple comments and new letters, along with a lively thread on the Facebook group Asheville Politics, which […]

Local EDC responds to report, criticism of JDIG incentives program

The following response is from Ben Teague, executive director of the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County, who has completed more than $1 billion in economic development projects in Western North Carolina over the past six years, and Andrew Tate, President & CEO of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development. They’re responding to the NC Justice […]

NC Policy Watch: Tough rules, engaged public needed to clean up coal ash

OPINION by Sarah Kellogg: This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will finally release the first-ever rule regulating the storage and disposal of coal ash, a toxic byproduct of burning coal. For years, communities and environmental groups across the country have pushed the EPA to finalize the regulations, and now, due to a court ordered mandate, the […]

WNCA, ECO, J-MCA to become ‘MountainTrue’

PRESS RELEASE Merging environmental organizations announce new name, logo ASHEVILLE—The boards and members of WNCA, ECO and the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance on Thursday night enthusiastically approved the new bylaws, board of directors, and new name and logo for their merging nonprofits. Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2015, these three environmental organizations will legally […]

New website helps voters find local representatives’ record on fracking

PRESS RELEASE New website helps voters find local representatives’  voting record on fracking, make informed choice at the polls Asheville, N.C. — With Election Day weeks away and many voters still gathering information, a new, locally created website helps North Carolina voters easily identify where state and local legislators stand on fracking. FindYourFracker.org allows voters to search for local […]

From scratch: Mountain BizWorks’ humble beginnings

Mountain Microenterprise Fund began in 1989 as a small demonstration project to a shortage of financing for small businesses, particularly those owned by women and minorities. MMF started out as part of Warren Wilson College’s Black Swan Center, which some may remember for its “Green Pages” directory of small businesses in Swannanoa/Black Mountain (the area’s […]