The Mountain Jewish Festival kicks off in Hendersonville, workshops are offered on fermented foods and foraging for mushrooms, Black Mountain Ciderworks celebrates its second year, ASAP hosts its Local Summer Cookout and food writer Jonathan Ammons talks about Nightbell’s unique take on the classic deviled egg.
Modernizing the market: New features and higher rent at the WNC Farmers Market
The agriculture department has released a master plan for the WNC Farmers Market calling for everything from LED fixtures and improved signage to a new brew pub, outdoor dining and increased rent for businesses leasing space from the state-run facility.
Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council holds annual Meeting of the Whole
Advocates, activists and concerned citizens gathered at the Stephens-Lee Recreation Center on Friday, July 31, for the Asheville-Buncombe County Food Policy Council’s Meeting of the Whole.
Resilient farming systems: How local foodsheds can brace for climate change
What does a drought in California have to do with Western North Carolina? Local experts say that the situation holds lessons for food systems throughout the country, including how to become more resilient in the face of climate change.
Buncombe County’s Super Summer Meals program helps alleviate summer food insecurity for children
“Currently in its fourth year, the Summer Food Service Program grew in response to the risk of summer food insecurity experienced by children who are on the free and reduced meal program during the school year. “
Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council takes aim at local food security with metrics project
A new initiative of the Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council enlists the help of UNC Asheville students to track regional data and lay the groundwork for developing appropriate food policy for Asheville and surrounding communities.
Mother Earth Produce wins big in Tap The Future semifinals
Local farm-to-door produce delivery service Mother Earth Produce won big last night in the the Miller Lite Tap The Future small-business competition semifinals in Atlanta, taking first place among a pool of 30 contestants and bringing home a $20,000 award.
Salmon and sustainability: Chef William Dissen journeys to Alaska’s fisheries
Not only did Dissen amass tales of glacier hikes, bear sightings and filleting salmon minutes after the catch, but the chef also returned to the Market Place with a renewed dedication to inspire his team on the subject of product sourcing.
Part III: Chef William Dissen takes readers on a sustainable sourcing trip
Days ago, the chef arrived in Bristol Bay, Alaska and agreed to take Xpress’ entire readership along for a sockeye salmon sourcing adventure by sharing updates and photographs of his trip. Here is his final check-in.
Part II: Chef William Dissen takes readers on a sustainable sourcing trip
The Market Place chef William Dissen is traveling to Bristol Bay, Alaska, and he’s agreed to take Xpress’ entire readership along for the ride by sharing updates and photographs of “one of the most sustainable fisheries on the planet.”
Asheville in Alaska: The Market Place chef William Dissen takes readers on a sustainable sourcing trip
This week, chef Dissen is traveling to Bristol Bay, Alaska, and he’s agreed to take Xpress’ entire readership along for the ride by sharing updates and photographs of “one of the most sustainable fisheries on the planet.”
Firefly Gathering teaches primitive skills as a culturally transformative experience
This year’s Firefly Gathering, being held June 25-28 in Barnardsville, aims to take its transformation potential a step further, putting cultural transformation at the forefront. The gathering, now in its eighth year, has always been geared toward changing participants’ lives through a variety of classes based on radical ideas and concepts, but this summer, directors are working to make that goal explicit instead of implicit.
Foraging for food, fun and adventure
Foragers live along a spectrum, and I’m fairly moderate, somewhere on the tamer end. I tag along occasionally with those who hew to a wilder code of living and eat closer to the land. The other day I served as assistant to well-known local, Alan Muskat, “The Mushroom Man,” on a wild foods tour he had arranged for some out-of-towners.
The zero-waste kitchen: Ideas for honoring the true value of food
What we often cull, throw away or compost can be the building blocks for new recipes, offering an infusion of flavor to many meals to come. And something deeper happens when we repurpose our scraps: a change of perspective.
Backyard chicken keeping not as easy as it’s cracked up to be
Recent relaxing of city restrictions mean Asheville is “chickening” like never before. But many would be chicken-keeepers don’t realize the birds stop producing eggs early in their life, yet still require care and attention to survive. As the interest in backyard chicken keeping raises so do the number of abandoned and neglected animals.
Dandelions for dinner: Foraging and preparing a prolific spring edible
Far from the lawn nuisance it’s often considered in our culture, the dandelion has actually been celebrated since ancient times as one of the world’s top health-promoting herbs. Chris Smith of Sow True Seed offers several tasty and nutritious ways to prepare this easily identifiable and abundant wild edible.
Mother Earth News pioneers gather at Asheville fair
Some of Mother Earth News’ earliest “Mothers” — whose roots go back to the 1970s and 1980s — got together this past Sunday at the Mother Earth News Fair, which was held at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. Nearly two dozen former employees and families met for brunch and to share their recollections from the decades past. I was one of them.
In photos: Mother Earth News Fair 2015
Crowds of locals and visitors converged on the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, to take in the sights, sounds and tastes of the 2015 Mother Earth News Fair. Click through for a slideshow of photos by Tori Pace.
Hunger stops here: WNC’s war on food insecurity
From the Get It! Guide: According to MANNA FoodBank’s 2014 Map the Meal Gap study, food insecurity affects 15.3 percent of Western North Carolina. But several local efforts are looking to stop hunger in WNC, bringing the battle to the fields, the pantries, the neighborhoods and even city hall.
How to start a community tailgate market
From the Get It! Guide: Community tailgate markets are a labor of love that offer communities a place to gather while also providing access to fresh, local foods. If you’re thinking about organizing a market in your neighborhood, here’s some steps to consider.
How to become a donation hunter
From the Get It! Guide: Donation hunters provide meat for underprivileged families and food relief agencies like MANNA FoodBank.