The U.S. Botanical Safety Laboratory’s new gas chromatography equipment and a specially developed testing methodology are poised to bring stability and convenience to Western North Carolina’s burgeoning industrial hemp industry.
Mark Cohen presents a workshop on regenerative agriculture
“Healthy soil and the biodiversity that generates and maintains it is key in simultaneously improving food security, watershed health, preventive medicine and climate mitigation,” says farmer, ethnobotanist and educator Mark Cohen.
Inaugural Chow Chow culinary festival sets the table for growth
Organizers reflect on the highs and lows as they consider planning for future events.
Monarch Butterfly Day at The N.C. Arboretum
The Sept. 28 event will offer a milkweed plant sale, children’s educational activities and a monarch gardening workshop for adults.
Environmental groups unite for Climate Justice Rally
Taking place at the Vance Monument from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, the rally brings together 15 area organizations in a call for change. The speaker lineup includes Anita Simha with the North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign, Lucia Ibarra of Dogwood Alliance, the Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri from the Creation Care Alliance, UNC Asheville Assistant Professor Evan Couzo and Sunrise Movement member Shane McCarthy.
Pollinator advocates rally against neonics-treated plants
Both local and corporate retailers are committing to reduce or eliminate use of the popular but harmful insecticide.
Appetite for Life: Heirloom apples are rich in flavor and history
A simple apple crisp can be an easy, creative way to highlight locally grown fruit.
Organic Growers School 2019 Harvest Conference offers in-depth workshops
The two-day conference features workshops from area experts on forest farming, medicinal herbs, wild edibles and hemp growing.
Asheville seeks new approach to water treatment sludge
Last October, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality placed stricter controls on what outside materials MSD could accept, thus barring the plant from taking Asheville’s treatment residuals. The city’s current plan is to landfill the sludge in Buncombe County and Concord, N.C. — at over 2 1/2 times the cost of its previous disposal arrangement.
Get Off the Grid Fest workshops explore sustainable gardening and farming
More than 30 bands on three stages plus classes covering everything from aquaponics to regenerative agriculture practices are on the schedule for the three-day festival.
Bountiful Cities plans Buncombe County’s first food hub
The proposed two-story pavilion would provide cold storage, processing space, a value-added kitchen and more for local community gardens.
Of mountains and men: New anthology surveys Appalachian nature writing
“We have to start looking at what is nature at this point? What is the nonhuman world?” maintains “Mountains Piled Upon Mountains” editor Jessica Cory. “We’ve affected the air, which affects everything else. We’re really getting to the point where we have to look at things a little differently.”
Green in brief: Asheville releases guide to climate resilience, RiverLink plans sale of French Broad land for restaurant
“Building a Climate-Resilient Asheville,” debuted during a June 19 meeting of the city’s Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment at The Collider, focuses on practical steps individuals can take to reduce their vulnerability to extreme weather.
New documentary explores our troubled waterways
In the Center for Cultural Preservation’s latest documentary, Guardians of Our Troubled Waters: River Heroes of the South, filmmaker David Weintraub investigates the history of figures such as French Broad crusader Wilma Dykeman and the roles they played in fostering environmental change.
The gospel of okra: Chris Smith’s new book urges us all to embrace the slime
In The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration, the author defends a vegetable that’s long been maligned by millions.
The Collider shifts leadership, seeks path to financial sustainability
The Collider announced that Claire Callen, owner of the Wells Fargo Building, will join the nonprofit’s board as president and assume all responsibility for daily operation of the organization.
The natural wine movement gains momentum in Asheville
Produced with a focus on sustainable farming practices and low-intervention fermentation, natural wines are increasingly finding their way onto local wine lists and retail shelves.
Green burial cares for loved ones and the earth
According to the Green Burial Council, burials in the United States annually put 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluids, 20 million feet of wood, 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete, 17,000 tons of copper and bronze and 64,500 tons of steel into the ground. Local green burial sites offer an alternative with less environmental impact.
Mother Earth News Fair goes hands-on
Along with more than 150 traditional workshops and seminars, six keynote speakers and hundreds of exhibitors, this year’s fair now features hands-on and extended workshops that dig deeper into an array of topics selected by the magazine’s editorial team.
Koji claims the culinary spotlight
Local fermentation expert Meredith Leigh will present a workshop on preserving food with the koji mold at the Mother Earth News Fair.
Trash becomes treasure on the runway at eco-fashion shows
On Friday, April 26, Goodwill hosts its fifth annual Color Me Goodwill upcycled fashion show at The Orange Peel. The following evening, Saturday, April 27, Asheville GreenWorks kicks off its second Environmental Awards and Trashion Show at the DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville-Biltmore.