Long overlooked as a source of nutrition, acorns are nutritious, plentiful and free for the taking.
Here to help
Asheville
Rural Heritage Museum highlights history of WNC barns
From the Ani Katuah to white settlers and tobacco farmers, barns and buildings have played a central role in defining the culture of the Southern Appalachians. Shelter on the Mountain: Barns and Building Traditions of the Southern Highlands traces the evolution of local building practices.
International buzz: Asheville’s Black Jar Honey Contest supports global honeybee research
A panel of local judges evaluated 30 honeys from around the globe to determine the 2017 Black Jar champion.
Small bites: Celebrating the season with Farm-to-Table Dinner
Organic Growers School is hosting a Farm-to-Table Dinner fundraiser with chef John Fleer. Also, Meredith Leigh hosts a charcuterie workshop, Ole Shakey’s mixes bingo and brunch buffets, Knife & Fork join forces with Cucina 24 to explore the island of Sardinia and more.
Roadside manner
Asheville
Small bites: Celebrating the Year of the Rooster
Folkmoot rings in the Chinese New Year with the help of Western Carolina University’s Office of International Programs and Services. Also, Organic Growers School hosts the Farm Dreams workshop, Asheville Independent Restaurants selects its 2017 board of directors, Publix opens in Weaverville and more.
Minerals Research Lab cooks up cutting-edge solutions
For 70 years, the Minerals Research Laboratory on Coxe Avenue has collaborated with mining companies and educational institutions to develop more efficient processes for extracting the state’s mineral resources as well as ways to reuse potentially harmful byproducts.
Small bites: A wintry feast at Buxton Hall Barbecue
Gluttony reigns supreme at Champlain, Buxton Hall’s latest pop-up event. Also, Mike Ferrari leads cooking classes at The Farm, Fletcher hosts its 16th annual chili cook-off, Ask Hendersonville offers a foodie prize giveaway and the Organic Growers School opens early registration for its Spring Conference.
Great endings & fresh starts: Final days to help Give!Local nonprofits
As the two-month campaign nears its close, donations are surging toward the philanthropic project’s second-year goal of $60,000. Anyone thinking about making a donation is urged to do so quickly. The effort to raise funds for 47 outstanding WNC nonprofits ends at the stroke of midnight, Dec. 31.
All I want for Christmas
Asheville
Taking stock: Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council’s year in review
The past year has brought a few changes to the organization, including new coordinator Kiera Bulan.
Julian Award winner Trudie Henninger: Connecting kids with nature as citizen scientists
For several weeks this past spring, Trudie Henninger led a class of kindergarteners outside to monitor and study the changes in nearby redbud trees. The process was slow. The kids grew restless. “They’re not doing anything, they’re not doing anything!” they insisted. But then one day, the whole class came running inside, chanting, “They’re blooming, […]
Julian Award winner Susan Sides: Feeding our hunger for food and community
Since she was a child, Susan Sides has had her fingers in the dirt, helping her mother with the family garden. That early experience had a profound impact, fostering a passion that continues to this day: Since its inception in 2009, Sides has worked as executive director and garden manager at the Lord’s Acre in […]
Let Live Coalition vs. Wild Abundance: Vegan activists rally against a local permaculture school
Despite a contentious week of social media campaigns, phone calls and emails from vegan and animal rights activists, local sustainability educators Meredith Leigh and Natalie Bogwalker went ahead with their workshop, Cycles of Life: Humane Slaughter and Butchering.
Facing the future: What happens when a nonprofit leader steps down?
Thirty years is a long time to devote to any pursuit, and Karen Cragnolin, the oft-honored founding mother of RiverLink, can attest to that. During that time, she says she held every job in the organization and was planning to finally move on this year when, during surgery, she suffered an aneurysm that robbed her […]
Carnival of Nuts fundraiser supports Asheville native nut collective
The family-friendly event will feature nutty foods, carnival games, squirrel aerial shows and more in an effort to help a local native nut-growing collective buy equipment to bring its harvest to market.
City commissions plan to head off climate-related disasters
Planners with the National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center presented a progress report on their efforts to create a climate-resiliency plan for the city of Asheville. The presentation took place on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the Collider in the Wells Fargo building downtown.
Slaughterhouse views
Asheville Museum of Science celebrates new location with soft-opening reception
The Asheville Museum of Science held a soft opening from 10 a.m. until noon at its new location in the Wells Fargo building at 43 Patton Avenue. In addition to the opening reception, an official ceremony was held to celebrate a $400,000 grant awarded to the museum from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.
Multifaith peace conference explores connection between conflict and climate change
Attendees from many faiths will gather at the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center on Nov. 10-13 to consider the possible effects global climate change could have on humanity’s ability to maintain a peaceful world.