From the Get It! Guide: John Mahshie says he realized the value of the exercise, healthy eating and time spent in the sun that comes with farming — and what that could mean for veterans experiencing isolation or even suicidal thoughts as they struggle to reintegrate into civilian life. “It’s a natural fit for this sort of healing,” he says.
From the Get It! Guide: Ever doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world? Well, according to Bee City USA founder Phyllis Stiles, the evidence of our power to change our environment for the better is literally (buzzing) all around us.
From the Get It! Guide: For a business to succeed long term, it has to factor in supply and demand, market trends, technology and, according to one of Asheville’s newest ventures, climate change. The Collider calculates climate change data to present trend predictions as an asset for businesses new and old.
Asheville restaurateurs are giving the term “locally sourced produce” a new meaning by picking up a shovel and digging in the dirt themselves. This translates to a farm-to-table journey that, for some, may only be a few yards.
For many children, the links between food supply and school lunch are murky at best. But the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Growing Minds Farm to School program aims to shine some light on the problem, helping forge connections that can lead to a lifetime of better health.
Over the weekend, a dedicated crowd of aspiring beekeepers (or “beeks” as they are affectionately called) gathered at the Folk Art Center for the 2015 Basic Beekeepers School, or “bee school.”
From the Get It! Guide: Green jobs, lush community gardens, community cookouts and water quality testing — these might not be things many in Asheville picture when they think of public housing. But residents says Asheville’s public housing neighborhoods are investing in their communities’ welfare and leading a growing interest in “greening” up the neighborhoods.
The “largest locally-run sustainability conference in the Southeast” returned to Asheville this past weekend, offering attendees the opportunity to learn about a variety of gardening, homesteading and commercial farming topics from a wide-range of experts.
“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.
From the Get It! Guide: Katie Bray from Clean Energy for Us discusses the campaign to make solar energy accessible and affordable to home owners.
From the Get It! Guide: Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and their Appalachian Grown certification program work to strengthen community connections through local food.
“Growing mushrooms at home is extremely rewarding,” says Tyler De Francisco, a hog and sheep farmer and owner of Sugar Creek Meats in Leicester. He keeps around 200 mushroom-growing logs on his property just for fun. “The quality is phenomenal, compared to anything that you can buy in the store.”
Hall Fletcher Elementary will hold the second year of its “Star Chef Junior Chef Cooking Competition” throughout February. The program is part of the school’s year-round science program that includes organic gardening skills, environmental science, nutrition and stewardship.
In her talk at UNC Asheville, Allen discussed how social justice is entwined with food — and she encouraged people to take action, saying, “I want you all to think big about what to do.”
The artist collective, made up of more than a dozen musicians from various countries along the Nile River Basin, is embarking on its first tour of the Unites States with a two-day stop in Asheville.
“Religion and sustainability — now there’s an oxymoron,” joked Rev. Steve Runholdt of Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church, one of three clergy who sat on the Nov. 19 panel “Religion & Sustainability: Views from the Bridge.” The presentation was part of the third annual “Taste of Bioneers” Conference held at the Lenoir-Rhyne Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville. […]
Incorporating garden-based education with an emphasis on healthy eating into the regular curriculum is the goal of two in-school programs run by FEAST, an extension of Slow Foods Asheville. Funds gathered by FEAST and school PTOs will support faculty positions in two elementary schools this academic year where a FEAST Garden and Cooking Coordinator will work to bring the schools’ gardens into the classroom.
Through the organization’s Water Quality Internship Program, six interns are learning how to test water quality in local streams. But that’s only the beginning, as the interns will also work as educators and advocates, raising awareness of environmental concerns in the public housing developments near the streams.
The Asheville Design Center, through its Asheville DesignBuild Studio, is helping the YWCA to construct an outdoor classroom, covered pick-up spot and memorial garden honoring community activist, entrepreneur and former YWCA board president Laurey Masterton.
In 1790, 90 percent of Americans were farmers. Today that figure boils down to less than 1 percent. The change is particularly noticeable in the South, which up until the 1950s, was a largely agrarian society. Now, some are calling for a rebuilding and supporting of a locally-focused food system — which used to be prevalent in Appalachia.
Brace yourselves — the plant enthusiasts are coming. From Tuesday, July 15 through Saturday, July 19, Western North Carolina will once again play host to the Cullowhee Native Plants Conference, an annual event with workshops and field trips exploring many aspects of native plants. Get a feel for the conference with a video tour of the plants of Black Balsam Ridge.
