The application period for the Farm Beginnings program of the Organic Growers School is open through Sept. 1. New farmers participating in the program receive more than 200 hours of training time. For the first time this year, the training will include at least 15 hours of one-on-one mentorship from an experienced farmer.
Mills River native Bradley Johnston has worked with cows all his life, but his newest venture — Mills River Creamery — is a departure from the high-volume wholesale dairy trade he used to practice. Johnston’s small herd of Jersey cows eat non-GMO feed and produce a type of milk that many find easier to digest than the usual supermarket fare.
Four of Bullington Gardens’ many displays have a special significance this year: Each was designed by a team of Henderson County students as part of the BOOST job skills training program. Developed to give high school sophomores with special needs real-world work experience, the Hendersonville program blooms with the promise of future success.
Moss gardeners have it made in the shade when they visit Mountain Moss Enterprises in Brevard, where local author and moss promoter Annie Martin offers education and sells mosses to plant in your own low-light spots. The shop, which is open Mondays through September, also offers Martin’s book, The Magical World of Moss Gardening.
Pack up your car with friends and family this Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25, and head out on Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s annual Farm Tour, an opportunity to get up close and personal with more than 20 WNC farms and the farmers growing your food and fiber.
The native pawpaw tree plays an important role in this region’s ecology, attracting pollinators with its strong-smelling fruits, says Heather Rayburn, a staff member at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville. Rayburn will lead a discussion on the pawpaw and other native plants at the garden’s monthly book club on June 21.
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a garden program at Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women and entrepreneur Andrea Olson’s latest invention: The Baby Potty.
Project Genesis is a pioneering longitudinal study that is mobilizing more than 150 volunteers to study and collect data on the health of 20 research bee hives in West Asheville. Project founder Carl Chesick hopes to gain insight into the factors that are endangering the survival of honeybee colonies.
A coalition of local food activists, resilience planners and city of Asheville staffers are asking a hard question: In the event of a major disaster that disrupts the food supply for more than a few days, what will people in Western North Carolina eat? A recent workshop looked for answers to that question and brainstormed strategies for collaborative solutions for securing the region’s food supply in hard times.
With its recent move to an unusual shared business space off Pisgah View Road, the local-foods delivery service has plans to broaden its reach.
The Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers offer up a chance to visit six private gardens via their biennial tour, the Hidden Gardens of Asheville. And the selection of secret gardens couldn’t be more varied, organizers share — all offering much more to see than just pretty perennials. The tour takes place on June 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHAT: An outdoor party to benefit the Food for People program WHEN: Sunday, June 4, 2-6 p.m. WHERE: 21 Clearwater Creek Road, Leicester WHY: For the last decade, local artists Ron and Rachel Clearfield have opened their home to Asheville residents for the annual Golden Garden Party, an outdoor celebration with live music, handcrafted art […]
The 2017 Garden Jubilee in downtown Hendersonville May 27 and 28 will feature more than 250 regional vendors along Main Street, offering their gardening tips and tricks along with their plants. Expect to see thousands of annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs, including rare selections, along with outdoor furniture and decor.
Learn about walk-behind tractors, a simpler, cheaper and surprisingly versatile alternative to full-sized farm tractors, at a special workshop presented by Living Web Farms in Mills River on May 27. Participants will also learn about specialized hand tools.
Brewing your own beer is all the rage, but for those who prefer the road less traveled, making mead at home is a more offbeat alternative. Marisa Percoco will offer up instruction for aspiring mead masters on May 14 at Villagers in West Asheville.
Microgreens are increasingly big business, with local restaurant diners and home chefs embracing the tiny, yet flavorful, leaves. Xpress talked to growers to find out where you can try the greens — and even how you can grow them at home.
Proceeds from the event will support the Henderson County chapter of Big Brother Big Sister, which currently serves 75 matches (a big and little) with mentoring in community and school settings.
The Garden Helpline of the Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers is now open to provide information, advice and and even a little handholding for anyone with a gardening-related question. The service is free, and volunteers are available by phone or in person at the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension office.
Local farmers are still holding out hope that 2017 will be the year industrial hemp grows in WNC fields for the first time in decades. But the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration isn’t making it easy for growers to source seed or seedlings in time for planting, which may mean another year of waiting for eager prospective hemp growers.
Slow Food Asheville recently announced the Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato as the focus of their 2017 Heritage Food Project. The organization will disseminate 1,700 Cherokee Purple seedlings to area individuals, as well as school, church and community gardens.
This year, the city of Asheville and its partners got serious about the environment, scheduling not just a mere Earth Day celebration, but a full roster of activities for Asheville Earth Week.