The two new programs offer in-depth training for home gardeners seeking to sustainably produce their own food and established growers looking to branch out.
Is hydro the way to grow? Locals say yes
Hydroponics is taking off around the globe, the country and in Western North Carolina. But it’s not just backyard gardeners who want to reap hydroponics’ impressive list of benefits, which range from a rapid growth rate to less labor to water conservation to crop consistency.
ICYMI: Xpress stories from the issue of Sept. 27, 2017
From the area’s largest single construction project to fall planting, Xpress has the scoop on local fall happenings. Here are some of our best stories from the previous week to keep you reading as you wait for our next issue, coming to a paper box near you on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
Fall is planting time for garlic and shallots in WNC
Making intentional choices about seed-bulb varieties and planting will pay off in the warm months with a bountiful and pungent harvest.
Workshop shares knowledge for raising crops on the forest floor
Many cultures around the world cultivate native, shade-loving plants beneath the forest canopy. Recently, more farmers in the United States have been getting excited about the potential of forest farming to diversify their crops while preserving natural environments. A forest farming workshop on Saturday, Sept. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 1, is geared to farmers of all levels who are interested in growing in the shade.
Community Garden Network celebrates with tour, dinner
The Asheville Buncombe Community Garden Network will hold its first fundraiser, a garden tour and celebration, on Saturday, Sept. 16. Tour-goers will have the opportunity to visit four unique community gardens and take part in activities at each. A portion of proceeds will directly benefit the participating gardens.
In photos: 23rd Annual Mountain State Fair
The next best thing to going to the Mountain State Fair, which runs through Sunday, Sept. 17, is checking out our gallery of photos from the fair’s opening weekend.
West Asheville Garden Stroll showcases peaceful spaces
The ninth annual West Asheville Garden Stroll will lead visitors through 15 lovely green spaces on Sept. 9. This year’s theme highlights the idea of “sanctuary.”
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features Sow True Seeds downtown move plus a new studio album by Eleventy Seven.
Harvest Conference offers help in growing, self-reliance
The Organic Growers School’s Harvest Conference, held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8 and 9, supports growers in processing the bounty of the autumn harvest and extending the growing season through the winter and early spring.
N.C. Farm School summit offers two days of education
A two-day conference Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14 and 15, in Mills River offers farmers an opportunity to take part in training on a wide range of topics. Sponsored by the N.C. Farm School, the conference takes place at a different location each year.
Inmates grow through gardening program
Sally Reeske has been teaching horticulture at the Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women, a minimum-custody prison, for the past two years. While the vocational course through A-B Tech offers inmates hands-on learning and training opportunities via an instructional plot, Reeske wondered if she could do even more for the incarcerated women and the community at […]
Communities along Upper French Broad work to restore water quality
In this two-part series, Xpress invites you on a guided a trip down the river as we examine the work of various communities to write the next chapter in the French Broad’s history, beginning with Transylvania and Henderson counties.
Aug. 15 breakfast to introduce farmers to thriving market
While Western North Carolina is already known for producing high-quality medicinal herbs, there’s still plenty of potential for growers to get in on the ground floor of a market that appears poised to expand. Farmers and others interested in opportunities in medicinal herbs can learn more at the Buncombe County Friends of Agriculture Breakfast on Aug. 15.
Krazy with Kudzu looks at good and bad of invasive vine
While pretty much everyone agrees kudzu is a big problem across the South, there seem to be as many philosophies for dealing with it as there are leaves on the vines. At Chimney Rock State Park’s Krazy with Kudzu event on Aug. 12, park visitors can learn about a variety of approaches to living with — or destroying — the pervasive plant.
Gardening experts gather in Asheville for weekend of inspirational talks
This year’s Speaking of Gardening symposium will take place Aug. 11 and 12 at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway — a new location for the 19-year-old event that brings gardening experts and enthusiasts together for a weekend of inspiring lectures and other events.
Raising the roof: Asheville restaurants and bars take kitchen gardening up a notch
Rooftops offer businesses the opportunity to turn under-utilized space into blooming (and buzzing) food-production spots.
Start from seedling
The N.C. Forest Service offers a range of tree seedlings from varieties that flourish in the state. Customers can place their orders online now for fall delivery at distribution centers or by mail.
Growing the next generation of farmers
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.
Bradley Johnston brings boutique dairy farming to Mills River
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.
BOOST in bloom
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.