Just what is a CSA farm share anyway? It’s Community Supported Agriculture, the folks at the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project explain. The basic idea: When you become a CSA farm share member, you pay the farmer in advance for "shares" of the season's bounty. When the radishes, kale and more start growing (or eggs start […]
There is a lot to get egg-cited about this month when the focus of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Get Local initiative turns to farm-fresh eggs. That’s because area farmers and eateries have got you covered, whether you like yours scrambled, poached, boiled or fried, or from a chicken or a duck. Mike Brown of […]
This month, ASAP spotlights trout in their Get Local campaign as a featured local ingredient. Chef William Dissen of The Market Place has provided a recipe for trout rillettes in honor of trout month.
Want to show off for your dinner-party guests? Ask them, “For what farm product is Western North Carolina one of the top six producers in the United States?” It’s likely they’ll respond “apples.” Let out an exasperated sigh when you shake your head no. “It’s trout,” you’ll say, adding that North Carolina is the second […]
Feb. 14 is coming up fast, and while Valentine’s Day has a colorful history dating back centuries, the occasion we celebrate today is primarily a creation of modern marketing. Consider the following tidbits from the American Greetings Corp.: • Worldwide, about 1 billion valentines are sent each year, making it the second busiest card-sending event […]
For lovers of local food, the new year is off to a sweet start — sorghum and honey are the first featured local items on Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Get Local calendar. For the area beekeepers behind the sugary stuff, 2011’s snowy, how-low-can-it-go start isn’t exactly ideal. “There is a little finger crossing involved,” admits […]
Meals On Wheels will hold its third annual Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser at the Asheville Racquet Club on Saturday, Jan. 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Despite forecasted temperatures in the low thirties, more than 20 volunteers will brave the icy waters of the club’s outdoor pool to help raise money to feed Buncombe County’s homebound seniors.
As residents and visitors can attest, life is sweet in Western North Carolina. It’s largely thanks to the people, the vibrant arts scene and the fabulous landscape. More literally, it’s thanks to our area’s important role in the production of the natural sweeteners honey and sorghum — both of which get the spotlight in Appalachian […]
Asheville’s connection to Haiti is built on the ongoing passions of locals. Here’s a look at what a few of those individuals are up to.
Like the noisemakers, champagne and fireworks of New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day has its set of traditions: Eating black-eyed peas and collard greens (for luck and prosperity) and ticking off a hopeful list of resolutions. And then a week or a month later, there’s another grand tradition: Breaking all those well-intended resolutions. Well, not […]
It’s official: the trees are completely bare. And that’s just the way our shiitake mushroom farmers like it. “Shiitake logs must be harvested when the leaves are off and the tree is dormant,” says Paul Littman, who owns and operates Ivy Creek Family Farm in Barnardsville. Littman says that most of the work in growing […]
One Haitian orphanage has harnessed its passion and hit the road: With raging drum beats, colorful cultural costumes, theatrical choreography and leaping gymnastic feats, this weekend’s Orange Peel and YMI performances are sure to leave you energized, hopeful and even inspired, no matter what your connection with Haiti.
You could call Southern Appalachia meat-lover’s mecca. That’s because area farmers raise almost everything, from beef to rabbit to turkey, year-round. It’s also because area chefs are buying local and including innovative meat dishes on their menus. While many of us may prefer to stay in the “safety net” of turkey, chicken or beef, our […]
Ask Walter Harrill about his farm, Imladris, and there are two things he’ll want you to know right off the bat: No. 1, it’s a family farm (his son, Andy, is the seventh generation on the property). No. 2, it’s a sustainable farm. Both have everything in the world to do with each other. “When […]
Winter squash is a staple of most Thanksgiving meals — whether in a soup, casserole or pie. Luckily, all manner of locally grown winter squash is available at area farmers tailgate markets, farm stands and groceries, as well as on the menus of area restaurants this month. One such eatery is the West End Bakery […]
In this week's WNC Wellness review: UNC study on the benefits of tai chi; "The Asheville Project" diabetes initiative to be adopted and expanded; the traditional Chinese medicine solution to flu prevention; chemicals in fast food wrappers show up in human blood; and more. (Every week, Xpress posts an online round up of wellness news […]
In this week’s WNC Wellness review: UNC study on the benefits of Tai Chi; “The Asheville Project” diabetes initiative to be adopted and expanded; the traditional Chinese medicine solution to flu prevention; chemicals in fast food wrappers show up in human blood; & more.
Kevin Toomey and Christina Carter of Ten Mile Farm are somewhat unlikely farmers. “I definitely didn’t grow up farming by any means. Quite the opposite,” says Toomey. In fact, he lived in a sports-only world while in school, and ate a diet far from farm-fresh — mostly sugar and processed foods. Studying agricultural societies in […]
I’m sure you’re thinking that all of the ads with an Appalachian Grown logo made sense in the summer, when an abundance of local produce is available and featured on the menus of area restaurants. But with fall settling in and winter approaching, what’s the use? The local food movement quiets down, and restaurants can’t […]
Asheville Vaudeville is not only back, it's bigger and better. Topping a previous maximum of 22 performers, the upcoming Halloween show is up to, according to producer Brian Sneeden, "thirty-five performers and growing." Add to that a move from 70-seat Bebe Theatre to 400-seat Asheville Community Theatre and you see where this is heading: "There's […]
