There are many roads to prosperity, but most folks don’t think of dead farm animals and livestock poop as particularly promising raw materials. One local firm, though, is building a booming business helping the state’s agricultural industry turn these and other organic waste byproducts into sweet, loamy compost that slashes costs while helping protect the … Read more
Statistics prove that most of us will never go to Banff. In all probability, few of us could even point out exactly where it is on a map. Crack attack: A still from the film Aerialist. Jimmy Chin, Courtesy The Banff Centre But perhaps that doesn’t matter. Because, each year about this time, Banff comes … Read more
Spring arrives in South Turkey Creek on the bottom of my husband’s and children’s boots. Long before I see my Spanish bluebells, I see mud. Wipe your feet: Mud is a family problem at Cinthia Milner’s Leicester home. Photo By Cinthia Milner “Mud is spring and spring is mud,” I so vividly remember my grandfather … Read more
Flavor: Hoppy Ambiance: Cavernesque The nuttiest archetype in all of craft brewing is the potbellied, tonsured Belgian monk. Presented as equal parts mad scientist, gifted seer and spiritual loon, this mythical fellow has spawned intense devotion amongst serious beer drinkers. Indeed, his reputation as a jolly helter-skelter genius is so revered that it’s not uncommon … Read more
Now presenting: Diamond Brand Outdoors in Arden will host a talk by Carolina Day School’s Cathy Walters on Saturday, April 5. For the past two years, Walters has been selected as a teacher/volunteer for Alaska’s Iditarod, the 1,150-mile sled race deemed by some to be “the last great race on Earth.” What would egrets do?: … Read more
With spring come dreams of living off the land: One opportunity to do so profitably comes courtesy of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, which this year will realize a long-held goal of establishing a citywide market featuring Western North Carolina products. ASAP is inviting farmers and crafters to apply for a spot at the market, … Read more
Testing, testing: Aiming to help local farmers increase profits, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service will establish demonstration plots in Buncombe County, showcasing enterprises that could boost on-farm incomes. This year alone, the service plans to create plots for vegetables, small fruits, medicinal herbs, livestock, nursery production and ornamental plants. In a similar vein, NCCES … Read more
When elected officials conduct their business in the sunshine of public scrutiny, their constituents can have full faith and trust that the decisions made are aboveboard, well-considered and in the best interest of the general public. At the local level, maximizing the public’s access to government empowers communities and builds leaders. Over the last couple … Read more
The 2008 Buncombe County Board of Commissioners race is going to be [an] interesting, as well as a pivotal, opportunity for us to shape our future in this county. I am excited that Holly Jones will join the race. Here’s one reason of many. One of the most critical issues facing Asheville and Buncombe County … Read more
As a fellow well-intentioned white person, reading Jack Igleman’s column [“Opening the Door: Promoting Racial Diversity in Outdoor Sports,” Outdoors, Feb. 27] had me once again laughing at the daftness of white folk. When it comes to race and privilege, some concepts are so hard for us to get—or is it that they are so … Read more
