Calendar of Events

The free, definitive resource for finding local food and farms also features farm stories and recipes.

The 2023 Local Food Guide, ASAP’s annual free publication for finding local food and farms, hits newsstands this week. This definitive resource lists hundreds of Appalachian Grown certified farms, farmers markets, restaurants, groceries, travel destinations, and more throughout Western North Carolina and surrounding counties in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. A digital version of the print Guide may be viewed at asapconnections.org/guide.

In addition to the listing content, the 2023 edition features stories that highlight the variety of farming across the region. Jake Puckett, of Crow Fly Farms in Marion, NC, details his passion for holistic animal management. Malcolm Banks, of Yellow Mountain Gardens in Franklin, NC, describes his mission to teach his neighbors—and the world—to grow their own food. Gwen and Jay Englebach, of Black Trumpet Farm in Leicester, NC, talk about building a business and customer relationships. Rounding out the issue are seasonal recipes from chefs at Cultura, Little Chango, The Montford, and Red Fiddle Vittles.

Find Local Food Guide copies at farmers markets, visitors centers, libraries, community centers, groceries, restaurants, and other partner businesses throughout the region. They are also available to pick up in the lobby of ASAP’s office in Asheville at 306 W. Haywood St., Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact ASAP if you need help locating a copy in your area.

In addition to the print Guide, ASAP maintains the online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. This database, with more than 1,400 listings, is updated throughout the year and is searchable by products, locations, activities, and more.

The 2023 Local Food Guide is made possible in part with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Agricultural Marketing Service and Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Fund, as well as the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and Asheville Regional Airport.

Spring at Biltmore, one of the estate’s most glorious seasons, invites you to experience a spring break mountain escape with all the charm of a European retreat. Immerse yourself in thousands of colorful tulips as Biltmore Blooms transforms our gardens and grounds. Explore Italian Renaissance Alive and Ciao! From Italy. Savor our Winery’s award-winning vintages and, of course, the timeless elegance of Biltmore House.

• Daytime access to 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, including:
  • 75+ Acres of formal and informal gardens
  • 20+ Miles of hiking, biking, and walking trails
• Antler Hill Village & Winery
• Complimentary Wine Tasting
• Complimentary Parking

Gardens & Grounds admission does NOT include Biltmore House entry.

Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteers will be staffing the Helpline as indicated in the schedule below. You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours. When emailing, please include a photo if it helps describe your garden question. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office, 24/7. The kits are located in a box outside the front door.

Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline

Call 828-255-5522
Email questions and photos to [email protected]
Visit the Extension Office at 49 Mt. Carmel Road during Helpline hours, listed below.

Garden Helpline Hours

March – (starts March 6)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

April through September:
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Wednesday 12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

October – (ends October 26th) 
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

We are here to help and support you! Please contact us. We look forward to answering your gardening questions.

The Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer program in Buncombe County is now accepting applications for initial training this fall. We are looking for individuals who want to serve their community, expand and share their gardening knowledge, and work in a team environment.

To become a certified Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer, individuals accepted into the program are required to complete the 40-hour initial training program, pass an examination, and complete an internship of 40 hours of volunteer service. Additional continuing education (15 hours) and volunteer service to the community (30 hours) are required for annual recertification.

Training will be held in-person, during the day Tuesdays, August through November.

The application deadline is June 1, 2023. Completed applications should be emailed or printed and mailed or delivered to the Cooperative Extension Office at 49 Mount Carmel Road, Suite 102, Asheville, NC 28806.

A training fee of $150 is due upon acceptance into the training program. Scholarships are available, please inquire.

More information on the Master Gardener program in Buncombe County, including Frequently Asked Questions and Activities to Fulfill Your Volunteer Requirements, is available on the Buncombe County Extension website.  Click here: Buncombe County Extension website

Download and print an application: 2023 EMG Application and Certification Agreement

Helping Gardeners Put Knowledge to Work

The free, definitive resource for finding local food and farms also features farm stories and recipes.

The 2023 Local Food Guide, ASAP’s annual free publication for finding local food and farms, hits newsstands this week. This definitive resource lists hundreds of Appalachian Grown certified farms, farmers markets, restaurants, groceries, travel destinations, and more throughout Western North Carolina and surrounding counties in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. A digital version of the print Guide may be viewed at asapconnections.org/guide.

In addition to the listing content, the 2023 edition features stories that highlight the variety of farming across the region. Jake Puckett, of Crow Fly Farms in Marion, NC, details his passion for holistic animal management. Malcolm Banks, of Yellow Mountain Gardens in Franklin, NC, describes his mission to teach his neighbors—and the world—to grow their own food. Gwen and Jay Englebach, of Black Trumpet Farm in Leicester, NC, talk about building a business and customer relationships. Rounding out the issue are seasonal recipes from chefs at Cultura, Little Chango, The Montford, and Red Fiddle Vittles.

Find Local Food Guide copies at farmers markets, visitors centers, libraries, community centers, groceries, restaurants, and other partner businesses throughout the region. They are also available to pick up in the lobby of ASAP’s office in Asheville at 306 W. Haywood St., Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact ASAP if you need help locating a copy in your area.

In addition to the print Guide, ASAP maintains the online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. This database, with more than 1,400 listings, is updated throughout the year and is searchable by products, locations, activities, and more.

The 2023 Local Food Guide is made possible in part with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Agricultural Marketing Service and Beginning Farmer Rancher Development Fund, as well as the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and Asheville Regional Airport.

Spring at Biltmore, one of the estate’s most glorious seasons, invites you to experience a spring break mountain escape with all the charm of a European retreat. Immerse yourself in thousands of colorful tulips as Biltmore Blooms transforms our gardens and grounds. Explore Italian Renaissance Alive and Ciao! From Italy. Savor our Winery’s award-winning vintages and, of course, the timeless elegance of Biltmore House.

• Daytime access to 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, including:
  • 75+ Acres of formal and informal gardens
  • 20+ Miles of hiking, biking, and walking trails
• Antler Hill Village & Winery
• Complimentary Wine Tasting
• Complimentary Parking

Gardens & Grounds admission does NOT include Biltmore House entry.

Come to the Moogseum on Tuesday, May 23 as the downtown Asheville museum celebrates what would have been the late Bob Moog’s 89th birthday.
Space is extremely limited.

“Bob’s Electric Birthday”⚡includes afternoon Moogseum tours guided by our executive director, Michelle Moog-Koussa, and in the evening only, a live demo of the Moog modular heard on the soundtrack to “Apocalypse Now,” from legendary synthesizer pioneer, composer, producer, and Herbie Hancock collaborator Patrick Gleeson — a lifelong friend of Bob Moog. This is followed by an interview with Michelle Moog-Koussa about Gleeson’s storied career and lifelong friendship with Bob, followed by a Q&A with the audience, and a short DJ set.

An electronic music icon, Gleeson has worked with and was personally invited by Herbie Hancock to join Hancock’s band, served as the master synthesist for the soundtrack to “Apocalypse Now,” and co-engineered “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts,” David Byrne and Brian Eno‘s influential 1981 album.

Gleeson resigned from a job as a university professor in the mid-’60s to experiment with electronic music, eventually founding San Francisco’s Different Fur Studios, and by the ‘70s, touring with Herbie Hancock. Now 88 years old, he returns to live performance as a DJ, solo artist, and as part of a trio.

This event offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience Dr. Patrick Gleeson demonstrating the Moog modular he used as master synthesist for the “Apocalypse Now” soundtrack.

⚡⚡11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.: Take a special tour of the Moogseum guided by Bob Moog’s daughter

“Bob’s Electric Birthday” includes tours of the Moogseum, the museum dedicated to sharing exhibits that bring Bob Moog’s legacy to life, guided by the Moogseum’s executive director, Michelle Moog-Koussa — Bob’s daughter.

Moog-Koussa has not guided a public Moogseum tour since 2019. This event marks a rare opportunity to gain special insight into the Moogseum’s exhibits, the Moog Family Archives, and Bob Moog himself.

Moogseum tours with Michelle Moog-Koussa start at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. These tours include birthday cake, coffee, champagne, and a gift bag from the Moogseum store.

During the tours, Moog-Koussa will share historical photos from the Moog Family Archives, a private archive of materials unavailable to the public, and read from the new Bob Moog biography from Oxford University Press, “Switched On: Bob Moog and the Synthesizer Revolution.”

A Q&A with Moog-Koussa follows the reading, followed by time to continue exploring the museum and enjoy birthday refreshments in honor of Bob’s birth in 1934.

Tour tickets are $20 per person. Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/BobsBirthday2023
Space is extremely limited, and only 30 tickets are available per tour.

⚡⚡ 7 p.m.: An Evening With Synthesist Patrick Gleeson

Patrick Gleeson’s Moog modular heard in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” now on permanent exhibition at the Moogseum.

At 7 p.m., Patrick Gleeson demonstrates the Moog modular heard on “Apocalypse Now.” Afterward, Moog-Koussa interviews him about his storied career and his lifelong friendship with Bob, followed by a Q&A with the audience and a short DJ set.

Dr. Gleeson has a deep connection to the instrument: he’s its original owner.

Later owners included Don Preston of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, who used it on recordings and on tour; and Walter Holland of Holland Synthesizers, a founding member of Amber Route.

An Evening With Patrick Gleeson includes a gift bag of Moogseum swag, admission to the Moogseum, and birthday cake and beverages.

Tickets for An Evening with Patrick Gleeson: Live Moog modular demonstration, Michelle’s interview with Dr. Gleeson, and short DJ set are $30 | https://bit.ly/BobsBirthday2023

Space is extremely limited, and only 30 tickets are available per tour.

⚡⚡ VIP lunch with Dr. Patrick Gleeson
Want to spend time with an electronic music icon who’s worked with and was personally invited by Herbie Hancock to join Hancock’s band, Mwandishi, served as the master synthesist for “Apocalypse Now,” and co-engineered “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts”?

VIP tickets for lunch with Patrick Gleeson are available here: https://bit.ly/BobsBirthday2023

Lunch tickets are $150 and include admission to An Evening with Patrick Gleeson.
Space is extremely limited, and only 4 (four) tickets are available for the VIP lunch.

“Electric Birthday” tickets
Purchase your tickets for the guided Moogseum tours, An Evening With Patrick Gleeson, and the VIP lunch with Dr. Gleeson here: https://bit.ly/BobsBirthday2023
Discounts are available for those who wish to attend multiple Electric Birthday events.
The deadline to purchase tickets is May 22.

The Moogseum is located at 56 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville.

Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteers will be staffing the Helpline as indicated in the schedule below. You may send an email or leave a voicemail at any time and an Extension Master Gardener volunteer will respond during Garden Helpline hours. When emailing, please include a photo if it helps describe your garden question. Soil test kits can be picked up at the Extension office, 24/7. The kits are located in a box outside the front door.

Three ways to contact the Garden Helpline

Call 828-255-5522
Email questions and photos to [email protected]
Visit the Extension Office at 49 Mt. Carmel Road during Helpline hours, listed below.

Garden Helpline Hours

March – (starts March 6)
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

April through September:
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Wednesday 12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

October – (ends October 26th) 
Monday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

We are here to help and support you! Please contact us. We look forward to answering your gardening questions.