Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
The City of Asheville’s Community and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for CDBG and HOME grant funds, and for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
The Community and Economic Development Department manages and administers programs for Asheville and for a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that provide affordable housing, economic opportunities and other benefits for low-income residents.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are federal grant programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which provide grant funds for eligible projects to create affordable housing for low-income households and support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
The City of Asheville’s Housing Trust Fund was created in 2000 to provide a source of local funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in Asheville. Assistance is available in the form of repayable loans at a low rate of interest.
How to Apply:
To download the CDBG/HOME application documents and instructions visit the Community Development Funding Programs page. The deadline to submit an online application for CDBG/HOME funds is February 3, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
To download the Housing Trust Fund documents, view the HTF policy and access the application, visit the Housing Trust Fund webpage. The deadline to submit an application for the Housing Trust Fund is February 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
Questions about the CDBG/HOME application process can be sent to the Community Development team via email: [email protected].
Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County are happy to announce for the sixteenth year we are offering School Garden Grants to Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools, including state charter schools.

We provide a notice of the application period along with instructions to all school principals, elementary through senior high. Additional information is available on our website, buncombemastergardener.org, where you can learn more about the guidelines for receiving a grant and get online access to the 2023 School Garden Grants Application.
All applications must be completed online. Completed applications will be accepted beginning January 9, 2023, and must be submitted no later than 9 p.m. on February 3, 2023. If you have any questions, please call the Extension Office at 828-255-5522.
We are proud of our partnership with Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools. Since 2007, we have awarded 52 School Garden Grants totaling over $45,000. These grants have involved more than 16,500 students and hundreds of teachers, parents, and community volunteers.
School gardens grow more than plants. They grow imagination and creativity. They make math and science come alive, and they build community. We hope your school will join us in 2023.
Click on the link below to review the guidelines for school garden grants:
Guidelines for 2023 School Garden Grants
The Asheville Downtown Association’s (ADA) Wristband Partner Program provides an opportunity for local nonprofits to sell wristbands at ADA events. The selected nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000, as well as the opportunity to share their program of work with the large audiences at these events. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 24, 2023.

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
The City of Asheville’s Community and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for CDBG and HOME grant funds, and for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
The Community and Economic Development Department manages and administers programs for Asheville and for a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that provide affordable housing, economic opportunities and other benefits for low-income residents.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are federal grant programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which provide grant funds for eligible projects to create affordable housing for low-income households and support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
The City of Asheville’s Housing Trust Fund was created in 2000 to provide a source of local funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in Asheville. Assistance is available in the form of repayable loans at a low rate of interest.
How to Apply:
To download the CDBG/HOME application documents and instructions visit the Community Development Funding Programs page. The deadline to submit an online application for CDBG/HOME funds is February 3, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
To download the Housing Trust Fund documents, view the HTF policy and access the application, visit the Housing Trust Fund webpage. The deadline to submit an application for the Housing Trust Fund is February 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
Questions about the CDBG/HOME application process can be sent to the Community Development team via email: [email protected].
The upcoming Journeyperson course is now available AT NO COST! Due to some timely grant funding, we can offer this in-depth farmer training for farmers in years 3-7 with no associated tuition fee! The course consists of monthly cohort meet-ups and 2-3 in-depth workshops, plus mentorship!
In addition, a select number of participants will also receive matched FUNDS for your farm savings account (Savings Incentive Program) and money to spend on a professional development opportunity of your choosing! Want to attend a workshop on livestock management? OGS will contribute towards that fee! Are you saving money for a farm asset? OGS will contribute up to a certain amount to that investment.
The Journeyperson Program is for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.
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For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
The City of Asheville’s Community and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for CDBG and HOME grant funds, and for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
The Community and Economic Development Department manages and administers programs for Asheville and for a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that provide affordable housing, economic opportunities and other benefits for low-income residents.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are federal grant programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which provide grant funds for eligible projects to create affordable housing for low-income households and support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
The City of Asheville’s Housing Trust Fund was created in 2000 to provide a source of local funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in Asheville. Assistance is available in the form of repayable loans at a low rate of interest.
How to Apply:
To download the CDBG/HOME application documents and instructions visit the Community Development Funding Programs page. The deadline to submit an online application for CDBG/HOME funds is February 3, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
To download the Housing Trust Fund documents, view the HTF policy and access the application, visit the Housing Trust Fund webpage. The deadline to submit an application for the Housing Trust Fund is February 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
Questions about the CDBG/HOME application process can be sent to the Community Development team via email: [email protected].
The upcoming Journeyperson course is now available AT NO COST! Due to some timely grant funding, we can offer this in-depth farmer training for farmers in years 3-7 with no associated tuition fee! The course consists of monthly cohort meet-ups and 2-3 in-depth workshops, plus mentorship!
In addition, a select number of participants will also receive matched FUNDS for your farm savings account (Savings Incentive Program) and money to spend on a professional development opportunity of your choosing! Want to attend a workshop on livestock management? OGS will contribute towards that fee! Are you saving money for a farm asset? OGS will contribute up to a certain amount to that investment.
The Journeyperson Program is for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.
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|

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
The City of Asheville’s Community and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for CDBG and HOME grant funds, and for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
The Community and Economic Development Department manages and administers programs for Asheville and for a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that provide affordable housing, economic opportunities and other benefits for low-income residents.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are federal grant programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which provide grant funds for eligible projects to create affordable housing for low-income households and support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
The City of Asheville’s Housing Trust Fund was created in 2000 to provide a source of local funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in Asheville. Assistance is available in the form of repayable loans at a low rate of interest.
How to Apply:
To download the CDBG/HOME application documents and instructions visit the Community Development Funding Programs page. The deadline to submit an online application for CDBG/HOME funds is February 3, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
To download the Housing Trust Fund documents, view the HTF policy and access the application, visit the Housing Trust Fund webpage. The deadline to submit an application for the Housing Trust Fund is February 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
Questions about the CDBG/HOME application process can be sent to the Community Development team via email: [email protected].
The Asheville Downtown Association’s (ADA) Wristband Partner Program provides an opportunity for local nonprofits to sell wristbands at ADA events. The selected nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000, as well as the opportunity to share their program of work with the large audiences at these events. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 24, 2023.

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
The City of Asheville’s Community and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for CDBG and HOME grant funds, and for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
The Community and Economic Development Department manages and administers programs for Asheville and for a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that provide affordable housing, economic opportunities and other benefits for low-income residents.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are federal grant programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which provide grant funds for eligible projects to create affordable housing for low-income households and support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
The City of Asheville’s Housing Trust Fund was created in 2000 to provide a source of local funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in Asheville. Assistance is available in the form of repayable loans at a low rate of interest.
How to Apply:
To download the CDBG/HOME application documents and instructions visit the Community Development Funding Programs page. The deadline to submit an online application for CDBG/HOME funds is February 3, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
To download the Housing Trust Fund documents, view the HTF policy and access the application, visit the Housing Trust Fund webpage. The deadline to submit an application for the Housing Trust Fund is February 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
Questions about the CDBG/HOME application process can be sent to the Community Development team via email: [email protected].
The upcoming Journeyperson course is now available AT NO COST! Due to some timely grant funding, we can offer this in-depth farmer training for farmers in years 3-7 with no associated tuition fee! The course consists of monthly cohort meet-ups and 2-3 in-depth workshops, plus mentorship!
In addition, a select number of participants will also receive matched FUNDS for your farm savings account (Savings Incentive Program) and money to spend on a professional development opportunity of your choosing! Want to attend a workshop on livestock management? OGS will contribute towards that fee! Are you saving money for a farm asset? OGS will contribute up to a certain amount to that investment.
The Journeyperson Program is for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.
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The Asheville Downtown Association’s (ADA) Wristband Partner Program provides an opportunity for local nonprofits to sell wristbands at ADA events. The selected nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000, as well as the opportunity to share their program of work with the large audiences at these events. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 24, 2023.

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
The City of Asheville’s Community and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for CDBG and HOME grant funds, and for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
The Community and Economic Development Department manages and administers programs for Asheville and for a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that provide affordable housing, economic opportunities and other benefits for low-income residents.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are federal grant programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which provide grant funds for eligible projects to create affordable housing for low-income households and support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
The City of Asheville’s Housing Trust Fund was created in 2000 to provide a source of local funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in Asheville. Assistance is available in the form of repayable loans at a low rate of interest.
How to Apply:
To download the CDBG/HOME application documents and instructions visit the Community Development Funding Programs page. The deadline to submit an online application for CDBG/HOME funds is February 3, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
To download the Housing Trust Fund documents, view the HTF policy and access the application, visit the Housing Trust Fund webpage. The deadline to submit an application for the Housing Trust Fund is February 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
Questions about the CDBG/HOME application process can be sent to the Community Development team via email: [email protected].
Small fruits can be a strategic avenue for diversifying farm income streams. This workshop will cover basic production information on a variety of small fruits suitable for commercial production. Participants will learn how to assess a site’s suitability for fruit production, review production requirements for a variety of berries, and evaluate potential marketing channels.
IMPORTANT: This workshop will feature a hybrid format, covering two days of instruction:
(Day 1) Tuesday, February 7, from 6pm – 8pm – Online workshop via Zoom
(Day 2) Thursday, February 9th from 1pm – 3pm – In-person, hands-on pruning demonstration at a local Buncombe County farm
Participants are encouraged, but not required, to attend both days, as each will feature different types of information.
Please contact Meghan Baker at [email protected] for details, questions, or comments.
The Asheville Downtown Association’s (ADA) Wristband Partner Program provides an opportunity for local nonprofits to sell wristbands at ADA events. The selected nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000, as well as the opportunity to share their program of work with the large audiences at these events. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 24, 2023.

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
The City of Asheville’s Community and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for CDBG and HOME grant funds, and for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
The Community and Economic Development Department manages and administers programs for Asheville and for a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that provide affordable housing, economic opportunities and other benefits for low-income residents.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are federal grant programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which provide grant funds for eligible projects to create affordable housing for low-income households and support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
The City of Asheville’s Housing Trust Fund was created in 2000 to provide a source of local funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in Asheville. Assistance is available in the form of repayable loans at a low rate of interest.
How to Apply:
To download the CDBG/HOME application documents and instructions visit the Community Development Funding Programs page. The deadline to submit an online application for CDBG/HOME funds is February 3, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
To download the Housing Trust Fund documents, view the HTF policy and access the application, visit the Housing Trust Fund webpage. The deadline to submit an application for the Housing Trust Fund is February 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
Questions about the CDBG/HOME application process can be sent to the Community Development team via email: [email protected].

We will share resources to create or expand your garden program as well as tips and strategies for gardening with young children. We emphasize how to sustain a garden program by involving community partners, such as parents, farmers, college students, and agricultural professionals. Please register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Wednesday, August 17, 2022, 4-5:30pm Register here
Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 4-5:30pm Register here
Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 4-5:30pm Register here
The upcoming Journeyperson course is now available AT NO COST! Due to some timely grant funding, we can offer this in-depth farmer training for farmers in years 3-7 with no associated tuition fee! The course consists of monthly cohort meet-ups and 2-3 in-depth workshops, plus mentorship!
In addition, a select number of participants will also receive matched FUNDS for your farm savings account (Savings Incentive Program) and money to spend on a professional development opportunity of your choosing! Want to attend a workshop on livestock management? OGS will contribute towards that fee! Are you saving money for a farm asset? OGS will contribute up to a certain amount to that investment.
The Journeyperson Program is for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.
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The Asheville Downtown Association’s (ADA) Wristband Partner Program provides an opportunity for local nonprofits to sell wristbands at ADA events. The selected nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000, as well as the opportunity to share their program of work with the large audiences at these events. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 24, 2023.

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
The City of Asheville’s Community and Economic Development Department is now accepting applications for CDBG and HOME grant funds, and for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for fiscal year 2023-24.
The Community and Economic Development Department manages and administers programs for Asheville and for a four-county consortium, consisting of Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Madison Counties, that provide affordable housing, economic opportunities and other benefits for low-income residents.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) are federal grant programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which provide grant funds for eligible projects to create affordable housing for low-income households and support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities.
The City of Asheville’s Housing Trust Fund was created in 2000 to provide a source of local funding to assist in the development of affordable housing in Asheville. Assistance is available in the form of repayable loans at a low rate of interest.
How to Apply:
To download the CDBG/HOME application documents and instructions visit the Community Development Funding Programs page. The deadline to submit an online application for CDBG/HOME funds is February 3, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
To download the Housing Trust Fund documents, view the HTF policy and access the application, visit the Housing Trust Fund webpage. The deadline to submit an application for the Housing Trust Fund is February 10, 2023 at 12:00 noon.
Questions about the CDBG/HOME application process can be sent to the Community Development team via email: [email protected].
The Asheville Downtown Association’s (ADA) Wristband Partner Program provides an opportunity for local nonprofits to sell wristbands at ADA events. The selected nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000, as well as the opportunity to share their program of work with the large audiences at these events. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 24, 2023.

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.
Looking beyond scholarships
Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.
How alternative pricing models address accessibility
The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.
Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!
