Joining a CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) program connects you directly with local farms in your community. ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) offers several events and resources to learn more about CSAs, in which members buy a “share” of a farm’s harvest upfront and receive a weekly box of fresh produce or other farm goods. ASAP will host a virtual CSA Fair on March 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. on Zoom. In addition, Full Share, a free guide listing 60 CSA farms in the Appalachian Grown region, is available now at farmers markets and community centers throughout the region as well as digitally at asapconnections.org/find-local-food/csa.

The virtual CSA Fair will feature farms providing CSAs in Buncombe County and the surrounding region. In addition to traditional produce farms, the fair will include farms with meat and flower CSA programs. The virtual fair will have a similar format as live fairs in the past—a relaxed setting where attendees can talk to farmers about their CSA programs, products, growing practices, and more. Attendees can sign up for CSAs during the fair or follow up with farmers later. The fair is free to attend, but participants do need to register for the event to get a Zoom link.

For farmers, the CSA Fair is a chance to build relationships, even if attendees decide not to purchase a share. “[The customers we meet at the CSA Fair] tend to really want to know the farmer and the food, meaning they are a bit more adventurous when it comes to trying new things,” says K.P. Whaley of Tiny Bridge Farm. “They are interested in knowing how and what we are growing, and really want us to be successful as a farm operation. We may get some customers from the fair and that’s great. But we also start building relationships with future customers.”

Participating farms at press time include Bearwallow Valley Farms, Blazing Star Flowers, Colfax Creek Farm, Creekside Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Olivette Farm, and Tiny Bridge Farm, with more farms to be added before the fair. Check asapconnections.org/events/csa-fair for updates and to register.

ABOUT ASAP (APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT)

ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more, visit asapconnections.org.

Since 1977, the North Carolina Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program has provided North Carolina citizens access to quality arts experiences. Using a per capita based formula, the program provides funding for the arts in all 100 counties of the state through partnerships with local arts councils.

Funding for the 2020-2021 grant cycle will focus on operating expenses for nonprofit arts organizations. Multicultural organizations will receive priority. To be considered an organization of color, the majority of their board and executive leadership must be people of color. No funding match will be required.

The Grassroots Grant Program is made possible by individual and private contributions to the Asheville Area Arts Council’s—and by the Grassroots Arts Program of North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

Help shape Asheville by serving on a City board or commission Looking for a way to get involved in local government and play a part in shaping the future of Asheville? Serving on a City of Asheville board or commission is a great place to start. Applications for current vacancies are due on March 1.  Need more information, contact Sarah Terwilliger at [email protected] or 828-259-5839 to be added to the distribution list.

Hailing from Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, Killer Bees Honey owners Sean Collinsworth (a certified North Carolina Beekeeper) and wife Denise Altay (marketing and sales) will present another sweet weekend for guests of Half-Mile Farm in February. Like fine wine and chocolate, pure honey is a product of local terroir. Soil, air, water, climate and of course, plants and flowers contribute to the complexity of regional honey. Sean and Denise will present a sit-down sensory experience where guests will learn about life in the hive, how bees make honey, the differences between honey varietals, and what to look for when searching for honey purity all while savoring honey from the Killer Bees apiary.

The Buncombe County Parks, Greenways, and Recreation Advisory Board has a vacancy for a resident from District 1. Meetings are currently held virtually at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of each month. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Fri., Mar. 12.

Buncombians are the guiding star for Buncombe County Recreation Services. They inform us of how they use parks and what projects we should prioritize. The Parks, Greenways, and Recreation Advisory Board is an extension of that transparency, ensuring a two-way conversation is always happening when it comes to improving equitable access to recreation and enhancing the quality of life in our community.

There is a great amount of diversity among those who use Buncombe County parks and recreation facilities; the ultimate goal is an advisory group that reflects this. The board’s mission statement is: “Advocating for cultural preservation and changing lives through equitable recreation opportunities in public spaces, greenways, and parks.”

For a detailed position description and to apply, click here.

We need your input on naming the new section of greenway in the River Arts District! The proposed name is the Wilma Dykeman Greenway, in honor of the late historian, author and environmental activist Wilma Dykeman. Ms. Dykeman’s influential writings and passion for environmental and social justice helped shape the modern day movement for a cleaner French Broad River and a more vibrant, healthy riverfront. To learn more about Wilma Dykeman and the contributions she has made, click here.

An interactive map of the greenway is available here.

No matter how thorough and fair a reappraisal may be, there are still instances when only the property owner has all the information necessary for an accurate appraisal. Informal appeals for the tax year 2021 can be filed anytime between Jan. 1-April 28, 2021. Additionally, anyone receiving a change of value notice after April 1, 2021 has thirty days from that notice date to file an appeal.

What could be better than picking up a monthly box of mouthwatering grassfed beef and pasture raised pork from Hickory Nut Gap Farm? Having it delivered directly to your front door, of course. Contactless, COVID-safe home delivery will be coordinated in partnership with Leading Green Distribution. Available ONLY as a three month prepaid subscription. Offered in Large (about 15lbs per month) and Small (about 10lbs per month) sizes to fit the needs of just about any household on a convenient monthly schedule. A selection of 100% Grassfed Beef, Pasture-Raised Pork and Pasture-Raised Chicken Monthly boxes contain (for example): steaks, roasts, sausages, ground meats, whole chicken, chicken breast, pork chops, bacon DISCOUNTED 10% OFF RETAIL Delivered right to your front door within the city limits of Asheville. 3 Month pre-paid subscription – also includes 10% off other Farm Store meat purchases

• Bars
• Meeting, Reception, and Conference Spaces
• Lounges (including tobacco) and Night Clubs
• Indoor areas of Amusement Parks
• Movie Theatres
• Entertainment facilities (e.g., bingo parlors, gaming establishments)
• Sports Arenas and Fields*
• Venues*

• Restaurants
• Breweries, Wineries, Distilleries
• Fitness and Physical Activity Facilities (e.g., gyms, bowling alleys, rock climbing facilities)
• Pools
• Museums and Aquariums
• Retailers
• Outdoor areas of Amusement Parks
• Salons, Personal Care, Tattoo Parlors

Oline TV Channel

Land Conservation Take a tour of our French Broad River Greenways! Running from Hominy Creek Park in West Asheville all the way up to the planned extension through the Town of Woodfin, the Asheville greenway system provides many opportunities for recreation and connection. Special thanks to Connect Buncombe for creating this wonderful video highlighting our growing greenway system.

UNC Asheville’s annual tradition is re-imagined in 2021, with a virtual Homecoming Celebration, Feb. 25-28.

Alumni and friends can join in a variety of events, from spirit week activities on social media and Bulldog Athletics on ESPN+ to Zoom toasts and award ceremonies.

Video on Demand * February 7-28, 2021 Earlier this fall, husband and wife team Michael and Brenda Lilly gathered up a few friends and co-workers to create a short film. With the permission of playwright Tom Huey, Brenda worked with director Joshua Russell to adapt The Man in the Bright Nightgown – which she had previously directed in 35below, and which had starred Michael – into a screenplay. And now we get to stream the premiere! PLUS – after the premiere, stick around for a behind the scenes look at how a one-person play was adapted to a three-person film! Or, if you already have plans for Friday, February 5, you can watch the film as Video on Demand! It will be available for viewing February 7-28, 2021 (but you can go ahead and buy your ticket now!) Tickets are $15.00 (plus taxes and fees) either way you choose to watch.

Commissioner Meetings take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 200 College St. in room 326 in downtown Asheville. To view previous meetings, meet your Board of Commissioners, and check out future agenda items, you can visit buncombecounty.org/commissioners.

***Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no public attendance will be permitted. The public will be able to watch the meeting via Facebook Live @Buncombegov or on BCTV, bctv.viebit.com, or Charter channel 192.***

The following is the agenda from the Feb. 16, 2021, regular meeting. Click on the hyperlink associated with each item to view that section of the meeting.

Opening the Door to Change presents the history of education in Western North Carolina, with a particular emphasis on Madison County, from the mid-nineteenth century through the late twentieth. Here, learning has taken many forms, from in-home instruction, common, subscription, and religious schools, to colleges of farming and craft. The curriculum of these schools, as well as their very construction, and in some cases closing, was deeply entwined with the changing needs and values of the Western North Carolina Appalachian community.

 The exhibition focuses on the dynamic relationship between community values and education, with a special focus on how students and their families navigated the economic, geographic, and racial challenges to education. Trends and changes in curriculum, assessment, and classroom design will also be explored.

The virtual exhibition will feature didactic panels showcasing a survey of schools within Madison County and highlighting the effect community values had on the curriculum, function, and format of these institutions. Online visitors may also get a sneak-peak at an original film, produced by the Museum, presenting the oral histories of several Madison County residents sharing their personal recollections and memories of past school-days.

Additional films will spotlight the Historic Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School and Laurel School, with first-hand accounts from former students and teachers.

This virtual exhibition is sponsored by the Madison County Tourism and Development Authority.