Buncombe County is set to receive $51M in federal Covid relief funding. While there are some restrictions on how funding can be spent, it must address Covid relief and the subsequent economic fallout.

The County is now accepting proposals from the community on projects or programs. Examples of eligible categories include: small business support, household assistance, mental health programs, addressing public health disparities and more. Proposals are due Thursday, July 15. Read the full RFP and FAQs here.

A guided whitewater rafting trip is one of the best ways to experience the Nantahala Gorge. The crystal-clear Nantahala River is the perfect family-friendly river where experienced river guides will help you navigate through splashy Class II-III rapids and bouncy waves, with occasional calmer waters where you can enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery. The fully guided rafting trip the most popular adventure at NOC, with thousands of families returning year after year.

NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE

2021 THOMAS WOLFE MEMORIAL LITERARY AWARD

The Western North Carolina Historical Association is now accepting nominations for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. Originated by the Louis Lipinsky family and now supported by Michael Sartisky, PhD, the Award is a partnership between WNCHA and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Advisory Committee. It has been presented by WNCHA since 1955. The award comes with a $2,500 cash prize.

The deadline for submission of nominated works is July 31, 2021. Anyone with knowledge of an author who meets the qualification criteria may nominate the author for the award. To be considered, an entry must be a published work of fiction, nonfiction, drama or poetry and meet the following criteria:

1. It must be a first edition work; revised editions of published works will not be considered for the Award.
2. The publication date must be between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021.
3. The author must be a native of western North Carolina or a resident of western North Carolina for at least twelve months prior to the closing date for the Award.
4. An author may also qualify if the work submitted has a focus on or setting in western North Carolina.

Western North Carolina includes the Qualla Boundary and the following 25 counties: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.

The Award Panel this year consists of: Catherine Frank, Chair, Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville; Dee James, retired Director of the First-Year Writing Program at UNC Asheville; Tom Muir, Historic Site Manager, Thomas Wolfe Memorial; Gordon McKinney, PhD, former president, Appalachian Studies Association; Terry Roberts, PhD, Director, National Paideia Center; Jim Stokely, President, Wilma Dykeman Legacy.

Nomination letters must specify the following eligibility criteria:

1. date of publication
2. birthplace or residence of author
3. setting of work

Nominators should submit a cover letter along with three copies of the work postmarked no later than July 31, 2021 to:

Wolfe Award Committee

℅ Anne Chesky Smith

WNC Historical Association

283 Victoria Road

Asheville, NC  28801

An awards ceremony and reception, in honor of the finalists and 2021 Award recipient, will be held in early December 2021.

The Association presented the first Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award to Wilma Dykeman in 1955 for The French Broad. The Award has continued to be funded, in part, by Mrs. E. Frank Edwin, a member of the Lipinsky family and for the last three years by WNCHA, and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Advisory Board, both with support from Michael Sartisky, PhD. Other recipients of this prestigious Award include Robert Morgan, Gail Godwin, John Ehle, Robert Brunk, Michael McFee, Lee Smith, Ron Rash, Wayne Caldwell, and Terry Roberts. Sandra Muse Isaacs was the recipient of the 2020 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award for her book: Eastern Cherokee Stories: A Living Oral Tradition and Its Cultural Continuance.

Unique outdoor sculptural works by environmental artist Patrick Dougherty, known as “Stick Man,” will reside in Antler Hill Village. Renowned worldwide for his monumental creations, Dougherty weaves saplings and branches into intricate artworks, fashioning whimsical forms ranging from gigantic snares and cocoons to sculptural interpretations of notable buildings. The visual appeal of these large-scale artworks may be appreciated up close as guests are encouraged to walk through and around the creations, affording the opportunity to admire the artistry and technical skills required to make the sculptures.

The Summer in the City Raffle benefiting Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders (CRC for ED) is your chance to fit in one last summer fling and get into the Asheville groove! Whether you’re Asheville born and bred or new to the 828, you’re sure to enjoy this fun-filled, uniquely Asheville, August weekend!

The raffle winner will receive a quintessential Asheville summer getaway package, valued at $1,550, including:

• 2 nights in Banjoe Vacations’ Downtown Asheville Condo – This beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo is located right in downtown Asheville, walking distance to all downtown activities, and just a 10-minute drive to the River Arts District or Biltmore Village. (Downtown condo dates are August 27 and August 28, 2021. Alternate dates may be selected based on condo availability and must be arranged directly thru Banjoe Vacations. Alternate condo dates must be booked no later than August 15, 2021. See Terms and Conditions for full details.)

• 2 tickets for the Eating Asheville “High Roller Tour” – Sit down at some of the most elegant, trendy, and acclaimed tables in our beloved foodie city, and sample an array of flavors, cuisines, and local produce. This tour features 6 restaurants, at least 3 drink pairings, and 2.5 hours of deliciousness.

• 2 tickets to Zen Tubing (including cooler carrier) – Cool off with one of Asheville’s favorite summer activities – a day of lazy tubing down the river from one of two great locations.

• 2 tickets for the LaZoom “Hey Asheville! City Comedy Tour” – Learn Asheville’s  history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure on this 90-minute guided comedy tour of historical Asheville.

• $25 Gift Card to Taco Billy – There’s no better way to round out a day of tubing on the river than with tacos featuring local ingredients from one of Asheville’s favorite taco restaurants.

• $25 Gift Card to Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar – Located in the heart of downtown Asheville, this combination used book store and wine bar is a beloved and uniquely Asheville experience.

• $25 Gift Card to French Broad Chocolate Lounge or French Broad Chocolate Factory & Cafe – From delicious desserts to creative confections, you can add some extra sweetness to this sweet weekend trip at Asheville’s favorite chocolatier.

A limited number of raffle tickets will be available for purchase from July 2, 2021 through July 30, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. EDT on our specially created event website at https://rafflecreator.com/pages/40142/crc-for-eds-summer-in-the-city-raffle. The winner will be selected at random, announced on all CRC for ED social media platforms on July 30th at approximately 7:00 p.m. EDT, and will be notified directly by telephone, mail, and/or email. Please see full Terms & Conditions here: https://crcfored.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CRCforED-Summer-in-the-City-Raffle-Terms-Conditions.pdf.

Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders is the only nonprofit in NC providing education, resources, and support to individuals, families, and professionals concerned with disordered eating and recovery from eating disorders.

Your participation in the Summer in the City Raffle allows us to continue offering accessible eating disorder support services and education at a time when the need is greater than ever, while also  giving you the chance to win a last minute getaway!

Summer is coming and that means fans! We will begin distributing fans to those who are in need very soon. Each fan is purchased at a cost of around $20. If you would like to help cover the cost of a fan to keep someone cool this summer, please visit our website to make a donation or mail a donation to Eblen Charities, 50 Westgate Parkway, Asheville NC 28806

Get ready to go wild at the library for our annual Summer Learning Program. Join us for Tails & Tales – an exploration of wildlife and fantastical folktales. We’ll have an activity sheet with lots of fun adventures for all ages. You can pick up a sheet at any library starting June 1, or download it HERE. Check our calendar to find our most up to date list of programs all summer long.

The 2021 Summer Learning Program is open to young people, preschool through teen, with books and activities for every age. All library programs are free and open to children of all abilities. Come in and see what the library has for you!

Your vegetable garden is likely approaching peak production time—but when and how to harvest? Even if you are a pro, here’s how to make sure those caring for your precious crops while you’re away know when to pick!

What matters about harvest time?

• Harvest stage affects flavor and yields:
  • Picking too soon not only reduces the amount of food your garden produces but also may mean missing that perfectly ripened taste—although not all vegetables lose flavor after picking.
  • Waiting too long definitely means missing the best flavor—think sweet corn turned starchy—and your produce actually spoils. Crops literally go to seed have accomplished their goal and will stop producing!
• Factors that affect harvest and storage.
  • Warmer temperatures after picking can affect flavor—crops like peas and sweet corn that turn starchy, for example, need immediate cooling. Joseph Masabni of Texas A&M Extension, advises “harvest these vegetables early in the morning or right before you intend to use them.”
  • Not all crops benefit from refrigeration, however! And humidity levels and air circulation are important, too! If you’re not going to use your bounty immediately, some crops, such as garlic, dry onions, potatoes, and tomatoes are best stored only at room temperature, according to UC-Davis Post Harvest Technology specialists (see below). They also recommend that cucumbers, eggplants, and peppers be refrigerated only for 1 to 3 days and then used as soon as you remove them from the cold.
  • Advise those harvesting in your absence how often you check your crops, and which are most time-sensitive!

 Things to look for when you harvest

Harvesting takes more time than you’d expect—look carefully for items to pick amongst all those leaves and vines. This makes harvesting a great time to give your garden plants a quick check-up!

• Size matters!
  • Jokes abound about baseball-bat-size zucchini, but squash aren’t the only crops that can grow out of useful size.
  • If you intend to eat fresh beans rather than saving them to use dry, the beans need to just start to fill out their pods. 
    

    

     

• Color changes are usually important, too.
  • Tomatoes turning red are an obvious example, but how red is the best time for picking? Maybe earlier than you think! Picking at the “breaker” stage rather than fully red means your tomatoes will continue to ripen indoors, taste vine-ripened, but won’t suffer sunscald, or damage from insects or birds. 
    

    

     

  • Cucumbers should still be uniformly green, not starting to yellow. 
    

    

     

  •  Eggplants should be purple (light or dark depending on the variety), but still glossy, not dull 
    

    

     

  • Watermelons, on the other hand, should develop a duller, rougher surface and the spot touching the ground should be yellowing, not white 
    

    

     

  • .Detecting defects may mean removing fruits before they take any more resources from the plant—think blossom-end rot on tomatoes or peppers—or harvesting while part of the crop is still salvageable—such as a nip out of an otherwise healthy tomato.
  • Damage may alert you to insect infestations—minimize or eliminate, by hand-picking the culprits—such as snails or slugs—or treating to prevent further damage—wash away aphids on greens or treating pickleworm infestations of cucumbers and squash with pesticides, for example. Learn which “bugs” you see are pests and which are helpful predators!
  • Harvest “helpers” will be more eager to volunteer if they pick at the right time—and you won’t find all your tomatoes gone despite their size or plants loaded with overripe items bringing production to a halt. Alerting you to any emerging problems is another bonus.

“Harvesting” spent plants?

While picking your crops pick off dead leaves, spent blossoms, and trim errant runners to keep plants looking good and productive. Knowledgeable helpers can perform these tasks.

In WNC, most vegetable garden plants are annuals, or treated as such, so when you harvest, evaluate when it’s time to pull the whole plant—it may be too risky to ask short-term caregivers to make this decision!

• Is the plant diseased? If there are signs of disease, either do what you can to remove diseased portions, treat the problem, or remove the entire plant.
• Is production slowing?
  • Review fertilizing or watering practices to improve yields. Most crops need an inch of rain a week to prosper—water established plants deeply once a week if rains are insufficient. Check your crops’ needs for fertilizer and the application rates recommended for the fertilizers you are using.
  • Extreme temperatures may interfere with fruit set or how your crops ripen. Be patient if better weather will solve the problem! Note, though, that spring crops that fade with high temperatures are long gone; so too, frosts will damage tender crops, so harvest these before freezing temperatures.
  • Once you’ve decided your plants have passed peak production, pull the plants and consider planting a fall crop. See the calendar below for all the crops you can plant in August for a bountiful autumn harvest!

 Article by Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener^SM Volunteers

 For more information:

When to harvest specific crops: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/16-vegetable-gardening#vegetableharvestingguidelines

https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/harvesting-handling-vegetables-garden/

Ripening after harvest:

https://gardenprofessors.com/ripening/

https://www.johnson.k-state.edu/lawn-garden/agent-articles/vegetables/harvest-ripen-tomatoes.html

Storing produce:

http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/files/230110.pdf

Planting times for WNC:

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/western-north-carolina-planting-calendar-for-annual-vegetables-fruits-and-herbs