NC Center for NonProfits Conference
The 2024 Conference for North Carolina’s Nonprofits is designed to offer strategies, experiences, and connections that are valuable for every nonprofit staff member, board member, volunteer, and supporter.
Join the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits on October 22-23 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Research Triangle Park to connect with nonprofit colleagues, learn from experts and practitioners, and share insights that will recharge our work and our sector.
Cheesemaking and Fermentation Weekend
Join Soirée-Leone to explore how fermented foods are important to our health and wellness, both on a personal and community-wide scale. The workshops are designed to help you integrate these skills into your everyday life with a deep knowledge of the process and ingredients. Saturday’s “Introduction to Cheesemaking” will cover cheesemaking in the home kitchen and participants will take home a small feta cheese to finish and enjoy. Sunday’s “Introduction to Vegetable Fermentation” will cover a variety of fermented foods and participants will start sauerkraut to take home and enjoy!
39th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference
CFSA’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference, 39 years strong, brings together farmers, food systems changemakers, and community leaders from across the Carolinas for a weekend of learning and community focused on advancing local, sustainable, and organic agriculture.
The conference features practical workshops, an expansive trade show, and plenty of networking opportunities, all curated with the rich, diverse food systems landscape of the Carolinas in mind. Connect with our community of farmers, foodies, educators, activists, and community leaders through this unique, authentic celebration of innovation in local, sustainable agriculture – you’ll walk away inspired, with new farming and food systems tools in your toolbelt, and maybe even some new best friends.
Catholic Charities MANNA Express Market
A free food and personal hygiene product distribution event scheduled in the twelve western counties (1Xmonth) in partnership with MANNA and local volunteers/agencies/churches. April 18, June 13, July 11, Aug 8, Sept 12, Oct 10, Nov 14 from 3p-6p. Sylva, Robbinsville, Hendersonville, Candler, Asheville, Candler, Hendersonville. Email jdboeckermann@ccdoc.org for more info!
Organic Weeds Management w/ Mary Carroll (Red Scout Farm)
A FREE webinar series led by local farmers and agricultural resource specialists. Growers will gain the tools to manage soil health, weeds, pests and diseases for the whole farm. Participants will also gain insight into considerations for Organic Certification. Each session will center around direct experience in the field from organic growers of different scales.
Trial to Table - Utopian Seed Project
Our Trial to Table events are a chance for us to showcase crops and varieties from our farm trials via the talented hands of local chefs. We challenge our chefs to be inspired by our farm trials and to be creative with their dishes. The food is always delicious and our hope is that you experience something new and begin to rethink what our regional food system can offer.
Catholic Charities MANNA Express Market
A free food and personal hygiene product distribution event scheduled in the twelve western counties (1Xmonth) in partnership with MANNA and local volunteers/agencies/churches. April 18, June 13, July 11, Aug 8, Sept 12, Oct 10, Nov 14 from 3p-6p. Sylva, Robbinsville, Hendersonville, Candler, Asheville, Candler, Hendersonville. Email jdboeckermann@ccdoc.org for more info!
Organic Plant Disease Management w/ Steve Beltram & Danielle Hutchison (TendWell Farm)
A FREE webinar series led by local farmers and agricultural resource specialists. Growers will gain the tools to manage soil health, weeds, pests and diseases for the whole farm. Participants will also gain insight into considerations for Organic Certification. Each session will center around direct experience in the field from organic growers of different scales.
Encouraging Mushroom Production within a Forest Ecosystem at The Forest Farmacy
Tour The Forest Farmacy to better understand how to propagate and expand the forest production operation, including a tour of the mushroom spawn and grow rooms. Participants will work on observing and deepening awareness of mushroom and mycorrhizal forest systems and cultivation techniques, specifically using wood chip beds and logs for mushroom cultivation, and will inoculate a log to take home.
Fiber Festival - Old North Acres
Join us on Sunday, October 6th, from 12-4PM for an afternoon on the farm as we celebrate our twice-annual sheep shearing! Live shearing and fiber demos (think hand spinning, knitting and more), a farm tour, and a farm to table lunch!
Organic Pest Management w/ Tom Elmore (Thatchmore Farm)
A FREE webinar series led by local farmers and agricultural resource specialists. Growers will gain the tools to manage soil health, weeds, pests and diseases for the whole farm. Participants will also gain insight into considerations for Organic Certification. Each session will center around direct experience in the field from organic growers of different scales.
Farm Dreams: An Online Workshop for Aspiring Farmers
Dreaming of starting your own farm? Farm Dreams is an entry-level evening workshop designed to help people who are seeking practical, common-sense information on sustainable farming and how to move forward. This is a great workshop to sign up for if you are in the exploratory stages of starting a farm.
RAFI's Come to the Table Conference
Food, Land & Sacred Stories.
The Come to the Table Conference is hosted by the Come to the Table Program of the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI). Under the leadership direction of Executive Director Edna Rodriguez, RAFI challenges the root causes of unjust food systems, supporting and advocating for economically, racially, and ecologically just farm communities. The mission of the Come to the Table program is to empower faith communities to participate in the creation of a just food system through collaboration, capacity building, and advocacy.
Westival - Fundraiser for 12 Baskets
FUNDRAISER TO CELEBRATE WEST ASHEVILLE FOOD AND COMMUNITY
A new event showcasing West Asheville food will occur at Archetype Brewing on Saturday, September 28, from 4-8 pm. “Westival” is a fundraiser for 12 Baskets Cafe and the work of Asheville Poverty Initiative (API), and will allow participants to sample from over 10 West Asheville-based food businesses.
Organic Soil Management w/ De'Anthony Price (Rodale Institute)
A FREE webinar series led by local farmers and agricultural resource specialists. Growers will gain the tools to manage soil health, weeds, pests and diseases for the whole farm. Participants will also gain insight into considerations for Organic Certification. Each session will center around direct experience in the field from organic growers of different scales.
ASAP’s Annual Farm Tour
ASAP’s annual Farm Tour is a chance to experience how food is grown and raised through guided tours, demonstrations, and tastings. The Farm Tour showcases the diversity of working farms in Western North Carolina, including vegetables, livestock, vineyards, orchards, flowers, fiber, and more! This is a family-friendly event and a great outing for visitors of all ages, abilities, and interests. All are welcome.
Resourceful Communities - Grassroots Convening
The theme for this year is Resiliency in Rural Communities. Join us for this day and 1/2 convening as we empower participants to confidently engage in climate resiliency discussions in their communities, adapt or translate their current work to align with climate goals, and access resources to support their efforts.
If you are an engaged member of the RCP network, we hope you will join us!
Reminder, everyone who registers is expected to participate in all the programming.
$50 DEPOSIT WILL BE REFUNDED TO YOU AFTER ATTENDING THE CONVENING!!
Registration ends September 11, 2024.
Trial to Table - Utopian Seed Project
Our September Celebration will take place at Ivory Road, South Asheville, NC.
Ticket price includes two small plates from each chef (8 plates total). We’ll also be running a Utopian Seed Project tasting table to show off some of these ingredients in their pure form. A note on pricing transparency: we want these events to be as accessible as possible and so have a flexible pricing policy, if you’re able to pay more than $50 then great, if you can’t then that’s great to.
Sow & Grow Fest
This family-friendly event celebrates Western North Carolina’s vibrant food and farming community with live music, plant and seed sharing, gardening activities, and a community potluck with foods from our local farms highlighted! You can rank the most delicious tomato with tomato tastings and enjoy local vendors, craft beverages, and fun family activities.
West Asheville Garden Stroll
The 15th West Asheville Garden Stroll is Saturday, September 14th from 11 AM to 4 PM, with a family-friendly kickoff program at 10:30 at Lucy S. Herring Elementary School (98 Sulphur Springs Rd). It features 15 diverse gardens in the Horney Heights neighborhood, on both sides of Sulphur Springs Road from Lucy Herring School westward.
Stroll Guides with a map and garden descriptions will be available at the school from 11:00 until 3:30. Local organizations will be on hand in the morning with resources for gardeners and possibly some items for sale.
The Garden Stroll is FREE, and all are welcome to join in this community event, rain or shine. However, leave your four-footed friends at home — dogs are not allowed in the gardens.
Catholic Charities MANNA Express Market
A free food and personal hygiene product distribution event scheduled in the twelve western counties (1Xmonth) in partnership with MANNA and local volunteers/agencies/churches. April 18, June 13, July 11, Aug 8, Sept 12, Oct 10, Nov 14 from 3p-6p. Sylva, Robbinsville, Hendersonville, Candler, Asheville, Candler, Hendersonville. Email jdboeckermann@ccdoc.org for more info!
MANNA Day at Mountain State Fair
On Wednesday, September 11, bring 5 cans of food as a donation to MANNA FoodBank and get free admission (1 ticket) into the Mountain State Fair!
Agroforestry Tour
The tour will feature a visit to a 3,000 square foot shade house where Dr. Dave Ellum and his students have developed innovative seed propagation methods for forest medicinal plants that are often overharvested from the wild. The “Guaranteed From Seed—Never Wild Harvested” project aims to educate the public on how a sustainable, seed-based nursery industry can support the conservation of wild populations of native forest botanicals.
Additionally, attendees will gain insights into the management practices employed on the college’s 600-acre campus forest, including the syruping operation and silvopasture demonstration.
This learning opportunity, designed for landowners, land managers, farmers, technical service providers and other agroforestry professionals, is part of a series of tours offered through the Agroforestry Regional Knowledge (ARKx) Exchange Network.
Container Gardening Workshop - FREE
Bountiful Cities Community Garden Network Co-Coordinator Tarinii Shanai will teach participants how to plant a garden in pots and planters. Great for small spaces, indoor gardens, porches, and decks.
Tarinii is a mother, community gardener/networker, land steward, and youth educator. Her experience is in both home and farm-scale food production.
Jackson County Farmers Market Fundraiser - Salsa Showdown
We are so excited to announce our Salsa Showdown Fundraiser event for the Jackson County Farmers Market!! We're celebrating the beginning of our 25th year🥳!
Do you make the best salsa?! Enter our Salsa Showdown Competition and show us what you got! Judging will be peoples choice in two categories: Red Salsa❤️ and Green Salsa💚. To enter your salsa, email jcfmmanager@gmail.com
We're celebrating big with music by Bird in Hand, Lilah Price, and members of Hot Dog Sunrise! The best beer in all the land Innovation Brewing will be there serving up tasty pints. Dogs on Wheels will be serving up some of their delicious hot dogs, walking tacos, lemonade and more! More food trucks to come! We'll have lots of vendors too! If interested in being a vendor at our event please email jcfmmarketmanager@gmail.com for more info.
We'll also be hosting a 50/50 raffle as well as a prize donation raffle with tons of awesome prizes from local businesses!! 🤑
Help us celebrate and raise money to keep the Jackson County Farmers Market around for the next 25 years! Salsa Showdown Fundraiser is Saturday, September 7th, from 4-7 pm. in Bridge Park!
20 Years of Community Gardening Historical Tour
Join us to learn about our community’s beautiful history, as we celebrate 20 years of community building, growing, and teaching at the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden. Diana McCall, Garden Manager from 2007-2022, will share stories and wisdom while we walk through the space, appreciating the history and current success of the garden. Learn about the garden’s creation, the plants and people that give it life, and the long history of community engagement that makes this space possible. After the tour, light refreshments will be served. Gather with us on a Saturday morning in September from 10:00am – 11:30am on September 7th, 14th, or 21st.Your ticket reserves one spot for one tour. Please RSVP for one of the three dates.
Tickets are $20 per person. Ticket proceeds support the Dr. John Wilson Community Garden’s 20th Anniversary Fundraiser Event with the goal of raising $20,000 to fund our educational programming and start accumulating seed money to replace our old barn with a new facility. More information about the fundraiser can be found at https://bmtcommunitygardens.org/20th-anniversary-celebration/
2025 WNC AgOptions Information Session - Franklin
You are invited to attend an informational meeting about the 2025 WNC AgOptions grant program for growers and producers. AgOptions staff will be present to discuss the program, go over the 2025 application timeline, and answer questions. Grants of $5,000 and $10,000 are available to farmers located within a 22-county area of Western North Carolina* in 2025.
2025 WNC AgOptions Information Session - Mills River
You are invited to attend an informational meeting about the 2025 WNC AgOptions grant program for growers and producers. AgOptions staff will be present to discuss the program, go over the 2025 application timeline, and answer questions. Grants of $5,000 and $10,000 are available to farmers located within a 22-county area of Western North Carolina* in 2025.
Agroforestry Design and Management at Wild East Farm
"We will also hold a presentation from Jaimie McGirt, Agriculture Conservation Manager at RAFI, about programs and services that financially assist farmers wishing to transition their own pasture or woodlands to silvopasture." If you're looking to transition to or expand your agroforestry/silvopasture enterprise, this is the place to be!
Natural Dye Workshop - Mystic Roots Farm
You’ll explore the history of natural dyes, harvest plants from the land for dyeing, & practice immersion dye baths & flower pounding.
You’ll leave with your own dyed silk bandana, a printed flower tote bag, & an assortment of dyed wool, linen, & cotton samples.
3rd Annual HarvestFest, ASAP Benefit Event
Join us at Olivette’s Riverside Park on Sunday, August 25th for a very special benefit event to support of ASAP’s Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables program. HarvestFest is a celebration of local farmers, community and music. Doors open at 3pm with family games and activities. The Jackson Grimm Band will kick off at 4pm.
In honor of our local farmers and all they do to sustain our community, all farmers and their families will have free entry to the event. There will also be a VIF section (Very Important Farmers) that will pamper our farmers during the busy harvest season.
All ticket proceeds will go towards the ASAP Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables program. In order to maximize our fundraising for ASAP, we are seeking donations for the silent auction and the VIF goodie bags.
Stocking Your Winter Home Apothecary with Lori Jenkins
In this gathering, participants will explore the different types of kitchen medicines they can easily make in their own kitchens for the Fall and Winter Months. Honeys, vinegars, simple tinctures, tea blends, and syrup preparations will be discussed as well as recipes provided by Lori Jenkins of Sister of Mother Earth.
Participants will be able to make their own…
**A fire cider blend for Winter illnesses in a quart jar
**An elderberry syrup to take home in an 8oz bottle (group demonstration-we will make a big batch together)
**An herb-infused honey in a nice flip-top jar for the Winter chills
**An herbal tincture in a nice flip-top jar to infuse to hit the crud hard when it comes, and then a dropper bottle to decant it in
**An herbal tea blend in a nice flip-top jar to help ease symptoms associated with the temps changing
Come for an afternoon of sharing, tasting, creating, and gathering together while enjoying a lovely fresh herbal tea made from seasonal herbs. Plus, you will also go home with several recipes to help stock your medicine cabinet even more!
Family Fun Day - Playing with Pollinators
Get ready for an epic Family Fun Day where the whole gang can dive into exciting activities and cool learning experiences! From mingling with local nature buffs and experts to checking out awesome vendors, there’s something for everyone. Let the fun begin!
Music, Food and Fun:
Live Music with local Musician, RA Nightingale (12-3pm)
The wonderful Taqueria El Machete Food Truck will be here! (11am – 3pm)
Free face painting with Franklin’s Painted Wonders Face Painting (12-3pm)
Bountiful Cities - Invasive Pest Management
FREE - Balance Through Diversity
"Farmscape" to Maximize Beneficial Predator Parasitoids and Pollinators with Instructor Patryk Battle