Lee’s One Fortune Farm is a small, family-owned farm in McDowell County. The Lees are part of a community of Hmong farmers, many of whom came to the United States from Laos and Vietnam as refugees after the Vietnam War. Western North Carolina is home to one of the largest Hmong communities in the United … Read more
It was a Friday afternoon when Tou Lee from Lee’s One Fortune Farm found out that the Saturday market had been cancelled because of the COVID-19 restrictions placed on public gatherings that day. All spring, Tou and his wife and farming partner Chue Lee grew vegetables like bok choy and broccoli raab to get ready … Read more
Tou Lee walks through the rice field at Lee One’s Fortune Farm in Marion, North Carolina. There was a big storm last night and the bottom of the rice plants are submerged in water and mud. “Be careful where you walk,” he calls out. “It won’t go up to your knees, but it might get … Read more
Tou Lee walks through the rice field at Lee One’s Fortune Farm in Marion, North Carolina. There was a big storm last night and the bottom of the rice plants are submerged in water and mud. “Be careful where you walk,” he calls out. “It won’t go up to your knees, but it might get … Read more
This year’s holiday season may feel different for many in our region. While our landscapes have changed forever, we have learned that we can rebuild, we can rely on one another, and we can survive alongside each other, even if we are very different. Traditionally, Thanksgiving has been about abundance, gratitude, and the harvest season. … Read more
Mike Bean is a local chef with Finest Deli (though temporarily on hold) serving up fresh eats at farmers markets in Buncombe County. He serves on On Track WNC‘s Board of Directors and quickly shifted his cooking skills to support meal operations with World Central Kitchen to keep the people of Western North Carolina fed … Read more
Have these weird times without clean running water gotten your tummy upset? Or, do the upcoming stressors of the holidays have your stomach in a bunch? Prepare yourself for the holiday meals season with light and easy-to-eat foods you can have at the ready in case you (or your kids) find yourself feeling under the … Read more
As we move further into the fall season, one like any other we have experienced, apples reach their prime for picking. Apples in autumn just make sense – the earthy red, orange, yellow, green, gold and brown colors of all their different varieties reflected in the changing leaves paired with quintessential fall flavors. Apples can … Read more
Head to this weekend’s Farm Tour, Sept. 21 – 22 from noon to 5 p.m., and get a behind the scenes look and early taste of what’s to come — heirloom rice grown right here in Western North Carolina. Lee’s One Fortune Farm has been weaving their Hmong food and farming traditions into the foothills … Read more
