U-Pick at KT's Orchard
2024-08-17 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | KT’s Orchard and Apiary, 158 Pigeon Ford Rd., Canton, NC, 28716, United States
Come pick your own apples, china girl peaches, and raspberries and experience the magic of picking your own fresh fruit right from the vine or branch! Current apple varieties include honeycrisp, blondee, gala, and ginger gold.

Utopian Seed Project - Trial to Table Summer Celebration
2024-08-17 16:30 - 19:00 | Old North Farm, 3458 Crowder Ridge Rd, Shelby, NC, 28150, United States
Our Summer Celebration will take place at Old North Farm, Cleveland County, NC. Joining us will be chefs Sera Cuni, Greg Collier, John Fleer, Baker Keia Mastrianni, Homesteader Ashley English, and Jessica Weisman from Found Ice Cream. Each chef will be creating 2 small plates using Utopian Seed Project ingredients, Ashley will be offering a small bite and an Alternative Summer Greens cooking demonstration, and we’ll have an Okra tasting table! *Each chef will offer at least one vegetarian option.
Your ticket price includes two small plates from each chef (8 plates total) and a scoop of ice cream from Found! All drinks are inclusive (beer, wine, cider and soda options available), and an okra seed collaborative beer from Cellarest Brewing will be available!
Hope to see you on August 17th!

Stocking Your Winter Home Apothecary with Lori Jenkins
2024-08-24 15:00 - 18:00 | Honey and the Hive, 23 Merrimon Ave, Weaverville, NC, 28787
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!
Teacher bio:
Lori Jenkins is a Traditional Herbalist, Wildcrafter, and practicing Kitchen Witch of over 20 years currently living just outside of Asheville, NC. She is the owner and creatress behind Sister of Mother Earth, LLC, a small-batch herbal business focusing on herbal tonics, wildcrafted potions and elixirs, products made for the kitchen witch at heart, herbal classes, and plant walks. Lori’s goals are to create community within her own local food structures and support those who grow and make our food, as well as those that create magick in the kitchen to share with those around them! Lori believes in the local food movement so much so that she is currently serving on the Board of Directors as President for the Weaverville Tailgate Market and serves on the Board of Directors for the Asheville Herb Fest, which is the longest-running and largest herb festival in the United States.
Lori’s teaching career in Western North Carolina spans over 7 years, with credits including several local businesses and major festivals such as the WNC Wild Herb Weekend, faculty member for HERBalachia in Tennessee, Asheville Raven and Crone, the Asheville Herb Festival and many others. Her classes often include practical applications of kitchen witchcraft and medicine, informed by many great teachers and herbalists in turn. She has graduated from courses of study at the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine and in Rosemary Gladstar’s course The Science and Art of Herbalism as well as completed coursework and classes under fellow herbalists and wild women Anni Daulter, Asia Suler, Abby Artemisia, Rebecca Beyer and so many others.

3rd Annual HarvestFest, ASAP Benefit Event
2024-08-25 15:00 - 18:00 | Olivette Riverside Park, 1069 Olivette Rd., Asheville, NC, 28804, United States
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.
ASAP’s Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables program offers a match on dollars spent by SNAP customers at participating farmers markets with tokens that can be used for produce. Many EBT shoppers explained that the program eases concerns over having enough food each month. One shopper explained, “It has significantly reduced the stress of managing the little amount of money given per month for EBT. I can make choices that allow me to eat more vegetables and eggs than I otherwise could afford.” Farmers market managers and vendors also noted the benefits of the program. Many note that this leads to ongoing relationships with shoppers and allows them to grow their business with loyal customers. One vendor shared, “It has not only increased my sales, it has allowed me to interact and build relationships with customers who would normally be outside my business’ demographic.” Another farmer shared, “This investment quite literally nourishes the community for both the producer and consumer of farmer’s market produce!”
We are honored to have the opportunity to celebrate and support this great program with a fun filled day of music, activities, and nature. HarvestFest is produced by Olivette Riverside Community and Farm and Chatt Hills Music.
Purchase Tickets Here.

CEAg World Conference and Expo
2024-08-26 08:00 - 2024-08-28 08:00 | Raleigh Convention Center, 500 S Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC, 27601, United States
The inaugural CEAg World Conference and Expo is the premier event for the rapidly advancing sector of food grown in protected environments. At this event, growers, produce companies, food retailers, business leaders, academia, government, research, associations and all stakeholders involved with food grown in CEA will learn all the strategies, challenges and how to overcome them, opportunities, support/resources to start, maintain, upgrade, and expand a controlled environment operation for food produce helping you achieve year-round success. In addition to the conference sessions, there will be an expo hall with products and services to support these operations, Roundtable Discussion Groups, Tours, and more!
*** FREE REGISTRATION FOR GROWERS! *** Use promo code CEAGFR for your FREE REGISTRATION

U-Pick at KT's Orchard
2024-08-28 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-08-30 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-08-31 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-01 13:00 - 17:00 | KT’s Orchard and Apiary, 158 Pigeon Ford Rd., Canton, NC, 28716, United States
Come pick your own apples, blackberries and raspberries and experience the magic of picking your own fresh fruit right from the vine or branch! Current apple varieties included Ambrosia, Blondee, Gala, Ruby Mac, Swiss Gourmet. We also have honey, jam, dried apples and lots more!

Natural Dye Workshop
2024-08-31 11:00 - 15:00 | Mystic Roots Farm, 105 Flat Creek Road, Fairview, NC, 28730, United States
Natural Dye Workshop
with local fiber artist Cricket Kaufman
Come learn about the magic of turning flowers/plants into lasting colors on your textiles in immersion dye pots. We will also be harvesting flowers from Mystic Roots farm to hammer prints on to your personalized tote bag.
Leave with :
🌿 The confidence to start your own natural dye practice
🌿 The knowledge of what plants to grow in your garden and forage locally for lasting colors
🌿 A naturally dyed silk bandana
🌿 Dyed wool, linen, and cotton fabric samples
🌿 A flower hammered tote bag
Saturday, August 31
11am-3pm
Sliding scale $60-$100
To register: https://square.link/u/29bv5ZlT

Agroforestry Design and Management at Wild East Farm
2024-09-01 15:00 - 19:00 | Wild East Farm, 370 Wilkerson Way, Marion, NC, 28752, United States
Forest Farming Tour: Wild East Farm
Join Noah and Lyric for a tour of Wild East Farm, where they have established ~12 acres of crop tree plantings designed for pasturing livestock throughout. Learn about the fundamentals of agroforestry and experience firsthand how to plan for long-term tree regeneration.

2025 WNC AgOptions Information Session
2024-09-03 16:00 - 18:30 | Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC, 28759
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.

U-Pick at KT’s Orchard
2024-09-04 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-06 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-07 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-08 13:00 - 17:00 | KT’s Orchard and Apiary, 158 Pigeon Ford Rd., Canton, NC, 28716, United States

2025 WNC AgOptions Information Session
2024-09-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Macon County Cooperative Extension Center, 193 Thomas Heights Rd., Franklin, NC, 28734, United States

20 Years of Community Gardening Historical Tour
2024-09-07 10:00 - 11:30, 2024-09-14 10:00 - 11:30 | The Dr. John Wilson Community Garden, 99 White Pine Dr., Black Mountain, NC, 28801, United States
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/

Fungi Fest at the Marion Tailgate Market
2024-09-07 10:00 - 14:00 | Marion Tailgate Market, 67 West Henderson Street, Marion, NC, 28752, United States
Join us for a day of fun and learning at Fungi Fest, where you’ll find regular weekly market vendors and special Fungi Fest vendors! Shop for mushrooms, produce, meat, honey, eggs, flowers, and so much more. This family-friendly event is your chance to dive deep into the fungi kingdom, whether you’re a mushroom enthusiast or a curious newbie. Explore educational experiences like mushroom cultivation, foraging, and identification, and enjoy cooking demos, vendor offerings, and special vendors. Admission is free!

What to Expect:

Educational Experiences:
– Mushroom Cultivation: Learn hands-on techniques like plugging logs and using mushroom grow bags.
– Foraging & Identification: Explore the art of mushroom foraging and how to identify various species in their natural habitat.
– Free Informational Tables: Get insights from experts on mushroom cultivation and more.

Culinary Delights:
– Cooking Demos: Watch live demonstrations of creative and delicious mushroom recipes.
– Vendor Offerings: Browse a variety of fresh mushrooms, mushroom-based products, and unique mushroom crafts.

Special Vendors:
– Savvy Shrooms: Mushroom products and crafts
– McDowell Trails Association: Outdoor recreation and trails info
– Rebel Terrestrial: T-Shirts & Totes
– Catawba Mushroom Partners: Fresh mushroom products
– Local Mushroom Kits: Shiitake logs, grow bags, plugs, and more
– Earth Heart: Local health food store
– Mushroom Mongers: Locally foraged mushrooms
– Archipelago Kitchen: “Pulled Pork” Sandwiches made with mushrooms

Event on Facebook: Fungi Fest | Facebook

U-Pick at KT's Orchard
2024-09-09 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-11 10:00 - 14:00 | KT’s Orchard and Apiary, 158 Pigeon Ford Rd., Canton, NC, 28716, United States
Come pick your own apples and experience the magic of picking your own fresh fruit right from the tree! Apple varieties include Ambrosia, Crimson Crisp, Gala, Gibson Gold and McIntosh just to name a few. We also have honey, jam, dried apples and lots more!

2025 WNC AgOptions Information Session
2024-09-10 16:00 - 18:00 | Cleveland County Extension Center, 130 S. Post Rd, Suite 1, Shelby, NC, 28152, United States

Agroforestry Farm Tour: Forest Farming at Warren Wilson College
2024-09-11 10:00 - 13:00 | Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa, NC, 28778, United States
Join us for a tour of Warren Wilson College’s campus, where we will explore the Guaranteed From Seed Project and the college’s campus forestry practices.
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 a syruping operation and silvopasture.

2025 WNC AgOptions Information Session
2024-09-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Cherokee County Center, 699 Conaheeta St., Murphy, NC, 28906, United States
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. Please register at http://go.ncsu.edu/agoptions.

2025 WNC AgOptions Information Session
2024-09-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Swain County Cooperative Extension Center, 60 Almond School Rd, Bryson City, NC, 28713, United States

U-Pick at KT's Orchard
2024-09-13 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-09-14 10:00 - 14:00 | KT’s Orchard and Apiary, 158 Pigeon Ford Rd., Canton, NC, 28716, United States
Come pick your own apples and experience the magic of picking your own fresh fruit right from the tree! Apple varieties include Ambrosia, Crimson Crisp, Gala, McIntosh and Wine Crisp just to name a few. We also have honey, jam, dried apples and lots more!

Apples at Hickory Nut Gap Farm
2024-09-13 10:00 - 2024-11-02 18:00 | Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Road , Fairview , NC, 28730, United States
Wednesday through Sunday 10am to 6pm, we are offering bulk NC Apples from Lyda Farms by the bag! We will have pecks, half bushels and bushels for sale.
• We provide bags, if you don’t see them ask for them in the store!
• The apples are locally grown in Edneyville, NC and LOW SPRAY
• We will have varieties come and go with as the season wears on
• We will have apples September through end of October
• Fresh pressed & Frozen Apple Cider will also be available
Wednesday through Sunday 10am to 6pm, we are offering u-pick cider apples at Hickory Nut Gap Farm.
THE RULES:
• Bring your own 5 gallon bucket
• NO CLIMBING TREES – Please be gentle with them
• The grass in the orchard is long, dress appropriately
• You may bring an apple picker, or check one out at the register
• Apples are $10/5 gallon bucket
• Not all varieties are producing well this year, you’ll just have to go see what’s up there
——>See aerial map with varieties laid out as your guide! Screenshot or download image below.
• These apples are 100% untouched. No spray, no real management at all besides pruning. They’re as natural as can be! That also means they might have ugly skin or bugs. Perfect for cider, vinegar, apple butter, etc.

Organic Growers School 2nd Annual Sow & Grow Fest
2024-09-14 12:00 - 17:00 | Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Road , Fairview , NC, 28730, United States
Join Organic Growers School for our 2nd annual Sow & Grow Fest, a family-friendly event celebrating Western North Carolina’s vibrant food and farming community!
Event Highlights:
🍽️ Community Potluck: 1-2 PM – Enjoy farm-fresh dishes prepared by our farm program students, alums, and partners. Bring your favorite dish to share and join the feast!
🎶 Live Music: Local musicians Laura Blackley and Ashley Chambliss will entertain you with their soulful sounds.
🌱 Seed & Plant Share: Meet fellow plant lovers and join interactive gardening demonstrations.
🍅 Tomato Tastings: Rank the tastiest tomatoes!
🍻 Local Vendors & Fun Activities: Explore craft beverages and fun family activities.
🎟️ Admission is Free! Registration is encouraged but optional. Potluck lunch tickets are available for a suggested donation of $20 per person. You can also choose to bring a dish to share.
🌟 Silent Auction: Starting in August and running through Sow & Grow Fest. Amazing items like East Fork Pottery, an Airbnb cabin getaway, an Asheville Artisan gift basket, and more will be up for grabs!
📢 Support the Grow for Good Fund: Your potluck ticket donation and silent auction bids support farmer training programs, scholarships, mentorships, and our savings incentive program.
Celebrate the rich bounty of our region with us! 🌾🥕
