Archive for June, 2010
Monday, June 28th, 2010
This past weekend (June 26th and 27th), my mother and I participated in the 2010 Family Farm Tour organized through the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP). The annual tour presented 37 farms (actually only 36 because one we went to had a sign out saying they could not participate) all over Western NC, in 6 counties. Tour times were between 1-6 pm Saturday and Sunday.
It was sunny and HOT both days, but the people at every farm were gracious and friendly. When we thought to ask how they thought the numbers compared to 2009, everyone indicated that more people were coming in 2010 so that is a positive sign that this event is growing. YAY!
On Saturday, we started off at Round Mountain Creamery in Black Mountain. I wanted to go to a goat farm since I fell in love with goat cheese after trying it and loving it on a trip to Ireland with my mom in 2009. We received a comprehensive and fun tour of the machinery and processes of this Grade A operation, including visiting with the goats. There are over 300 goats on the farm and there is a complex system of separating the goats based on age, health, milking output, gender, etc. We were allowed to get up close and personal with the baby goats and I decided that one day, I’d love to have a couple as pets (maybe pygmy goats – not the kind at this farm – since they are miniature goats). I was quite impressed with the cleanliness of this place, given the amount of barnyard animals, but I guess that’s why they are certified as Grade A and must be inspected regularly and maintain mountains of paperwork. At the end of the tour, we sampled at least 6 different flavors of goat cheese and I had my first taste of goat’s milk. I loved it all! Goat’s milk is not heavy like whole cow’s milk which I think is too thick (I drink 2%, 1% or skim). The goat’s milk is close to 2% and just right. At this point, we found out that Round Mountain has just started selling their cheeses in EarthFare which was very exciting for us since there is an EarthFare just a couple of miles from the Inn. I believe they also sell as one or more of the Asheville-area tailgate markets which is great for anyone not wanting to travel far to purchase some of their products.
The second stop of our journey was the Wake Robin Farm all the way up in Marshall (I probably picked one of the farms furthest from where we were coming from). But, I wanted to visit this farm since they make brick oven-baked breads, cinnamon rolls, granola, and gluten-free products. Plus, we thought that this would be a good place to eat since we had purchased goat cheese and milk and, other than crackers, what better companion to cheese, than bread? After driving through rural countryside and winding roads, we started down the gravel driveway towards the farm, but quickly realized that the driveway was long, winding and not conducive to a parade of cars driving in both directions. There was literally no place for cars to move over for oncoming traffic (the driveway was a good 1/2 mile long) so going in and coming out, we (or other cars) were forced to back up all the way out of the driveway to allow cars to get through. This difficulty made the getting in and out frustrating and somewhat ruined the experience. My mother felt that this farm with its access issue should not be on the tour for the simple reason that it was quite difficult to get in and out and once in, there was very little parking room for cars and people could easily get blocked in. However, the bread was delicious and they also sell their products at some of the Asheville-area tailgate markets.
After leaving Wake Robin Farm, we stayed in Marshall and headed to the Bee Tree Farm and Vineyard. By the time we got there, it was almost 5:30 (tours ended at 6:00) so we didn’t want to stay too long. There was no real tour of anything and my mother thinks the farm is more of a commune with a yurt and tipis. The farm does make fruit-flavored wines, tomato and pesto sauces (good on some of the bread we bought), and fruit preserves. Since I don’t drink wine, I wasn’t interested in buying any, but I did try some strawberry wine (too winey for me and I didn’t taste any fruit at all). We did buy some tomato sauce and saw berry bushes and the small vineyard on the way down the driveway toward the parking area.
So, on day one, we were able to visit only 3 farms. It probably could have been more had I planned better, but I had no idea how long it would take at each place. I definitely planned better for day two.
On Sunday, we chose farms that were closer in proximity to each other, and thus, we were able to see 3 farms in half the time it took on day one. We started out at Holler Ministries in Fletcher. I wanted to visit this farm because they offer egg/chicken shares for purchase. The farm is close to the Inn and I was excited to see that I could purchase a share of organic, grass-fed chicken eggs. A share is a dozen eggs a week and it’s possible to purchase chickens from the farm in the future if I decide to keep egg-laying chickens at the Inn. The Ministry also runs a summer Christian youth mission camp and they have an African-style village set up for the camp. This camp is training for service in Third World countries. Our tour provided us with a better understanding of how an African Village is set up. It really puts things into perspective for those of us in modernized countries. Holler Ministries also operates a community garden and they donate extras to local people in need. This particular farm was started in the 1930s by the current owner’s grandfather and we got to see a couple of buildings that his grandfather built by hand 80 years ago. It was nice to see this property still operating by the same family.
The following pictures show the African-style village on the farm.
After leaving Holler Ministries, we traveled to McConnell Farms in Hendersonville. This farm has just about everything you can think of from fruits and vegetables to nursery plants. It’s a huge operation and they sell to various Asheville-area tailgate markets as well as onsite at their own retail place. The memorable part of this farm is the fresh-made ice cream! Of course we had some and it was so delicious and creamy. I ate some blackberry chip ice cream and Mom had old-fashioned strawberry ice cream. Here, my mother was talking to the owner about fig trees since they grow them, but he actually referred her to another grower whose trees (Celeste) would probably do better where we live. At about this time, we could see a storm coming so we jumped in the car and headed to Stepp’s Plants.
Stepp’s Plants is located in Flat Rock and along with plants and flowers, they also grow fruits. There were no nursery plants available because they sell 80% annuals and their season is in the spring time. We went on a short tour of their crop fields where we could see raspberries just about ready to harvest and blueberry bushes. While here, it did start raining so it turned into a short visit. We did find out that they participate in Hendersonville’s Garden Jubilee in the spring which we have attended so we’ll be sure to check them out next year.
After leaving Stepp’s we headed over to Fields of Gold Farm in west Hendersonville, but they were closed. So, we decided to end our tour at this point and headed back home, stopping at my favorite sushi restaurant, Umi, in Hendersonville for a late lunch.
The one farm I did not get to visit was the Maple Creek Farm in Burnsville (about an hour from the Inn). Maple Creek Farm is the only commercial maple syrup producer in NC. Hopefully, I can find some of their products at a tailgate market. There are several tailgate markets around Asheville, in addition to the WNC Farmers Market. The closest to the Inn is the Asheville City Market – South which is approximately 3 miles away. Some of the farmers on the Farm Tour probably sell their goods at this or any of the other dozen tailgate markets around the city and Buncombe county.
So, for $25, my mother and I spent some fun bonding time while exploring the mountains and farms of Western NC, learning about the bountiful foods, plants, and animals that contribute to the surrounding communities. I am thrilled to have been a part of the tour because I got so much more out of the experience than just the tour itself. To see what is going on around this part of the state makes me proud to live here and I plan to continue doing my part to help sustain the way of life provided by WNC farmers. So for anyone who wants to support the local farmers without driving all over the place, just visit one of the local farmers markets and “take the tour” there. You’ll be glad you did.
To learn more about WNC’s ASAP initiative, visit: www.asapconnections.org. Or, to find farms and take your own tours or for a listing of tailgate markets and hours, go to www.BuyAppalachian.org.
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
As any true pet lover knows, your pets ARE your children, no matter that they do not live as long as humans. And when one passes away, it is heartbreaking, whether they have been with you for 2 years or 10 years.
My weimaraner Hummer passed away last Friday and I wanted to share some photos and stories of him so that you can enjoy just a little of the happiness that Hummer brought into my life. Even as I write these words, my eyes tear up in remembrance of him. He truly meant a lot to me and I know that he will never be replaced in my heart.
I first decided to adopt a dog when I lived in Florida. My son and I already had two cats, but I wanted a companion and running partner. In Florida, I was a runner and participated in many charity running races from 5Ks to Half Marathons and even triathlons for a few years. Florida is perfect running territory because the roads are flat and there are sidewalks everywhere (at least in Central Florida where I lived). So I wanted a partner to keep me company when running that I didn’t actually have to talk to and waste energy while running. After several months of looking and considering different breeds, I settled on the Timucuan Weimaraner Club of Florida, a breed-specific rescue organization. Among the handful of rescues available for adoption was 6 month-old Hummer. The story was that Hummer was found on the side of the road somewhere in Georgia and had been with the rescue for a couple of months. I had to pass a screening process which included a home visit and had to sign a contract stating that if I was ever unable to care for Hummer, that he would be returned to the rescue. That is one fabulous thing, among many, with rescues. They are dedicated to their animals and will take them back no matter what. Also included in our adoption were a beginning series of obedience training sessions at Best Paw Forward.
We first met Hummer at Best Paw Forward where we filled out all the paperwork, then took him for his first training session. At six months old, he weighed just under 50 lbs.
At first, Brian (almost 10 years old) was bigger than Hummer, but before long, Hummer gained a lot of weight and Brian found it more difficult to handle him. Unfortunately, our female cat, Baby Girl, didn’t like Hummer and so he intentionally bothered her because he knew she didn’t like him. He’d stare at her or poke at her with his nose to get a rise out of her, just because he could. He never growled, bit, or ran after her, just intimidated her with his intense stares and lunges. He didn’t bother with our male cat, Whiskers, because Whiskers didn’t seem to care about Hummer’s size and didn’t allow him to bother him. Therefore, Hummer left him alone. It was quite funny at times to watch Hummer pestering Baby Girl and making her meow and run away. Then he’d look at me as if to say,”What? I didn’t do anything.”
By the age of 2, Hummer was up to 93 lbs which was the average weight he carried. He turned out to be a great running companion and would run between 3-5 miles with me. For a weimaraner, he tended to be on the stocky side, even though we ran together quite a bit. At his heaviest, he weighed a little over 100 lbs, but tended to maintain an average between 90-95 lbs. He went most places with us, including a pet-friendly B&B on Amelia Island for my 34th birthday, to the beaches on the gulf coast of Florida when I visited my mother near Casey Key, and a couple of times to Va when we drove up to visit family.
Hummer was always attention- and food-hungry. He preferred to be wherever his “people” were and would only stay outside by himself long enough to do his business, then he wanted to be inside with us. We learned very quickly that Hummer was quite intelligent when it came to scoping out anything food-related. The cat food had to be kept in the furthest corner of the counter and trash cans had to be kept behind cabinets. Any slip up on our parts, no matter how old he got, and the result was a torn up trash bag or overturned trash can with trash spread around. Even after moving to NC in 2006, Hummer figured out how to open the corner carousel cabinet where we kept the dry foods so we had to start putting his food bin in front of it so he couldn’t push the cabinet open. I could never get too mad at Hummer for these hijinxs because it was more like a battle of brains to see who won.
In December 2005, a few weeks before we moved to NC and the Inn, Hummer and I were out running and were a block from our house when Hummer was viciously attacked by a K-9 police German Shepherd. The dog had escaped from its garage and, we learned, was male dog aggressive. Because we were on a public road and many people were driving to work or school, a couple of good Samaritans stopped to help us. Hummer’s back and shoulder were ripped open and he needed 17 staples to close the wounds and a drain tube for 4 days to keep the infection out and to allow the wounds to drain. The police department paid for all of his veterinary bills and Hummer never seemed to be afraid or affected by dogs afterward. I, on the other hand, became very nervous when out with Hummer. Not for my safety, but for his. I never wanted him to be attacked again so I started carrying a taser with me. Once we moved to NC, Hummer and I ran outside for a short while, but I began to run at the YMCA on the treadmill.
For a couple of years, Hummer attended doggie day care at At Play With Sparky so that he could exercise and interact with other dogs. But as he started getting older, his tolerance of other dogs jumping all over him waned and he’d end up in timeout because he’d snap at the other dogs. I’d hold my head in shame on those occasions I had to pick him up whenever I’d receive a naughty boy report. So, I stopped taking Hummer to daycare and we officially said that he was “retired.” He seemed to enjoy spending most of his time on the couch anyway and he would get daily walks around Jake Rusher Park next to the Inn. He always loved riding in the car whenever possible and had the entire back area of the 4Runner to himself, even after we adopted Jenny in fall 2008 and Squirt in spring 2009.
By the time we added the two small dogs to our menagerie, Hummer was well into retirement and pretty much ignored them, unless one annoyed him and then he’d put him/her in their place. After a good set down, the little dogs stayed out of his way.
In the last year or so of his life, Hummer definitely became somewhat cantankerous when it came to other animals and small kids. He snapped a couple of times and I knew that he would be happier staying home when we went on trips or when there was a lot of activity going on at the Inn. I smile as I remember his progression from young child, to mischievous teenager, to crotchety old man. There were definitely character changes along the way that demonstrated his aging. But through it all; every late night sprint for the outside after he’d eaten an entire package of cheese crackers, plastic wrappers and all, to expunge the plastic from his system, to his laziness in not wanting to go downstairs to bark at visitors he could see, but instead laying on the couch barking, not knowing what he’s barking at; Hummer was always happy to see me and Brian. I nicknamed him Mr. Wiggle Tail because his stump was always going, even if I just looked at him, it wiggled.
In the end, I knew it was time when I couldn’t get that tail to wag, not matter that I hugged Hummer tight and stared at it, willing it to move. He just did not have the strength to show me that he loved me, but I knew. And I was there when he took his last breath and it was a comfort to me to know that he went in peace and without pain and that he knew that I loved him, and still do.
Thank you Hummer for being like a child to me and for bringing me so much love and joy. You will never be forgotten.
Sunday, June 6th, 2010
This past week, I turned the big 4-0 and Asheville turned out to be the perfect place to celebrate it in style.
A few of my Twitter friends organized a pub crawl since I love beer and Asheville is Beer City USA 2010! Gary (@AskAsheville), Amanda (@AVLCustomCloset), Maria (@SalonBlueRidge), and John (Maria’s boyfriend) met at Barley’s Tap Room (@BarleysTapPizza) where we sampled some of the 50+ craft beers on tap, along with some pizza. Barley’s has 2 floors; the first floor is the main restaurant area and the second floor is where the pool tables are (no food served upstairs). It’s a big place and stayed crowded the entire time we were there, which was a couple of hours.
On the way to our second stop, we passed Pritchard Park and enjoyed a little of the Friday night drum circle. The Park was packed and the drumming was very entertaining. By then, it was dark and we could see the police circling. I guess they allow the drum circle until a certain time, but there were many under-age kids around and want to avoid anything inappropriate. I must say that I have never spent any time downtown at night and was quite amazed at how crowded the city was. Everyone, local and tourist, was out in force, enjoying the street entertainment and balmy weather.
The second stop on our crawl was Thirsty Monk’s Pub (@monkpub). Here, we tried something called a Flight, which had 4 sample size beers from light to dark. I tried the Highland Cattail Peak Wheat (light) and the Green Man IPA (medium) with a citrusy taste. I was actually surprised that I liked the medium beer because I usually don’t. We also met up with a couple of other Asheville Tweeters, John (@SimplyWired) and his friend (no Twitter handle that I know of).
Next, we headed over to Athena’s which was a small club. Definitely not a pub, but I did drink a bottle of Highland Gaelic Ale. There was a little dancing. I got a good chuckle. While dancing with Amanda and Maria, a man came up to our group and gave me a very back-handed compliment. He said that although I was the oldest of our group, I had some good moves. Years ago, I might have been offended, but I actually laughed. I appreciated that he thought I danced the best of the three, for an old lady. 
Our last stop on the tour was Tressa’s Downtown Jazz and Blues Club. There was live music, but not a lot of people there. I had a beer, I can’t remember what kind. Everyone else started doing shots of Patron (tequila), but that’s not my thing. For one, I hate tequila. Second, I wouldn’t mix beer and liquor. The consequences are not good. One interesting thing about this bar was the huge jar of condoms outside the bathroom for patrons to take with them. I had never seen anything like that before, but thought, nice idea. Safety is good.
By the time we finished at Tressa’s, it was 1:30 am and I needed to get home and sleep before getting up to cook breakfast for guests at the Inn on Saturday morning. On the way home, I stopped at Ingles (@Ingles) for some strawberries and blueberries. I was home and in bed by 2:00 am, a time I haven’t seen in a long time.
This birthday celebration was fun for several reasons: 1) I haven’t been out in a couple of years or on a pub crawl in about 15 years! 2) I met some really nice people through Twitter, and 3) while I was on the crawl, we were all FourSquaring our locations which post to my Facebook Page and family and friends around the country were commenting while we were crawling.
I am solidly in favor of the social media movement. It has allowed me to connect and re-connect with family, friends, and people from my past through Facebook. And, I have been meeting new business contacts and friends locally through Twitter and FourSquare. The sharing and exchange of information via text messages, photos, videos, and blogs has opened up a whole new world to me. If not for Twitter, I would not have enjoyed such an interesting birthday celebration. If anyone is thinking about jumping on the social media bandwagon or has resisted joining, I highly recommend that you reconsider. It’s a great way to connect with the big world out there. Maybe your next celebration will be different and unexpected.
