UT Student Volunteers at Community Farm
On a chilly March morning, the beloved SAHC Community farm was graced by the assistance of ten students from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville embarking on an alternative Spring […]
SAHC Community Farm Updates Summer 2022
A gift can make a change in someone’s life – and a gift of land can precipitate changes over many lifetimes. Since SAHC received the generous donation of the SAHC Community Farm in 2010, the property has been through myriad changes that make the space an exciting model of sustainable land management as well as a hub for local farming and healthy food products. With innovations conceptualized by Associate Director Kristy Urquhart, the SAHC Community Farm site plays host to young farmers, traveling guests and visitors, youth groups, workshop attendees, wildlife, weddings, and much more.
The land itself has changed over the past 12 years. A stream restoration project improved water quality and aquatic habitat in streams that flow across the farm into Newfound Creek and the French Broad River. Shortleaf pine reforestation work has led to hands-on educational opportunities for partners learning to manage healthy forest habitat with controlled fire. In one of our most recent updates, we are creating a retail farm market on the property. If you haven’t visited the farm recently, we encourage you to join us for a guided hike or workshop to see what’s new! Read more
Blazing Star Flowers
Blazing Star Flowers is excited to launch its second season at the SAHC Community Farm after a bountiful and successful start last year!Hi, I’m Suzanne and I love flowers!” says Suzanne Nolter, farmer and owner of Blazing Star Flowers. “I love growing them from seed, carefully tending them, creating lush, garden-inspired designs and sharing this beauty with the world. I enjoy seeing the smile they bring to a recipient’s face, how they bring an event space to life and the way my heart flutters when I walk past them in my own home. I’ve been an organic farmer for 20 years. I am deeply committed to stewarding the land with great care and reverence. I was fortunate to study Ecological Horticulture at UC Santa Cruz (CA) where I received a life changing education in the foundations of organic growing, as well as the ripple effects that it has into the wellness of our local ecosystems, communities and the planet.In addition to flowers, I have commercially raised vegetables, fruit, berries, honey bees and laying hens over the years. I’ve grown crops for CSA, restaurants and farmer’s markets.”
“I am excited to now circle back to flowers and small-scale farming so that I can put great attention into the details of each flower from seed to bouquet. My farm operation is now based at the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Community Farm in Alexander, NC. I feel so fortunate to be an Incubator Farmer here and join this team of dedicated and talented folks who care so deeply about land stewardship and sustainable agriculture. I am the grower, head designer, planner and contact person for all of my products. I want you have a great flower experience, whether I am working with you to plan the wedding of your dreams, a cozy elopement, a special delivery to give a boost to someone special or a weekly CSA subscription to bring nature and color into your home. Please get in touch and let me know how I can help bring more flowers into your world!”
CSA Flower Shares are Now Available
Brighten up your home or workspace with a gorgeous, fresh seasonal bouquet of sustainably grown flowers! Sign up for a single month or the full season, June through September.Enjoy weekly pre-made bouquets or our popular bucket of loose stems (great for DIY arrangers). They also make a cheerful gift for the flower lover in your life.
Delivery is available or pick up your flowers at the SAHC Community Farm in Alexander, NC or in Weaverville, the River Arts District, or South Asheville locations.
Sales of specialty cut flowers seedlings are new in spring 2022.
Purchase a one-time seedling CSA share to grow your own cutting garden or find our plant starts and spring cut flowers at the East Asheville Tailgate Market (Fridays 3-6) starting April 1st, the French Broad River Garden Club Plant Sale (April 23), or The NC Arboretum Plant Sale (May 28th).
“We love hosting workshops to share our passion for flowers and will be offering more in 2022,” says Suzanne.Subscribe to Blazing Star Flowers’ email list at https://www.
Contact Suzanne Nolter at blazingstarflowers@gmail.com
About SAHC’s Farm Incubator Program
SAHC’s Farmer Incubator Program is an innovative program that allows farmers to access land at an affordable rate, provides mentorship and professional networking and other support for entrepreneurial or new agricultural businesses. The Farmer Incubator Program is located at SAHC’s Community Farm in Alexander, NC, a 140-acre property that serves as a synergistic model for conservation, environmental stewardship and productive farming working together.
This program is funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Lunar Whale Herbs
About the farm:
Noel, Lunar Whale Herbs owner
Lunar Whale Herbs is a small scale medicinal and culinary herb farm that strives to bring high quality herbs to our community. Our mission is to connect people with plant medicine and empower you on your wellness journey. Lunar Whale Herbs is part of the Farm Incubator Program at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Community Farm in Alexander, NC.
“As a seasoned farmer and community herbalist, Lunar Whale Herbs is the culmination of two passions,” says farm owner Noel. “Having previously worked on various farm operations, I knew I wanted my own farm some day. Four years ago, I followed my intuition towards herbalism and completed an herbal apprenticeship with Milk&Honey Herbs of Shutesbury, MA. It wasn’t long after starting to practice that I found myself fully hooked into the magical and natural healing world of plants. Since then I have completed the holistic herbalism program at Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in Asheville, NC and I am happy to call the mountains of Western North Carolina my home. The plants have led me on this journey and I am eager to share my passion and their wisdom with you all.”
Fresh Herb CSA details:
The fresh herb CSA allows members to have access to high quality herbs and have hands-on experience in creating their own herbal medicines. Members receive 10 shares with 5 generous bundles of fresh leaf, flower, or roots depending on what’s in season along with 3 “how-to” herbal medicine making videos, a PDF with basic medicine making techniques, and an educational email with every share on the properties of each herb and recipes for cooking and medicine making.
Some herbs to expect:
Spring: nettles, comfrey leaf, dandelion greens, garlic scapes, mullein leaf, arugula, chervil, claytonia, cilantro, parsley
Summer: garlic, yarrow, hops, boneset, catnip, feverfew, mugwort, motherwort, red clover, milky oats, sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, wormwood, mints, shiso, tulsi, basil, anise hyssop, sweet annie, calendula, blue vervain, skullcap, chamomile, echinacea flower, lavender, bee balm, spilanthes
Fall: ginger, turmeric, ashwagandha root, burdock root, yellow dock root, comfrey root, angelica root, dandelion root, marshmallow root, elecampane root
Pick Up Locations:
Pick up bi-weekly from June – October
- Pickups will happen Thursdays from 4-6 on the SAHC Community Farm in Alexander, NC
- Asheville City Market at the AB Tech campus: Saturday 9:00am-12:00 pm
- Marshall, NC at The Farm Connection: Thursday 3:00-6:00 pm
- We are also partnering with The AVL box to provide pick up locations in:
- Asheville – Pulp+Sprout: Wednesday 12:30pm-4:00pm
- Asheville – Provisions Mercantile: Thursday 2:00-5:00pmBlack Mountain – Dynamite Roasting Co. : Wednesday 2:30pm-5:30pm
- Brevard – With Regards: Wednesday 3:00-6:00pm
- Fairview – Wilderness Plant Shop: Wednesday 2:00-6:00pm
- Hendersonville – The 2nd Act : Wednesday 12:00-5:00pm
- Mars Hill – Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery: Thursday 4:00-7:00pmWaynesville – Sunburst Market: Thursday 12:00-4:00pm
**When you sign up with an AVL box pick up location, you will receive a discount code for 15% off your first veggie box with them.
- Home delivery: an extra charge of $40 for the season
Pricing:
$ 300 for the season,
Payment plan available for 2 payments of $150
Apothecary Box Details:
The apothecary box is a monthly subscription box meant to connect you with the rhythms of the season through small batch, lovingly handcrafted herbal products from our farm.
Once a month from April-December (9 boxes) you will receive a box of small batch herbal products. These boxes will include 4 products such as tinctures, teas, salves, herbal infused oils, salt scrubs, herbal infused honeys, herbal syrups, herbal vinegars, oxymel, flower essences, glycerite, elixirs, and herbal seasonings. Each box will have a theme for you to work with that month, such as lymph love, nervous system soother, or boundary maker. These themes are meant to help you really dive into the medicine of that month. An educational insert on the medicinal properties of the herbs and ways to use the products in your daily routine will be in each box as well. Subscribers get special discounts on single apothecary items in our online shop.
Sample Box: Lymph Love to gently detox from winter and prepare for spring!
Lymph mover tincture (Cleavers, Chickweed, and Red Clover)
Lymph massage oil (Red Clover, Violet leaf, and Dandelion flower)
Tea blend to support your lymphatic system (Red Clover, Calendula, and Mullein Leaf)
Spring Vinegar (Violet leaf, Nettle, Chickweed, and ACV)
There are a few options for receiving your box:
Have the box shipped to you anywhere in the United States!
Local Pick up:
- At the SAHC Community Farm in Alexander, NC
- Asheville City Market at the AB Tech campus: Saturday 9:00am-12:00pm
- Marshall, NC at The Farm Connection: Thursday 3:00-6:00pm
- We are also partnering with The AVL box to provide pick up locations in:
- Asheville – Pulp+Sprout: Wednesday 12:30pm-4:00pm
- Asheville – Provisions Mercantile: Thursday 2:00-5:00pm
- Black Mountain – Dynamite Roasting Co. : Wednesday 2:30pm-5:30pm
- Brevard – With Regards: Wednesday 3:00-6:00pm
- Fairview – Wilderness Plant Shop: Wednesday 2:00-6:00pm
- Hendersonville – The 2nd Act : Wednesday 12:00-5:00pm
- Mars Hill – Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery: Thursday 4:00-7:00pm
- Waynesville – Sunburst Market: Thursday 12:00-4:00pm
Payment details:
Sign up for the apothecary box in 3 month increments (you are not required to sign up for all three).
$150: April, May, June
$150: July, August, September
$150: October, November, December
Save money by signing up for the whole season: $400 April-December (payment plan available)
Donate a Share
We believe herbal medicine is the peoples’ medicine.
You can donate to match a Fresh Herb CSA or Apothecary Box to help support herbal education and access to fresh herbs and herbal medicine in communities in Asheville. Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy Community Farm will be distributing the shares with community partners; Lunar Whale Herbs is accepting donations to provide herbal medicine to our community partners.
About SAHC’s Farm Incubator Program
SAHC’s Farmer Incubator Program is an innovative program that allows farmers to access land at an affordable rate, provides mentorship and professional networking and other support for entrepreneurial or new agricultural businesses. The Farmer Incubator Program is located at SAHC’s Community Farm in Alexander, NC, a 140-acre property that serves as a synergistic model for conservation, environmental stewardship and productive farming working together.
This program is funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Community Farm Updates, Fall 2021
SAHC’s 140-acre farm hosts beginning farm businesses, educational workshops, and service learning experiences. It’s a working model that blends productive agriculture and responsible land management with educational opportunities and community engagement. Contact us for more info about the programs, event space, or opportunities to visit the farm (by appointment).
This fall, we have been joined by multiple volunteer groups who assisted with diverse projects, including the French Broad River Academy boys and girls schools, the Willows Recovery Center and the accounting firm of Corliss & Solomon, PLLC. Community Farm Associate Tamarya Sims continues to focus on outreach, education and volunteer engagement. Tamarya has been working to analyze the local food system and explore ways SAHC can better serve our community. Thank you to everyone involved in these efforts! Read more
Community Farm Update Summer 2021
This summer, Community Farm Associate Tamarya Sims brought a whole new feel for farm life to a wide variety of camp and community groups. From partnering with the NC Arboretum in their EcoExplore program to teaching kids to safely hold chickens raised on the farm, this season has been full of volunteer work days and educational activity, growing young minds along with agriculture.
Community Farm Associate Tamarya Sims has been busy running educational programs on the farm this summer! In July, Tamarya taught groups from Project Lighten Up, Youth Transformed for Life, and others about chickens, farming eggs, and how chickens fit into the farm ecosystems. Read more
Salamander Plots at the SAHC Community Farm
Student of French Broad River Academy installing salamander plots, courtesy of Tamarya Sims
There has been lots of buzz on the SAHC Community Farm about our new salamander plot program. This program was piloted by Tamarya Sims, our Community Farm Associate. Western North Carolina is often considered the salamander capital of the world. Despite this, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find salamanders in the region due to declining populations across all amphibian species. This is why Tamarya felt that the moist areas near the creek on SAHC’s Community farm would be perfect for salamander plots.
Incubator Program Farmers Offer 2021 CSAs
We welcomed three new farm operations to our Farmer Incubator Program at the beginning of the year – and these three operations will be offering CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture subscription plans) for the 2021 season. We encourage you to sign up soon for the these CSAs. Your early investment helps the farmers get an early start in the season, then you enjoy the rewards of the harvest. More details on offerings, payment options, and pickup will be announced. From fresh mixed veggies – to medicinal herbs, tinctures, and salves – to stunning cut flowers, our SAHC Community Farm farmers have you covered!
Community Farm Updates
SAHC’s 140-acre Community Farm hosts beginning farm businesses, educational workshops, and service learning experiences. The site includes a Farmer-Incubator Program, stream restoration and shortleaf pine reforestation projects, educational Discovery Trail (which can be visited by appointment), a bee yard, and indoor and outdoor space for special events. It’s a working model that blends productive agriculture with educational opportunities and community engagement.
Welcome Tamarya Sims, Community Farm Associate!
Tamarya (she/they) joined SAHC as full-time Community Farm Associate in June. They graduated from UNC Asheville with a degree in Environmental Studies, and after college pursued environmental education and learning how to grow food. They served at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through American Conservation Experience and at the Durham Public Schools Hub Farm through CTNC AmeriCorps. Tamarya loves teaching, photography, gardening, herbalism, beekeeping, raising chickens, and driving the SAHC tractor. Most of all, they are passionate about food justice and making farm and garden education accessible to all people. Read more
Farmer Incubator Program – Call for Applicants!
Farming is a business… What’s your business plan?
Do you have a farm business idea? Make it a reality! You are invited to join Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Farmer Incubator Program, a “business incubator” for farm operations.
Why a “Farmer Incubator”?
Farming = a long-term game. Traditionally, farming was a lifelong+ learning process, with families passing along experience, knowledge, and land accrued by multiple generations. Today, your experience in farming may be different. This program is part of a collaborative support system to help “incubate” farm businesses as they grow.
What do you get out of it?
- Access land, support, and knowledge sharing. Land is one of the biggest expenses in farming. Get your farm operation to a successful state while in the Farmer Incubator Program, before taking on the cost of a land purchase. Benefit from weekly meetings with the Farm Manager and educational opportunities in our network.
- Learn efficiencies to improve your bottom line. Streamline farming practices to create efficiencies and increase your profitability.
- Feel empowered to try something new. Focus on farming, growing your contacts and sales connections, and developing your farm marketing, without worrying about paying a monthly mortgage for farmland.
Who can apply?
Beginning farmers with initiative — those who have some farm experience, but less than 10 years. Maybe you are a farmer currently in production but don’t have enough land. Or, you’ve been working on someone else’s farm and feel prepared to start your own farm enterprise. Perhaps you finished an apprenticeship, farmed for a few years, and are ready to take your farming career to the next level.
Come Grow with Us….
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is expanding our Farmer Incubator Program onto land we acquired adjacent to our Community Farm. Be part of this expansion! On this property, we will implement a variety of agricultural techniques aimed to address climate change.
Find out more! Send us an inquiry, or begin the application process now.
SAHC’s Farmer Education Workshop Series is funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program under award number 2016-70017-25341 for Farm Pathways: Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
