Community Farm/Discovery Trail Hike

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hike-line2.jpgIt was hot –  but not too hot – just the kind of bright summer sun you imagine plants loving to soak in.

On National Trails Day/Land Trust Day (June 7, 2014), we led a group of curious members, landowners, and local families on a two-hour tour of SAHC’s Community Farm in Alexander, NC. This first Saturday in June starts off Outdoor Month, and was given special designation to recognize the economic importance of trails across the nation as well as the land conservation work of local land trusts. It was a wonderful day to enjoy the 1.5-mile Discovery Trail and to showcase the many exciting programs going on at our Farm. Read more

Warren Wilson College students help out on our Community Farm

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wwc_trailworkopen_march2014.jpgThe forecast said to expect a wintry mix on the first morning in March, as a group of Warren Wilson College (WWC) students prepared to come out to volunteer at the SAHC Community Farm in Alexander, NC. With temperatures not expected to reach 40 degrees, most college students would have burrowed back under the covers and asked for a rain check.

Not these folks. Under cloudy skies, they eagerly removed invasive plants and helped finish up sections of the 1 ½  mile nature trail. The group was a mix of students from the Forestry, Landscaping, and Recycling Crews at WWC. Read more

All A-swarm: Wild Honeybees Find New Accommodations on Our Community Farm

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p9260691.jpgFrom our blog posts earlier this year, you may have already gathered that we have A LOT going on at our Community Farm in Alexander, NC. Last week, we added one more aspect to this multifaceted project site — beekeeping. Farm intern Yael Girard came across a disturbed wild honeybee swarm while out scouting the planned route of our interpretive trail. Luckily, Yael had the experience and equipment to act quickly to save the colony. Here is her account of the day:

“Lost in the reverie of walking through the wooded property at the SAHC Community Farm, I may not have noticed the swarm had I not walked directly into it. I came into a clearing and found myself in the eye of a bee hurricane. The recently disturbed queen had not yet found a place to land, and the other bees were chaotically following her around the open space. Read more

Local Crews Building Trails at Our Community Farm

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trailwork-uphill.jpgIt was hot – probably the first really hot day since an early summer monsoon season drenched Western North Carolina, and the ticks were already out in full force. But that didn’t stop the work crew from Green Opportunities (GO) as they rigorously tackled trail building at the SAHC Community Farm.

As part of our multi-faceted Farm and Food Project, the completed trail will eventually loop approximately 1.5 – 2 miles across the 100-acre farm property. Our interpretive signs will educate visitors about the farm and our short leaf pine and stream restoration projects. We have partnered with GO to continue the trail building project begun by AmeriCorps volunteers in March. Read more

Trail Building on SAHC’s Community Farm

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smallgroup1.jpgOn a chilly mid-March day, SAHC’s Anderson Farm was host for an AmeriCorps service day. Fourteen AmeriCorps Project Conserve members, currently serving at host sites throughout Western North Carolina, came together on SAHC’s Community Farm to lend their hands in building a trail on the 100 acre property.

The SAHC Community Farm property lies just 15 minutes to the north and west of Asheville within the Newfound Creek watershed, an impaired waterway as identified by NC Division of Water Quality. Years of timbering and intensive cattle grazing have impacted the pastures, forests, and waterways of this property. Since acquiring the farm, we have begun the process of revitalizing the agricultural and conservation assets on the property. Read more