2019-03-BRE

March 2019

Together,

we’re powering savings!

Thank you for signing up for Beat the Peak.

Refer a friend or family member to sign up!

Demand reduction efforts in 2018 generated power cost savings of almost $500,000!

BEAT THE

PEAK

Find out how Blue Ridge members like you helped generate power cost savings in 2018, and what YOU can do to save even more! See next page for details.

PERIODICAL

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Together,

we’re powering savings!

Together, members and Blue Ridge have generated nearly half a million dollars in power cost savings! Thanks to Beat The Peak participants’ efforts, along with the cooperative’s actions to hold down power costs through electric demand reduction programs, all members are benefitting.

Wholesale power costs are Blue Ridge’s largest expense. That’s why we’re celebrating efforts to reduce these costs and encouraging more people to participate in Beat The Peak.

You can help by signing up for Beat The Peak alerts today. Then, take action when you receive an alert. Tell family members, neighbors, and co-workers to sign up, too.

Join with members in 4,075 area households who have already signed up. The more people who participate, the greater the savings.

Sign up today at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/BTP. Or, text “BTP” to 70216. You can also download the mobile app and enable notifications.

Together, we can keep costs lower to benefit members! Together, we can Beat The Peak!

Here’s how it works: When alerted of an upcoming peak demand for electricity, volunteers reduce or delay their power use for a few hours. These peak times usually occur on the coldest winter mornings, when people are getting ready, and the hottest summer afternoons, when the most air conditioning is being used.

People take simple steps to help during peak periods, by: • Turning off unnecessary lights • Adjusting the thermostat a few degrees • Delaying laundry, running the dishwasher or using hot water.

to all who have already signed up!

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BEAT THE

PEAK 2/8/19 10:55 AM

March 2019

Tap into Local

Flower Power page 14

Published by

NC co-ops plan residential microgrid page 12

Landscape for energy efficiency page 32

PERIODICAL

Blue Ridge Energy discusses its response to five 2018 storms—pages 25–28 March covers.indd 3

2/8/19 2:08 PM

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18 1:54 PM

Volume 51, No. 3

12

14

Favorites 4 Viewpoints 8 More Power 12 Between the Lines 30 On the House 32 Energy Sense 34 Carolina People 36 Tar Heel Tidbits 40 Carolina Gardens 42 Adventures 44 Carolina Compass 48 Carolina Kitchen 50 Where is This?

50 Carolina Music

On the Cover Metrolina Greenhouses grows around 70 million plants a year, with more than 170 acres of greenhouses located north of Charlotte in Huntersville. Read more about the innovative operation starting on page 14. Photo courtesy of Metrolina Greenhouses.

12 14 18 20

20

Life on a Microgrid

A Brunswick County community hosts the latest co-op microgrid.

Flower Power

Metrolina Greenhouses is a horticultural heavyweight.

Great Gardens, Less Work

Keep the yard looking good with limited time and energy.

Wild and Free

Wild horses are centuries-long residents of NC’s Outer Banks.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Home Improvement Fails

$1

You tried, you failed, we’re interested! Share photos of home improvement project gone awry —w e’ll feature our favorites in our May issue. See page 41 for details.

March 2019 | 3

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Viewpoints

Plugging in to Community

By Leslie Boney

We’re really good at measuring some kinds of connectedness. Since the 1930s, we’ve had an almost perfect knowledge of who’s connected to the power grid. And thanks in large part to electric co-ops, that includes just about everyone.

We’re developing a good sense of statewide. Nearly one-third of inactive Our “County Snapshots” tool who’s connected to broadband interworkers report substance abuse as the (iei.ncsu.edu/countysnapshot) can net service (and it’s not enough, espe- help you get started by focusing on reason. We need more hands on deck. cially in rural North Carolina).

Health status: If you are in fair or key areas in your community.

Emerging research shows that poor health, it’s harder to participate Civic connection: Checking votsocial connectedness is just as import- ing rates and counting the number in the shared life of your community. ant, but harder to measure. People In Robeson County, 29 percent of the of social groups per capita in each without strong social ties are more population is less than fully healthy; county are easy items to review to likely to suffer from health problems, in Wake it’s 13 percent. It’s hard to check on local interest in public life. mental problems and economic trouaddress community health without But studies also show that parks and ble. Disconnection is costly. confronting individual health. public facilities make a difference That’s why it’s alarming to find Technology: Broadband access is in the social and economic life of a that people are dropping out of civic difficult to measure, since “available” community, offering opportunities to groups and local churches. People doesn’t always mean “affordable.” “bump into” others and get to know aren’t volunteering as much; just Technology can connect or divide us, them. Our shared spaces help build 24.4 percent of North Carolinians and we have a long way to go before trust, connections and community. report volunteering for all North Carolinians are anything in the past year. participating in the digiReconnection has to happen within and National polls show that tal economy. trust in “the institutions of Over the coming between every community in the state — society” has fallen from 80 months and years, we’ll we all have a role in bridging our divides. percent a generation ago be highlighting commuto 22 percent today. Our nities that are addressing “trust in neighbors” has fallen from these issues in creative ways. We’ve Commuting patterns: The stereo60 percent to 32 percent. already selected several, highlighted type of commuting patterns is that Last year, when NC State’s Institute rural places empty out every morning on the ReCONNECT NC website, for Emerging Issues asked people and we hope others can learn as urban centers absorb workers. to name the biggest issue facing the from their work.

The reality is a lot more complex. state, we heard that North Carolinians In Edgecombe County, for example, But we’re also looking for energized simply aren’t working together the about 72 percent of workers commute citizens in every community who are way we used to. We’re disconnected. ready to start conversations and share out each morning. But the flow goes And it helps explain why so many their experiences with ReCONNECT both ways — 59 percent of people people worry about our state’s NC. Division is a shared problem. working in Edgecombe County are rural-urban divide.

Solving it will take shared work. commuting in. A healthy economy Our ReCONNECT NC project Let’s get started. needs a healthy mix of people com(iei.ncsu.edu/reconnectnc) is meant ing and going.

Leslie Boney is the director of NC State’s to tackle that broad problem with Labor force participation: The Institute for Emerging Issues. He can be even bigger solutions. Reconnection percentage of working-age people reached at lnboney@ncsu.edu. The next has to happen within and between who are actually working or looking ReCONNECT NC Forum, in Charlotte on every community in the state — we for work has been declining in North October 15, will focus on economic mobility. all have a role in bridging our divides.

Carolina — down to about 61 percent 4 | carolinacountry.com

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Viewpoints

THIS MONTH’S ISSUE:

Out in the Garden

Metrolina Greenhouses

Despite the inevitable late-season cold snap, we’ve had some warm days here in North Carolina, and it’s time to start thinking about this year’s garden.

Our feature on page 18 will help quell any excuse for whipping your yard into shape, and Metrolina Greenhouses shares how the pros do it on page 14.

We also have exciting news about another first for NC that electric co-ops are working on: a residential microgrid.

—Scott Gates, editor

A true, charming Lexington establishment. Coming here as a child used to make my day. So glad to see this article.

Sunny Calhoun

I come back from Florida to get pimento cheese and chicken salad. I drive up for a food run and come back to Florida. And of course, fancy pastry …

Congrats on 100 years. It’s perfect.

Starr Hoover

All the meat is cut right there in the store. The best meat you could ask for! Love it.

Jean Hutchinson

I remember going to that store with my grandma :) Rayma Reno

Thank you, Conrad & Hinkle, for being a place to go for great local, home-grown food in Lexington!!

Tommy Leonard

I especially appreciate the customer service and the friendly attitude you feel when you walk into the store!

Not to mention the wonderful selection of meats, homemade selections and the fresh produce. It is like a small-town jewel with a progressive nature! Love it!

Emma Wallace

Lexington Tourism Authority

Beloved, Far and Wide Readers love Conrad & Hinkle Food Market in Lexington (“A Century of Reliable Service,” February 2019, page 34), and they’ve shared that sentiment on carolinacountry.com. Here are a few comments from our website:

Lavender Tip Barbara Cloniger of Gastonia, a member of Rutherford EMC, called Carolina Country with a tip after reading “A Local Crop’s Prized Compound” (September 2018, page 14): She uses lavender dryer sheets to keep mosquitos away. Thank you, Barbara!

Correction to our February issue The ingredients for Apple Crumb Cake (page 41) listed a total of five eggs. You will only need three to whip up this treat, as indicated in the directions.

Contact us Phone: 919-875-3091 Fax: 919-878-3970 Mail: 3400 Sumner Blvd.

Raleigh, NC 27616 Web: carolinacountry.com Email: editor@carolinacountry.com

Change of Address: carolinacountry.com/address Experiencing a power outage?

Please contact your electric co-op directly to ensure prompt service. Visit carolinacountry.com/co-ops to find yours online.

(ISSN 0008-6746) (USPS 832800)

Read monthly in more than 700,000 homes Published monthly by

3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616 919-875-3091 carolinacountry.com Warren Kessler Publications Director Scott Gates, CCC Editor Renee C. Gannon, CCC Senior Associate Editor Karen Olson House Contributing Editor Tara Verna Creative Director Erin Binkley Graphic Designer Tom Siebrasse Advertising tom@carolinacountry.com Joseph P. Brannan Executive Vice President & CEO Nelle Hotchkiss Senior Vice President & COO North Carolina’s electric cooperatives provide reliable, safe and affordable electric service to 1 million homes and businesses. The 26 electric cooperatives are each member-owned, not-for-profit and overseen by a board of directors elected by the membership.

Why Do We Send You Carolina Country Magazine?

Your cooperative sends you Carolina Country as a convenient, economical way to share with its members information about services, director elections, meetings and management decisions. The magazine also carries legal notices that otherwise would be published in other media at greater cost.

Your co-op’s board of directors authorizes a subscription to Carolina Country on behalf of the membership at a cost of less than $5 per year.

Has your address changed?

Carolina Country magazine is available monthly to members of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. If you are a member of one of these cooperatives but do not receive Carolina Country, you may request a subscription by calling Member Services at the office of your cooperative. If your address has changed, please inform your cooperative.

Subscriptions: Individual subscriptions, $12 per year. $20 outside U.S.A. Schools, libraries, $6.

Carolina Country is available on digital cartridge as a courtesy of volunteer services at the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Raleigh, N.C. 888-388-2460.

Advertising published in Carolina Country is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services offered are accurately described and willingly sold to customers at the advertised price. The magazine, North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc., and the member cooperatives do not necessarily endorse the products or services advertised. Advertising that does not conform to these standards or that is deceptive or misleading is never knowingly accepted.

Should you encounter advertising that does not comply with these standards, please inform Carolina Country at P.O. Box 27306, Raleigh, NC 27611. 919-875-3091.

Carolina Country magazine is a member of American MainStreet Publications that collectively reach more than 27 million readers every month.

Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, N.C., and additional mailing offices. Editorial offices: 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, N.C. 27616. Carolina Country® is a registered trademark of the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Carolina Country, P.O. Box 27306, Raleigh, NC 27611.

All content © Carolina Country unless otherwise indicated.

March 2019 | 5

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Charging ahead.

Electric cooperatives are building a network of electric vehicle charging stations across North Carolina — bringing tourism and economic opportunity to communities, helping reduce emissions and opening the door for co-op consumer-members statewide to shape the future through the adoption of this technology.

Learn more at ncelectriccooperatives.com.

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More Power

NC State

TEST YOUR

ENERGY KNOWLEDGE Renewable generation is expected to

grow to 31% of total U.S. power generation by 2050 (up from 18% in 2018), according to the latest Annual Energy Outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Which source will lead the pack?

Mr. and Mrs. Wuf joined former Kenan Fellows Kari Cobb (left) and Daria Fedrick.

Hydropower

Solar

Wind

Geothermal

Co-op Kenan Fellows Hit the Court The two 2018–19 Kenan Fellows hosted by North Carolina electric co-ops were back in the spotlight at a January NC State basketball game against ACC rival Pitt. Kari Cobb of Northside High, hosted by Jones-Onslow EMC in Jacksonville, and Daria Fedrick of Bragg Street Academy, hosted by Central Electric in Sanford, were recognized on the court at PNC Arena for their exceptional achievements as educators.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have sponsored and hosted six educators as Kenan Fellows since 2014, with a 2019–20 fellowship being sponsored by Union Power Cooperative in Monroe.

Answer: Solar. Solar generation is expected to make up 48% of all renewables by 2050 (up from 13% in 2018), due to falling costs for the technology. Wind comes in second at 25%.

Visit eia.gov/outlooks/aeo for more information.

Report: Electricity Demand to Surge by 2040 Over the next two decades, the electricity sector is set to be the “star of the show” — experiencing its most dramatic transformation since its creation more than a century ago, according to a new global outlook report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“Electricity is increasingly the ‘fuel’ of choice in economies that are relying more on lighter industrial sectors, services and digital technologies,” the report said. “Its share in global final consumption is approaching 20 percent and is set to rise further.”

The report assesses the next two decades of energy trends under three scenarios: one where current policies hold, one where announced policies and targets are met (“New Policies”), and one where sustainable approaches are accelerated (“Sustainable Development”).

Under the New Policies scenario, global electricity demand will surge 60 percent by 2040 — twice the projected

rate of overall energy demand. Increases in renewable energy investments and energy efficiency will slow the growth of coal consumption, although carbon dioxide emissions would continue to trend upward under the Current and New Policies scenarios. Only through the Sustainable Development scenario would emissions decline, although the heavy lifting to achieve such an outcome rests squarely on public policy decisions, according to the report.

“Our analysis shows that over 70 percent of global energy investments will be government-driven, and as such the message is clear — the world’s energy destiny lies with government decisions,” said IEA Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol.

“Crafting the right policies and proper incentives will be critical to meeting our common goals of securing energy supplies, reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality in urban centers, and expanding basic access to energy in Africa and elsewhere.”

carolinacountry.com/extras

Read a summary of the report and watch a video highlighting key takeaways from IEA’s assessment of our energy future.

8 | carolinacountry.com

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More Power

BEMC

Retired Brunswick Electric CEO and General Manager Don Hughes (left) with the co-op’s new leader, Josh Winslow

Brunswick Electric’s Don Hughes Retires After 49 Years of Service Josh Winslow Named CEO and General Manager Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation’s CEO and General Manager Don Hughes recently announced his retirement in a way that matched his nearly five decades of service to the Supply-based co-op — he visited each District Office and gave the news to the employees personally.

Driven by a sense of duty and commitment to the cooperative, Hughes learned the business from the ground up. As his responsibilities increased, so did his intention to maintain a personal connection with Brunswick Electric’s members, Board of Directors and employees.

With a career that began in 1969 as a meter reader, he rose through the ranks to lineman, district manager, manager of Operations, vice president of Operations/Engineering and COO before being named CEO and general manager of the co-op in 2014. He represented North Carolina cooperatives on a variety of state and national committees, and has had great satisfaction leading Brunswick Electric through a period of profound growth, building four new substations, expanding renewable initiatives and deploying

AMI system-wide, among other technology improvements.

During Hughes’ tenure as general manager, the co-op grew from 86,000 meters to more than 96,000 meter locations in one of the fastest growing regions in the country.

Hughes’ service to Brunswick Electric has been more than managing the nuts and bolts of the second largest cooperative in the state. His commitment to the community has been evident in every volunteer leadership position he has held, including with the Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International, Lions Club, Brunswick Business & Industry Development, North Carolina Fourth of July Festival, and the U.S. Open King Mackerel Fishing Tournament.

“There’s nothing that gives back to the community like a cooperative,” Hughes said. “Through the dedication of our employees to get the job done, we go two steps further with many of Brunswick Electric’s community programs that have real impact in the lives of those we serve. Our Bright Ideas and Community Grants, our Weatherization Loans, the Warm

Homes, Warm Hearts heating assistance program — I am truly proud of how committed Brunswick Electric is to bettering our community.”

Brunswick Electric’s Joshua L. Winslow has taken over the leadership reins following Hughes’ January 31 retirement. Josh holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from NC State University, and is a licensed professional engineer.

In his 14 years with the co-op he has served as a staff electrical engineer, manager of Operations, and most recently as Chief Operating Officer.

“We have an incredible team at Brunswick Electric, and a commitment to service is in the DNA of this cooperative,” Winslow said. “We will continue to honor our founding principles as we face some of the most significant changes to our industry in decades.

Remaining focused on returning value to our membership in the form of safe, reliable, and affordable power will ensure success for the cooperative and support for the communities we serve.”

Winslow and his wife, LeeAnna, live in Supply and have three children: Raleigh, Reagan and Roslyn.

10 | carolinacountry.com

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The Next Great Italian Masterpiece The Aria Bracelet is an impeccable work of art Raffinato with a price unmatched by any

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Between the Lines

CO-OP TECH:

Life on a Microgrid A Brunswick County neighborhood has earned an innovative distinction BEMC

Learn about microgrids across North Carolina and other innovative electric co-op projects.

BEMC

carolinacountry.com/innovation

thermostats and an option for electric vehicle charging. Energy efficient and sustainable features are incorporated throughout building materials. A portion of the neighborhood is dedicated to a larger community solar array with battery storage.

“Brunswick Electric is demonstrating the effectiveness of a smart Wi-Fi enabled water heater and thermostat for demand reduction, while also demonstrating the ability to utilize the development’s solar and battery storage,” said Brunswick Electric Vice President of Engineering and Operations Lewis Shaw. “Combined with the load reduction devices, they will form a microgrid when and if needed.”

The community is made up of interconnected loads and resources connected to the main electric grid. On a typical day, residents will obtain power from the main grid, supplemented by power from their rooftop solar panels and the community solar array. What sets this community apart is what happens should the connection to the main grid become unavailable — after a storm, for example. As a microgrid, the residents will benefit from continued solar power as well as the battery backup system.

What’s more, the demand response thermostats and water heaters can be controlled by the electric utility to make more power available to the system during that time, as well as during times of high demand.

“We are excited to work with Heron’s Nest and North Carolina’s

BEMC

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lthough there are more homes under construction than not, anyone strolling down the street in Shallotte’s new Heron’s Nest neighborhood can tell something different is going on. Each cottage is brightly colored, small but with space used efficiently. Solar panels dot the rooftops. The driveways aren’t made of poured concrete, but permeable pavers.

These are among the few hints that the otherwise quaint development is something more. Through collaboration among Brunswick Electric, North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives and developer The Adams Group, the community has claimed the distinction of the state’s first residential microgrid.

“This partnership is a great opportunity for all of the electric cooperatives in North Carolina to gain knowledge in how to integrate this equipment to bring greater resiliency and flexibility to the distribution grid by working with a local residential community,” said Jim Musilek, director of Innovation and Business Development for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives.

Once fully operational, the site’s 30-plus homes will be equipped with rooftop solar panels, demand response water heaters, demand response ecobee programmable

Electric Cooperatives to gather useful knowledge that we can utilize in the future to reduce cost to our members and improve reliability,” Shaw said.

The neighborhood’s first resident, Kourtney Gore, teaches at West Brunswick High School in Shallotte, where her grandmother also taught for 30 years. Building a new home in the neighborhood was affordable and allowed her to turn her dreams (and Pinterest ideas) into reality, according to Gore. But the sustainable aspect was a big added draw.

“Being environmentally conscious and turning that awareness into action was a huge drive to build in this neighborhood,” Gore said.

“From building a house that has a footprint without wasted space that includes energy efficient materials, to utilizing solar energy, to the TrueGrid [permeable] driveway, I feel comfortable knowing that I am doing my part to lessen my negative impact on the environment.”

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FLOWER POWER

Metrolina Greenhouses is a horticultural heavyweight

By Leah Chester-Davis

Metrolina Greenhouses

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A Metrolina Greenhouses employee cradles a handful of tiny cuttings in her hand, each no bigger than a small grass blade, and gently tosses them to her partner, a robot with a large arm that receives signals from a camera as the cuttings bounce along a conveyor belt. The automated arm moves with dexterity and speed, picking up a single tender cutting at a time and depositing each, root-end down, into a soil-filled tray. It’s quite a marvel to see the robot in action.

The cuttings will be moved to different sections or bays within the 170acre Metrolina Greenhouses complex depending on their water and light requirements. The farm under glass — comprising greenhouses the size of five shopping malls — teems with millions of plants that are tended by 600 full-time employees (not to mention robot partners) and another 800 seasonal workers, many of whom are members of EnergyUnited, the Statesville-based electric cooperative.

As the plants grow, an explosion of color and beautiful blooms punctuate early spring days for any driver traveling down Huntersville Concord Road outside Huntersville. It’s hard to keep your eyes on the road as you steal glances to peer inside the windows of the greenhouses where an array of plants — lupines, daffodils, tulips, regal geraniums, groundcovers, ranunculus — will soon be headed to a garden center near you.

to be involved in the business and is known as the First Lady of Metrolina.

Younger brothers Michael and Thomas, as well as other family members, are also involved.

“Dad would be enthralled by that,” Art says about the robots that stick 2,400 cuttings in the time it takes a person to stick 900. “Dad’s favorite saying was: ‘automate or stagnate.’ ” Tom designed an automated transplanter that picks up as many as 60,000 plants per hour and places them in containers that will be sent to stores. The technology continues to be used industry-wide.

Every available space in the greenhouse is used. Look up, and rows of hanging baskets filled with plants are moving along on a mechanized overhead system inspired by an uncle’s ski trip and observation of the gondola lifts.

The plants are moved to one central watering area, rather than requiring water over thousands of square feet.

Heating the massive complex, which is the largest, single-story heated building in the country, is accomplished by wood boilers that use recycled pallets and other biomass fuel. Water for the plants is collected from a series of ponds and goes through a water treatment system on site. All water that falls on the roof from rainfall and water that is used indoors goes back into a system to be recycled.

“When it rains an inch here we collect up to 5 million gallons of water,” explains Abe. “It is all self-sustained.

We don’t use any city water.”

Beautifying landscapes

At the peak of the gardening season, as many as 178 tractor trailer loads of plants leave the Metrolina Greenhouses every day headed to nearly 1,600 big box stores — and ultimately to your landscape or that of your neighbors.

A growing family heritage

Interested in visiting the Trial Gardens Open House?

Leah Chester-Davis

Whether it is robots and other technology or new ways to tag plants, Art and Abe VanWingerden, Metrolina Greenhouses’ co-CEOs, are keen on innovation. It’s a trait they say they learned from their Dad, Tom, who along with their Mom, Vickie, started the company with three acres of greenhouse space in 1972 after emigrating from the Netherlands the year before.

The brothers bought the business from their parents in 2007; Tom died in 2009. Their mom continues

Check metrolinagreenhouses.com or Facebook @metrolinagreenhouses in early May for instructions on getting your name on the list.

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Metrolina Greenhouses

By the Numbers:

Metrolina’s Huntersville HQ

170 acres of greenhouse (7.4 million square feet)

70 million plants grown per year

They ship out a constant rotation of plants to a market area that spans a 600-mile radius that reaches as far north as New York, and for certain products as far south as Florida and as far west as Kansas City. It all amounts to about 70 million plants per year.

The company also owns 257 acres of perennials in York, South Carolina.

A visit to the Trial Gardens

The company invests heavily in research and development, which includes its own plant trials. As many as 1,000 different type plants may go through a three-year phase at any given time.

While Metrolina no longer hosts tours of the greenhouses, it does provide the public with a glimpse of its massive operation during its yearly Trial Gardens Open House, usually in early June. During the open house, visitors drive through the front entrance of the greenhouses to an impressive three acres of trial gardens showcasing as many as 7,000 plants.

“The trial gardens at Metrolina provide a unique opportunity for breeders, retailers, growers, industry professionals and consumers to learn about new varieties and compare new items with existing items,” says Mariah Holland, director of

marketing. “It’s not a showcase garden; it is a performance garden.”

The company simulates conditions that are most like those the average consumer faces: limited irrigation, insects, diseases and drought, for example. “The ultimate goal is to select the best of the best for consumers,” adds Mariah.

Various plots within the gardens feature annuals or perennials that love shade or sun. There are sections of plants that are great for containers, plants that are suitable for rock gardens, and incredible ideas for plant combinations. A 500-foot-long stretch of pergola creates an enchanted walkway of hanging baskets bursting with colorful blooms, all competing for attention. Comparison trials last year focused on Echinacea, creeping phlox, garden phlox and veronica. This year will be a different selection of plants.

Popular plants

Plants that have stood the test of time and remain popular with consumers include impatiens, petunias, lantana, begonias and coleus.

“Some of the popular new plants are: a new variety of celosia (Dragon’s Breath); Sunfinity sunflowers that bloom continuously, which is unusual for sunflowers; new varieties of lupines; and an easy-to-grow

600 year-round employees

800 seasonal workers

$210 million in sales annually Photos by Metrolina Greenhouses

alstroemeria,” says Abe. While it’s a bit early to select favorites this season, Mariah explains that the pre-selections are based on performance. A few they are keeping their eyes on are Sunpatiens (impatiens that thrive even in high heat and humidity), Supercals (part petunia and part calibrachoa), Color Rush Petunias, and an up-and-coming lantana.

Leah Chester-Davis loves to explore North Carolina. Her business, Chester-Davis Communications (chester-davis.com), specializes in food, farm, gardening and lifestyle brands and organizations.

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1/15/19 4:08 PM 2/7/19 1:07 PM

2

Great Gardens, Less Work

G

ardening can be relaxing, satisfying and rewarding.

But even those of us with the greenest of thumbs run into obstacles that limit our ability to get out there and putter around.

Whether you’re short on time, or are finding that your body doesn’t quite work the way it used to, garden enthusiasts can compensate by gardening smarter instead of harder. By doing necessary jobs more efficiently and skipping a few unnecessary ones, it’s possible to maintain a nice yard with less stress.

And that’s a good goal, no matter your age.

Keep the yard looking good with limited time and energy

Story and photos by George Weigel

Garden work: Ease those aching backs by gardening smarter.

General labor-savers ■■ Pace yourself. It’s OK to take

breaks. Split jobs over several days instead of one-day marathons. You may even be able to spread work into the off-season, such as clipping spent perennials or edging beds during a winter thaw.

■■ Zone it. Carve the landscape into

zones (front, back, vegetable garden, etc.) and worry about just one of them at a time. Tackle each by priority. This breaks one mammoth job into a series of manageable small ones.

■■ Get help. Hire out the toughest

or most time-consuming jobs first.

Spreading truckloads of mulch might be a good place to start.

Jobs to skip Don’t overdo it repeating the same motion hour after hour. Do a little digging, a little weeding, a little watering.

Variety reduces soreness, blisters and repetitive-motion injuries.

■■ Vary the work.

Walk the yard and assess which plants or gardens are causing an unacceptable amount of work.

Bite the bullet and replace them with plantings that need less care.

■■ Simplify.

■■ Re-evaluate. Can you reduce

or let go of unrealistic standards?

Does the lawn really have to be totally weed-free? Can the hedge grow looser instead of being tightly clipped three times a season? Is that fresh coat of mulch really needed every spring?

Skip braiding bulb foliage after the flowers bloom.

It’s a waste of work and is counter-productive anyway. Interplant bulbs with perennials so the emerging perennial foliage will hide the decaying bulb foliage or lean toward short, small-leafed bulbs whose foliage fades away.

■■ Bulb care.

■■ Spraying. Be more forgiving of

temporary, cosmetic plant damage. Few bugs and diseases are plant-killers. For plants threatened by repeated potential fatal problems, consider replacing them rather than constantly rescuing them.

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■■ Get weeds when they’re little.

You’ll save a ton of trouble by stopping weeds before they go to seed or fruit. Better to police for weeds often than to try to undo a massive invasion.

■■ Right weapons. Switch to

long-handled weeding tools if bending over is too hard on your back.

Or spot-spray weeds with an herbicide or vinegar.

k

■■ Watch what you plant. Some

Save raking work by mowing light to moderate layers of leaves into the lawn.

■■ Mass-planting annuals. Cut

back on planting and watering annual flowers by spotting them in smaller clusters. Or switch to using them just in pots, hanging baskets and window boxes.

■■ Raking. No need to rake every last

leaf out of the yard. Leaves insulate plants over winter and feed the lawn when they’re mowed in rather than raked off. Rake only if there are too many leaves on the lawn to effectively mow them.

■■ Tilling. You’ll probably need to till

a new bed and work in compost, but after that, regular tilling is counter-productive. It stirs up weed seeds, kills earthworms and harms soil structure when wet soil is tilled.

Weed-fighting ■■ Prevention is the best medicine.

Keep 2 to 3 inches of bark or wood mulch over beds. Or use granular weed preventers over garden beds in early spring before new weeds begin to sprout.

■■ No openings. Plant closely so that

your plants occupy all of the space.

Low, spreading groundcover plants are especially effective. Remember, weeds love bare soil.

Weeds come out easier in damp soil. Hoeing is more effective in dry soil since cut-off weeds are less likely to regrow then.

■■ Weed when wet.

plants become weeds by rampant re-seeding (i.e. morning glory, Johnny jump-ups, nigella, sweet Annie, borage, snow-on-the-mountain). And some “pass-along plants” given by friends and neighbors (i.e. ribbon grass, bishop’s weed, houttuynia, lamiastrum, mints) become invaders since people tend to dig up and give away what’s getting out of control in their garden.

Lightening lawn work ■■ Cut high. Longer but level grass

still looks neat, conserves moisture and shades emerging weeds.

Cutting short just encourages faster growth and more mowing.

■■ Stop bagging. Let grass clips lie.

It saves work and cuts landfill costs, and decaying clips return nutrients to the soil. Cut often enough that clips don’t form clumps.

Do you really need four or five applications per year?

Organic or “slow-release” nitrogen fertilizers give you good but slower-growth results and can be done just twice a year.

■■ Fertilize less.

Lay stone or brick around bed perimeters. Set one upright and butt a second one against it flat and level with the ground on the lawn side. This holds in mulch, keeps grass out, and lets you run the mower wheels over the flat course.

■■ Eliminate edging.

Smarter plant selection ■■ Watch sizes. Most pruning work is

done because we put too-big plants in too-little spaces. Lean toward compact, dwarf varieties in any new plantings or at least give adequate growth space.

■■ More trees. Some of the lowest-

care landscaping is island beds of groundcovers, shade-tolerant shrubs and low-care perennials growing under trees. Pick small to mid-size ornamental trees that do more than one thing in one season.

Research how much care a plant is going to need before buying it. Especially lean toward varieties that seldom run into pest problems. Good resources include garden centers, public gardens and local NC Cooperative Extension services (visit ces.ncsu.edu to find your county office).

■■ Homework.

George Weigel (georgeweigel.net) is a Pennsylvania-based horticulturist, garden consultant, author and newspaper garden columnist.

■■ Overseed to keep lawn thick.

Dense grass is a great defense against weeds. There’s no room for anything else.

In the long run, low-care beds of dwarf shrubs, perennials, compact evergreens and groundcovers are less expensive and less work than lawns.

What other plant do we prune 25 times a year?

■■ Reduce lawn size.

Eliminate bed-edging work by laying two sets of stones — one up and one flat.

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Wild a

T

Donna Campbell Smith

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d and Free

Wild horses are centuries-long residents of NC’s Outer Banks

By Donna Campbell Smith

T

hrough a break in the underbrush of a maritime forest stood what seemed like a mystical being. He watched me cautiously as I focused my camera on him. He was a beautiful black stallion — one of the hundreds of wild mustangs that roam freely in parts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

His kind have ranged the beaches and maritime forests of the barrier islands for more than 400 years. They once numbered more than 5,000; today there are only a few hundred left, and people worry that they will be crowded out entirely. The horses have become victims to loss of habitat as the Outer Banks becomes more developed, to misguided tourist who try to feed and pet them, and to those who maliciously harass and cause them harm — in extreme cases killing them.

Scientists believe horses roamed North America as long as 58 million years ago. Yet, when Columbus set foot in America, he found no horses. They’d disappeared thousands of years before his arrival. Some believe the prehistoric horses failed to adapt to climatic changes that took place, leaving them without enough food.

In the 1500s, European explorers reintroduced the horse back to America. Early explorers found the Carolina coast very interesting — with tales of gold to be found further inland in the mountains — and their sturdy little horses deftly carried them through the coastal region’s swamps and thick forests. But they did not find gold.

The Spanish sailed way, leaving their horses behind. The horses, descendants of desert steeds, adapted well to their new home.

Modern day descendants

The wild horses of the Outer Banks share the same physical characteristics as the Spanish Mustang. Living in harmony with humans and wildlife, the horses have played an important role in North Carolina’s history, as horses have in all parts of the United States. Along our coast, the

equines provided horsepower to haul in fishing nets, aided in lifesaving operations and sped up over-land transportation until the automobile’s arrival.

Interest in proving the horses’ heritage developed in the 1980s, along with a burst of development on the Outer Banks. Hotels, condos and shopping centers sprouted up around the small fishing villages, threatening the future existence of the horses. Disease plagued the largest herd that lives on Shackleford Banks and a small herd on Cedar Island. Starvation almost wiped out the herd on Carrot Island, and the Corolla herd was cut in half when horses were hit by cars speeding along the newly paved Highway 12, according to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund.

Outer Banks herds are descended from Spanish stallions left by explorers in the 1500s.

People living on the islands, as well as tourists who visit the resort areas, love seeing the horses grazing among the sand dunes and galloping in the surf. They became determined to make sure these beautiful animals would still be around for their grandchildren to enjoy. Protection groups formed, local and federal governments passed protection laws, and the news spread that wild horses in North Carolina were becoming endangered. The people went to work to save them.

Protecting the herds

In a cooperative effort, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund (corollawildhorses.com) and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses (shacklefordhorses.org) sponsored an inspection of their local wild horse populations in February 2007. With representatives from the Horse of the The NC General Assembly designated the Colonial Spanish Mustang as our official State Horse in June 2010.

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Americas, the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and the American Indian Horse Registry, they spent three days on the islands studying the similarities and differences of the two groups of horses. They observed, measured, and photographed the wild horses, noting the traditional balance and conformation of the Colonial Spanish Mustang. These and other cooperative efforts between the two groups have contributed long strides toward the preservation of the wild horses of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, but the work is far from done.

Raymond is a tenacious mule living among the Currituck Banks herd ­ — the only one of his kind.

Donna Campbell Smith is a Carolina Country contributing writer and author of several books pertaining to horses on the Outer Banks: “Pale as the Moon,” “An Independent Spirit,” and “Bankers, Mustangs and Marsh Tackies.

Brooke Mayo Photographers

“Corolla Wild Horse Fund is the designated nonprofit organization tasked with protecting and preserving the Wild Mustangs and their habitat. People are invited to become members to help support our mission. They can learn about the Mustangs at our education center, and go out on a ‘trip of a lifetime’ to experience the wild horses in their natural world,” says Linda Adkins, executive director of the fund. “The money we bring in goes directly to the horses’ care. It covers food and veterinary costs for horses at the farm, plus herd management and operational expenses for the horses on the beach.”

Horse advocates face a never-ending battle against the elements, development and public policy to continue to protect North Carolina’s wild horses, according to the Corolla and Shackleford preservation groups. In efforts to preserve the horses, offsite breeding programs have been approved as well as adoption programs.

“The public can help us further our mission in a number of ways, most importantly by respecting the wild nature of these horses,” explains Margaret Poindexter, president and chairperson of the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, Inc. “While they are acclimated to human visitors on Shackleford, they are not domesticated horses. Folks need to enjoy them from a reasonable distance, at least 50 feet away at all times. If the horses approach, folks need to back up. And if the horses stop what they’re doing, folks have gotten too close, even if they are more than 50 feet away.”

“In particular, mares and their foals need time to graze, drink, rest, and bond with one another,” Margaret continues. “The other thing folks can do is keep their pets leashed at all times. Not only is it a violation of federal law to allow your dog off leash in the National Seashore, it puts the horses and your dog at risk of serious injury or even death. Finally, we would ask that folks be mindful of protecting the natural environment that the horses call home. There are no trash cans on Shackleford Banks. Take everything home with you that you bring over.”

Horsewatching Hot Spots

Whatever herd you choose to observe, take binoculars or a camera with a telephoto lens so you can abide by the distance rules and enjoy watching these beautiful wild horses in their natural habitat (spots below listed north to south).

Currituck Banks | There are several tours here that take visitors out to see the wild horses.

Ocracoke Island | Here the horses are not free-roaming, but are fenced in and managed by the National Park Service. There is an observation tower where people can view the horses.

Cedar Island | This island is accessed by ferry, although the horses live in the marshes and can be difficult to view. A public stable offers trail rides to find them.

Carrot Island | These horses can be spotted from the waterfront in downtown Beaufort.

Shackleford Banks | To see the horses on Shackleford Banks requires a ferry ride to the island and hiring a guide who will direct you to an area where you can view the horses.

22 | carolinacountry.com

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matters MEMBERSHIP

s e on

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ENERGY

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March 2019

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Beat The Peak: Actions and savings add up!

Members participating in Beat The Peak as well as other during the peak period: adjust thermostats a few degrees, delay using large appliances such as clothes cooperative efforts are producing positive results! washers and dryers, and turn off any unnecessary lights.

Blue Ridge Energy members participating in Beat The It’s easy to join the movement! Even small actions help.

Peak combined with the cooperative’s other electric demand reduction programs are generating power Sign up today! cost savings approaching half a million dollars. Since wholesale power cost is the single largest utility expense, efforts • Sign up online at: to reduce this cost are benefitting memBlueRidgeEnergy.com/BTP bers by helping hold rates down.

• Text BTP to 70216 to receive text alerts The power of joining together is growing! Members are signing up for Beat The Peak alerts by text, phone or email • Download our mobile app and enable at BlueRidgeEnergy.com/BTP. Alerts notifications are sent when extreme temperatures cause energy demand from consumers to reach critically high levels, which are typically a few hours on the coldest winter mornings or hottest summer afternoons.

Beat The Peak is voluntary. By signing up to receive alerts, members can plan to take a few simple actions

Blue Ridge-0319.indd 25

2/7/19 1:31 PM

the

perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson

Outstanding storm response Since September, Mother Nature has punched our area with several of the most damaging storms in recent history.

Blue Ridge Energy line technicians and Propane and Fuels service and delivery employees have battled the worst conditions night and day to ensure our members and customers have the comfort of heat, hot water, lights and safety. They also worked weeks before storms hit preparing for better outcomes for our members and customers.

I want to commend their commitment to taking care of our members and customers!

technicians, in particular, are the first responders when power needs to be restored for our homes, hospitals, schools and businesses. They jump out of warm beds in the middle of the night, and as the first ones out, they often must cut trees off roadways to reach mangled power lines, broken poles and other damage to quickly restore power. Equally impressive is that all of our front line staff do their work in a manner that brings them home safely to their families every day — and protects citizens as well.

I am always proud of our employees because they regularly give their all. But it takes a special servant’s heart to keep going, storm after storm, to make sure tanks are full and power is restored quickly when ice, wind or snow damage our system.

I’m always proud of our Blue Ridge Energy line technicians, Propane and Fuels service and delivery employees and entire operations team. But they deserve special recognition for their dedication and performance during the recent months’ storms.

These individuals work in very demanding, dangerous jobs. Line

I hope you’ll join me in saluting these individuals for their service!

Page 26

Blue Ridge-0319.indd 26

Storm Totals

(Five storms since September 2018)

Damaged Locations: 1,146

Members Affected Outages: 59,442

Outage Time: 1,080 minutes Propane and Fuels Service Work Orders Completed: 2,829 Propane and Fuels Deliveries Completed: 19,379 MEMBERSHIP matters

2/7/19 1:31 PM

er 2018)

mbers cted ages: 442

ane d ls Work ers eted: 29

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Director Proxy Committee to be appointed As part of the director election governance process giving members an option to vote for cooperative directors by mail or Internet, a Director Proxy Committee will be appointed by the Board of Directors at their regular March board meeting.

This committee will be made up of three directors whose terms are not expiring and who are not running for re-election this year to the Board of Directors.

As stated in the cooperative’s Bylaws, the Proxy Committee serves multiple roles for the membership.

First, the committee will cast votes for all members designating their preferences selected on their submitted electronic or paper proxy forms. Secondly, the committee will serve as a proxy for any member wishing to assign their vote for director elections to the committee. Lastly, the committee will cast votes for members who return their proxy but do not make a choice on the voting options.

Director election kits will be mailed, or sent by email to members who have requested to receive this information electronically, on May 29, 2019. The notice of Annual Meeting along with information about board candidates will be part of the director election kit.

Members have convenient options to vote by Internet or mail and therefore, are not required to attend the Annual Meeting in order to vote for directors. However, members who have not voted by the deadline date of June 19, 2019, or who voted by Internet or mail but wish to change their vote, must attend the Annual Meeting in order to do so.

Members wishing to be considered for nomination to serve on the Board of Directors have two options: the Nominating Committee or Nomination by Petition. Interested members must first submit a director application packet which is available by contacting Julie O’Dell, chief administrative officer, Blue Ridge Energy, at jodell@blueridgeenergy.com or by calling 1-800-451-5474, ext. 3202.

The completed packet is due by 5 pm, Friday, March 1, when using the Nominating Committee process or by 5 pm, Monday, April 1, when using the Nomination

by Petition process.

For a complete list of qualifications and requirements to serve as director of the cooperative, please refer to the cooperative’s Bylaws available at BlueRidgeEnergy.com under Company>Board Governance>Corporate Documents or by contacting any Blue Ridge Energy office.

opens 2019 grant opportunities The Blue Ridge Energy Members Foundation is accepting grant applications for approximately $140,000 in available funds for its 2019 grant cycle. Applications are due by July 31.

Since formed over a decade ago, the Foundation has awarded over $1,100,000 to 233 local nonprofit organizations and projects for improving health and wellness, education, economic and community development, the environment, and other quality of life initiatives.

Grants are available for nonprofit organizations in the service areas of the cooperative and its propane and fuels subsidiary, including: Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Allegany, Avery, Alexander, and Wilkes counties.

MEMBERSHIP matters

Blue Ridge-0319.indd 27

Funding for Foundation grants comes primarily from members participating in Blue Ridge Energy’s Operation Round Up® and Operation Round Up Plus® programs as well as contributions from the cooperative’s subsidiaries and members donating their capital credits.

All grant applications are reviewed by a volunteer group of members who make funding recommendations to the cooperative’s Board of Directors. Funding is awarded in late November.

For an application or to learn more, visit BlueRidge Energy.com and click on the Community tab. You may also contact Grey Scheer, director of community relations, at gscheer@blueridgeenergy.com or by calling 1-800-451-5474, ext. 3294.

Page 27

2/7/19 1:31 PM

Blue Ridge EnergyÛs largest power reliability project progresses Ensuring members have adequate, reliable power to meet their needs now and in the future is the purpose of the cooperative’s largest transmission project currently underway.

The upgrade, known as the Horse Gap to Rutherwood 230 kV Project, will improve reliability and increase capacity. The project began in May 2018 and is the largest system improvement in the cooperative’s history.

The project involves upgrading a 17-mile portion of the cooperative’s transmission system that brings power from Ashe County to Watauga County. This part of the electric system is over 50 years old.

The majority of work is occurring in the path of the existing power line to upgrade the single-circuit 100 kV transmission line to higher voltage double circuit 230 kV transmission line.

“Owning transmission lines and systems is rare for a distribution utility but is necessary to bring electricity to the mountainous service areas of Blue Ridge Energy,” said Alan Merck, chief operating officer. “Member growth and power demand are carefully monitored to determine the optimal time for construction to meet members’ power needs now and in the future.”

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson

EDITOR

Renée R. Whitener

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

The project also includes a higher capacity substation near Watauga County’s Rutherwood community.

DISTRICT OFFICES

The project’s first phase should conclude by early fall, with the full project planned for completion by 2023.

(PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)

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To report an outage at any time, call PowerLine at (800) 448-2383.

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday Kiosk available 24/7 Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEnergy.com + This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Page 28

Blue Ridge-0319.indd 24

Blue Ridge Energy has hired a new contractor firm to assist with system upgrade work. Members will begin seeing Pike Electric trucks and personnel, and trucks will include signs identifying them as a Blue Ridge Energy contractor. They will also assist during storms and outage restoration as needed.

Contract crews hired by Blue Ridge Energy have been used for years to help improve the construction efficiency of important

projects that enhance electric reliability.

“The services of contractors allow Blue Ridge crews to concentrate more on the daily work of keeping the power on as well as system maintenance. The volume and costs scope of contract work changes as projects are completed. Contractors help keep our costs down,” explained Robert Kent, director of operations.

Pike Electric bid on the contract and was selected among several competitive bids based on costs and experience. Blue Ridge Energy works closely with contractors to train and instill the cooperative values of customer service, care and safety.

MEMBERSHIP matters

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On the House

Nepal, which sits high in the Himalayas, is one of many places that offer inspiration for energy savings through simplicity.

International Efficiency Looking abroad for energy saving inspiration

By Hannah McKenzie

Q: A:

I recently heard that Americans consume more energy per person than people in most other countries, including the United Kingdom. I’ve pursued home improvements and habit changes to reduce energy use, but how can I make a bigger impact?

Compared to much of the world, U.S. energy production is reliable, affordable and abundant.

Many of us have grown to expect air conditioning and clothes dryers, but these are uncommon luxuries elsewhere. Per-person energy use totals often include energy used throughout the United States, including in the industrial, commercial, agricultural and transportation markets. Therefore, lowering this number takes a collective effort from households and all sectors of our economy.

Going back to your question of how to markedly save more energy, let’s look abroad to find inspiration for savings and a simpler life. Here are a few life-altering ideas.

Nepal sits high in the Himalayas, where many families live simply in well-built stone houses, though with limited running water and electricity. In many villages there are no cars or roads, only footpaths. Imagine going to bed when the sun sets and waking with the roosters — no television, of course, but many joyful evenings sharing stories around a warm hearth.

Try it at home: What if we dramatically reduced the number of electronics in our homes? (Most U.S. households have at least two televisions.) Experiment by putting them in a closet for a month.

India is notorious for electricity unexpectedly turning on and off. While most families cook with gas, which is reliable, there are other ways to prepare meals with limited energy.

Rice can be brought to a boil and then left with a lid until it is cooked through. This works for oatmeal, too. At the same time, pressure cookers can make foods in 10 to 20 minutes. carolinacountry.com/energy

Go online to share your own unconventional energy saving stories and tips in the comments section of this article.

Try it at home: Aside from convenience foods, how can you reduce cooking time and increase efficiency?

Japan offers intrigue. Many households use ductless heat pumps to heat their bedrooms and living spaces.

Bathrooms are left without direct heating or cooling, which may explain the popularity of heated toilet seats.

As hotel and house guests in a recent visit to the country, we were instructed to turn off the heating/cooling entirely when we were not occupying the space.

Try it at home: Space heating and cooling are the biggest energy users in U.S. homes. What if we turned off these systems when out of the house? A properly programmed thermostat could do the job for you, but be sure to set it properly for your system — especially heat pumps that can use expensive emergency heat in extreme cold.

In many countries, clothes dryers are noticeably missing. Even in wealthy Japanese neighborhoods, backyards have elaborate racks and lines that hold everything from underpants to towels. If you had to hang dry every single item, how would your clothes-washing habits change?

Try it at home: Determine when energy use is a need versus a want, and be more selective with the wants.

Try an unfamiliar energy-saving idea for a month and see how it changes your mindset or habits. For new habits to stick, we need reminders and repetition. Do you note any impacts beyond energy savings, like additional family time, improved comfort or less stress? For more ideas, talk with elders or people who have lived in different places. I suspect you’ll see changes on your energy bill and in other areas with how you spend your time and money.

Hannah McKenzie is a building science consultant for Advanced Energy in Raleigh.

30 | carolinacountry.com

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Years of work by innovative engineers have resulted in a mobility device that’s truly unique. They created a battery that provides powerful energy at a fraction of the weight of most batteries. The Zinger features two steering levers, one on either side of the seat. The user pushes both levers down to go forward, pulls them both up to brake, and pushes one while pulling the other to turn to either side. This enables great mobility, the ability to turn on a dime and to pull right up to tables or desks. The controls are right on the steering lever

so it’s simple to operate and its exclusive footrest swings out of the way when you stand up or sit down.

With its rugged yet lightweight aluminum frame, the Zinger is sturdy and durable yet convenient and comfortable! What’s more, it easily folds up for storage in a car seat or trunk– you can even gate-check it at the airport like a stroller. Think about it, you can take your Zinger almost anywhere, so you don’t have to let mobility issues rule your life. It folds in seconds without tools and is safe and reliable. It holds up to 265 pounds, and it goes up to 6 mph and operates for up to 8 hours on a single charge.

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2/7/19 1:07 PM

Energy Sense

Made in the Shade

Strategic landscaping offers year-round benefits

By Derrill Holly

T

he approach of spring has many gardeners turning their attention to planting plans, but if your goal is energy efficiency, landscaping is an approach that can beautify your home and help you control energy costs for years to come.

Carefully positioned trees placed around a home can save as much as 25 percent of household energy use for heating and cooling, according to researchers at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Foundation shrub plantings can also help control costs by diffusing wind or solar heating to moderate thermal temperature transfers.

Meet your microclimate For years, gardeners have used the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Hardiness Zones (planthardiness.ars.usda.gov) as guidelines for plant stock selection, seasonal cultivation and projected harvesting. But understanding the impact of nearby vegetation, topography and soil science will help you know your yard better, providing more flexibility for landscape planning and potentially more options for using plants to control energy costs.

Whenever planting trees or large shrubs, be sure to have underground utility lines marked first (call 811 at least a few days ahead of your project) and plant well away from overhead lines or pad-mounted equipment. Contact your electric co-op for more information.

Trees at the top No matter how much you love trees, you will want to plant them at a distance. Too close to foundations, pavement or plumbing means that root systems or maturing branches could damage foundations or roofs.

But planted in the right place, within five to 10 years, a fast-growing shade tree can reduce outside air temperatures near walls and roofs by as much as 6 degrees on sunny days.

Surface temperatures immediately under the canopy of a mature shade tree can be up to 25 degrees cooler than surrounding shingles or siding exposed to direct sunlight.

Deciduous trees — those that lose their leaves in autumn — are great options for seasonal summer shade, according to the Department of Energy. Tall varieties planted to the south of a home can help diffuse sunlight, providing roof shading.

Shorter varieties of deciduous trees can be planted near exposed westfacing windows to help shade homes on sultry summer afternoons. Mass plantings of evergreens selected for their adaptability to regional growing conditions can be planted further away on a north or northwestern section of a yard to form a windbreak, shielding the home from frigid winter winds.

Deciduous trees with high, spreading crowns (i.e., leaves and branches) can be planted to the south

of your home to provide maximum summertime roof shading. Trees with crowns lower to the ground are more appropriate to the west, where shade is needed from lower afternoon sun angles. Trees should not be planted on the southern sides of solar-heated homes in cold climates, because the branches of these deciduous trees will block some winter sun.

Using shade effectively requires you to know the size, shape and location of the moving shadow that your shading device casts. Trees are available in the appropriate sizes, densities and shapes for almost any shade application. To block solar heat in the summer but let much of it in during the winter, use deciduous trees. To provide continuous shade or to block heavy winds, use dense evergreen trees or shrubs.

Going low Trees, shrubs and groundcover plants can also shade the ground and pavement around the home. This reduces heat radiation and cools the air before it reaches your home’s walls and windows. Use a large bush or row of shrubs to shade a patio or driveway.

Plant a hedge to shade a sidewalk.

Build a trellis for climbing vines to shade a patio area.

To ensure lasting performance of energy-saving landscaping, use plant species that are adapted to the local climate. Native species are best, as they require little maintenance once established and avoid the dangers of invasive species.

Properly selected, placed and maintained landscaping can provide excellent wind protection, or windbreaks, which will reduce heating costs considerably. And the benefits from these windbreaks will increase as the trees and shrubs mature. After a little research and planning, you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful, energy efficient lawn.

Derrill Holly writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

32 | carolinacountry.com

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n North Carolina, craft brewing is a billion-dollar industry that is transforming cities and rural areas. The state boasts the largest concentration of craft breweries in the American South, but of North Carolina’s more than 300 breweries and brewpubs, only two are black-owned.

Briana Brake, brewer and founder of Rocky Mount’s Spaceway Brewery, recently joined forces with another trailblazer in the industry, Celeste Beatty, brewer and founder of New York-based Harlem Brewing.

Together, they’ve established Rocky Mount Brewery at the historic Rocky Mount Mills, a newly renovated 150-acre mixed-use development on the Tar River.

Rocky Mount Brewery is housed in a “brewery incubator” space at the Mills through a new program in partnership with Nash Community College, which offers up-and-coming brewers resources and educational opportunities. The brewery also is currently the only black-owned brewery with a physical space in North Carolina. Another, L.A. McCrae’s Black Star Line, was located in Hendersonville, but following multiple break-ins, racially-charged threats and difficulties securing funding, the brewery space was closed in January 2018.

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apprenticeships and internships directly marketed for diversity,” Briana says. “I Briana (right) and Celeste toast with their have people messag200th Anniversary Olde Ale, commemorating the ing me or coming up anniversary of the cotton mill. to me and thanking me for just being here, “For me, Afrofuturism isn’t just thanking me for the brewery.” about depicting a future where The 39-year-old started small by makminorities are represented in pop culing ginger beer in her home. She was ture; it’s about envisioning a space for fascinated by the fermentation process, us in every industry and making that a she says, and wanted to learn everything reality,” Briana says. “There is a space about it — especially after an early expefor us in the future, and craft brewing rience when glass bottles of fermenting isn’t really inclusive of minorities yet, ginger beer exploded. That was six years so that is the world and the industry ago, and as Briana prepared herself for that I’m working toward.” the next big step of launching her own Rocky Mount is a good place to brewery, she found there weren’t many start. The predominantly black possible models she could turn to. That community has experienced a recent is, until she met Celeste during a 2016 wave of interest, primarily because of business panel at a university. By this Rocky Mount Mills. Founded in 1818 time, Celeste had been brewing beer as one of the first cotton mills in the with her company, Harlem Brewing, state, Rocky Mount Mills’ workforce for 16 years. The pair became friends was comprised almost entirely of immediately and decided to go into enslaved people. Briana said for her, business together. it’s important to acknowledge and Celeste has been based in New York understand the mills’ history. for many years, but as a Winston“I’ve talked to older people in the Salem native, she wanted to have community who grew up here when it a presence in North Carolina. She wasn’t as welcoming to black people now goes back and forth between as it is now,” Briana explains. “Many the two states, while Briana remains of these wounds haven’t healed, in North Carolina as Rocky Mount and we need to work toward that.

Brewery’s head brewer, creating beers But I let them know that we are for both Harlem Brewing and her own here at the Mills now, and this is a Spaceway Brewery. welcoming place.”

Briana describes Spaceway Brewery as an ode to Afrofuturism, a sort of Tina Vasquez is a journalist originally from reimagining of a future filled with art, Los Angeles. She is currently based in culture, and technology seen through Winston-Salem, where she is a full-time immigration reporter. a black lens.

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Tar Heel Tidbits For the young (and young at heart)

DO YOU KNOW …

That electric plugs look different in other countries? .com gocheckers

NC HISTORY

A Warm Welcome for Hockey

Although our ponds don’t often ice over in the winter, North Carolinians love a good hockey game. The state supports the Raleigh-based Carolina Hurricanes, part of the NHL, as well as minor league teams the Charlotte Checkers, Fayetteville Marksmen and Winston-Salem’s Carolina Thunderbirds.

The most common electric plug type is called Type C, which uses two circular prongs — 137 countries use this type, including Europe, South America and much of Asia, according to the International Electrotechnical Commission. But you won’t find it in the United States. We use Type A (two-pronged) and B (three-pronged) plugs, along with about 50 other countries including our neighbors Canada and Mexico, as well as places as far away as Thailand and Japan.

So if you’re traveling abroad, pack your passport and another must-have: a plug adaptor.

But as it happens, it wasn’t ice, but fire that first brought hockey to the Tar Heel State. In 1956, a blaze destroyed the arena of the Baltimore Clippers. Representatives from Charlotte convinced the team to play out the rest of its season at the Charlotte Coliseum. The team made the move, and fans went wild.

“Thousands of people who didn’t know a goalie from a dasher board lined up their cars a mile or so on Independence Boulevard and all the other streets around the Coliseum, trying to get into the place,” said a Charlotte Observer article describing the response, according to the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The warm welcome led the team to permanently relocate to Charlotte, and through a contest in the late ‘50s the team chose a new name: The Checkers. Learn more about the team at gocheckers.com.

Hit the Ice! Inspired to strap on some skates? Whether beginner or pro, these indoor ice rinks across the state offer icy fun. Find more at carolinacountry.com:

Carolina Ice Zone | Greenville Home of ECU hockey and figure skating, open to public skating. carolinaicezone.com

Cleland Ice & Inline Skating Rinks Fort Bragg

Orange County Sportsplex Hillsborough Youth and adult hockey, camps, classes and private lessons. trianglesportsplex.com/ice-rink

Q: What do you call flowers who are best friends?

Pineville Ice House | Pineville

A: Buds.

Year-round skating open to military and civilian patrons. bit.ly/bragg-icerink

NHL-sized rink with pro shop and snack bar. pinevilleice.com

Greensboro Ice House | Greensboro

Public skating and parties plus hockey and figure skating lessons. wilmingtonice.com

Year-round public skating, youth and adult hockey and classes. greensboroice.com

Ha ve a lau gh!

Wilmington Ice House | Wilmington

Q: What does a flower say when it’s surprised?

A: What in carnation?!

36 | carolinacountry.com

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Toast of the Town

Toast can be so much more than warm bread. Creative recipes using healthy ingredients like avocado and olives are fun to make, eat and share — either with friends or (if you get really creative) via a social media post. During the rainy month of March, try “Singing in the Grain.” For additional recipes, including “Butterfly Toast” or “A Toast to Summer,” visit calolive.org/recipes/category/kid-friendly.

Singing in the Grain

¼ avocado, peeled and thinly sliced 1 slice sourdough bread, toasted Salt and pepper, to taste Handful of green olives, sliced into rounds 1 orange bell pepper, sliced 1 red bell pepper, sliced Handful of black olives, sliced into raindrop shapes 1 large sugar snap pea Arrange sliced avocado on toasted sourdough bread and top with salt and pepper.

Slice green olive rounds in half and arrange in line beneath toast.

Place one slice orange bell pepper below bread as handle and one small piece orange bell pepper above bread.

Place one straight slice of red bell pepper on bottom edge of toast.

Arrange black olive slices and sugar snap peas around toast as raindrops.

Pro tips for creating shareable slices:

1 Have a vision. Don’t be afraid to sketch it out.

2 The base of your toast is everything. Pick a sturdy variety.

3 Consider your ingredients and play with flavors,

textures and colors. For example, try to incorporate both green and black olives for greater versatility.

4 Shapes, colors and textures can add excitement.

5 Toast is a small canvas, so consider the tools you’re working with and get creative.

‘Radiantly Beautiful’

A GOOD READ

Mommy’s Big, Red Monster Truck

In this colorfully illustrated book, readers join a mother and son on adventures around town, on a cross-country road trip — even abroad, imagining what the world would look like from the high perch of a monster truck.

Author Alison Paul Klakowicz is a native North Carolinian and Army spouse who resides in Fayetteville with her husband and son. Her son, as it so happens, provided inspiration for her debut children’s book.

“When my son was a toddler, he was obsessed with monster trucks,” Alison says. “My home was invaded by tiny monster trucks, medium-sized ones and big monster truck toys. He only wanted clothing with monster trucks.”

The real-life mother-son duo would often joke about what it would be like to drive a monster truck, and this book gives some idea of just how much fun it could be.

To learn more about the author or to order the book (28 pages, eBook $2.99, paperback $6.99, hardcover $16.99), visit alisonpaulklakowicz.com.

Nearly 80 years ago this month, dogwood blossoms were on the NC General Assembly’s mind. On March 15, 1941, the delicate white flower was designated the official state flower. Legislators declared it “a radiantly beautiful flower which grows abundantly in all parts of this Sate.” Virginia and Missouri also have honored the dogwood with similar designations.

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Leading Acid Reflux Pill Becomes an AntiAging Phenomenon

B

Clinical studies show breakthrough acid reflux treatment also helps maintain vital health and helps protect users from the serious conditions that accompany aging such as fatigue and poor cardiovascular health

by David Waxman Seattle Washington: A clinical study on a leading acid reflux pill shows that its key ingredient relieves digestive symptoms while suppressing the inflammation that contributes to premature aging in men and women.

And, if consumer sales are any indication of a product’s effectiveness, this ‘acid reflux pill turned anti-aging phenomenon’ is nothing short of a miracle.

Sold under the brand name AloeCure, it was already backed by clinical data documenting its ability to provide all day and night relief from heartburn, acid reflux, constipation, irritable bowel, gas, bloating, and more.

But soon doctors started reporting some incredible results…

“With AloeCure, my patients started reporting less joint pain, more energy, better sleep, stronger immune systems… even less stress and better skin, hair, and nails” explains Dr. Liza Leal; a leading integrative health specialist and company spokesperson.

AloeCure contains an active ingredient that helps improve digestion by acting as a natural acid-buffer that improves the pH balance of your stomach.

Scientists now believe that this acid imbalance is what contributes to painful inflammation throughout the rest of the body.

The daily allowance of AloeCure has shown to calm this inflammation which is why AloeCure is so effective.

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To start, the clinical studies have been impressive. Participants taking the active ingredient in AloeCure saw a stunning 100% improvement in digestive symptoms, which includes fast and lasting relief from reflux.

Users also experienced higher energy levels and endurance, relief from chronic discomfort and better sleep. Some even reported healthier looking skin, hair, and nails.

A healthy gut is the key to a reducing

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AloeCure’s active ingredient is made from the healing compound found in Aloe vera. It is both safe and healthy. There are also no known side effects.

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Research has shown that this acid imbalance contributes to painful inflammation throughout your entire body and is why AloeCure seems to be so effective.

EXCITING RESULTS FROM

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REVITALIZE YOUR ENTIRE BODY With daily use, AloeCure helps users look and feel decades younger and defend against some of the painful inflammation that accompanies aging and can make life hard.

By buffering stomach acid and restoring gut health, AloeCure calms painful inflamTo date over 5 million bottles of AloeCure mation and will help improve digestion… have been sold, and the community seeking soothe aching joints… reduce the appearance non-pharma therapy for their GI health con- of wrinkles and help restore hair and nails … manage cholesterol and oxidative stress… tinues to grow. and improve sleep and brain function… withAccording to Dr. Leal, her patients are ab- out side effects or expense. solutely thrilled with their results and are ofReaders can now reclaim their energy, viten shocked by how fast it works.

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Due to the enormous interest consumers have shown in AloeCure, the company has deTHE SCIENCE BEHIND ALOECURE cided to extend their nationwide savings event AloeCure is a pill that’s taken just once dai- for a little while longer. Here’s how it works... ly. The pill is small. Easy to swallow. There Call the AloeCure number and speak to a are no harmful side effects and it does not live person in the US. Callers will be greeted by require a prescription. a knowledgeable and friendly person approved The active ingredient is a rare Aloe Vera to offer up to 3 FREE bottles of AloeCure with component known as acemannan. your order. AloeCure’s Toll-Free number is Made from of 100% organic Aloe Vera, Al- 1-800-808-6379. Only a limited discounted oeCure uses a proprietary process that results supply of AloeCure is currently available. in the highest quality, most bio-available levConsumers who miss out on the current els of acemannan known to exist. product inventory will have to wait until more According to Dr. Leal and several of her becomes available and that could take weeks. colleagues, improving the pH balance of your They will also not be guaranteed any additionstomach and restoring gut health is the key to al savings. The company advises not to wait. revitalizing your entire body.

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PATIENTS

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Carolina Gardens

Morning Glory

Purple Hyacinth Bean

Born to Run

Flowering vines provide fast cover Story and photos by L.A. Jackson

If your patio, porch or deck could use some relief from the summer sun’s hot, incessant rays this year, an allnatural shady solution can be had with flowering vines. There are many such vines that are fast climbers full of lightblocking foliage, which, as a bonus, also put on bodacious bloom shows.

You only have to provide a trellis, arbor or other means of vertical support, and then watch ’em grow!

Need examples? Here are a few of my favorite flowering vines that are — with a tip of my hat to Bruce Springsteen — born to run: Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor).

Snaking through farmland, morning glory is considered a weed; reaching for the blue heavens in a cultivated garden, it is thought of as a blooming beauty. This frisky plant is capable of stretching leaders up to 10 feet long that, as its name implies, will greet each new day with a fresh round of sassy tubular flowers.

Firecracker Vine (Manettia cordifolia). Crackling red is the snappy color of the small, tube-shaped flowers that cover this vigorous vine, which can stretch to over 15 feet in length. The blooms don’t start putting on a show until mid to late summer, but their fireworks are worth the wait.

Scarlet Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus). As a bean-producing plant,

this vine is more dependable further to the north where summertime temperatures typically range below 90 degrees and won’t damage the plant’s pollen, but in the sunny South, this beauty will try, try and try to set bean pods with waves of flashy red flowers along 10- to 15-foot vines from mid-June until early autumn.

Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit).

Its feathery, fern-like foliage makes this vine seem delicate, but don’t be fooled — it is a strong climber that will easily reach 15 to 20 into the sky, dripping with small, bright red, trumpet-shaped blossoms that are hummingbird magnets.

Purple Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus). As advertised, this vine produces beans (and they are even edible when properly cooked), but the true value of this plant in the landscape is as a sprawling ornamental that not only produces runners up to 15 feet in length, but also sports pretty white to light lilac-colored flowers that freely mingle with maturing, electric purple bean pods.

I haven’t found any of these vines to be particularly hard to spot in garden shops, but if you don’t have any luck locally, they are all easy online finds.

L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener magazine. Contact L.A. at lajackson1@gmail.com.

Garden To-Do’s for March Concerned about slugs and snails snacking on your young garden plants this spring and summer?

Dispatch them with the next generation of commercial slug and snail killers that contains iron phosphate as the active ingredient.

While quite effective against slimy intruders, they are much safer for use in gardens frequented by pets and wildlife than Metaldehydebased products that have been common for years.

FF

Discourage slugs and snails naturally by dusting light rings of wood ash around any tender targets to help keep these pests away. However, when the rains come, moisture will lessen the effectiveness of this barrier, so repeat applications are often necessary.

FF

’Tis time to fertilize. In particular, established roses, shrubs, perennials and trees will benefit from a wake-up nutrient jolt early in the month. To minimize this job for the rest of the growing season, use a commercial time-release fertilizer that will slowly send nutrients into the root zone over the next several months.

FF

The new leaves of ornamentals and annuals will bring out a new wave of bad bugs. Aphids, in particular, will gang up on tender young foliage, so be on guard for these pinhead-sized pests that do their worst on the undersides of leaves.

40 | carolinacountry.com

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Home Improvement Fails

You tried, you failed, we’re interested!

Ever start a home improvement project with big plans, but end with regrets, a mess and a fervent wish you’d called in a professional? (We have.) If you can finally laugh about it, please share photos of and stories about your DIY project fail. We will pay $50 for each photo or story published in our May 2019 issue.

Rules

Send to

Deadline: March 15, 2019

Online: carolinacountry.com/DIYfails No emails, please.

One entry per household Digital photos should be a minimum of 1200 by 1800 pixels; prints a minimum of 4 x 6 inches.

Include your name, electric co-op, mailing address and email address or phone number with your entry.

Text should not exceed 200 words.

We retain reprint and online rights. Payment will be limited to those entries appearing in print, not entries featured solely on carolinacountry.com.

Mail: Carolina Country Home Improvement Fails 3400 Sumner Blvd.

Raleigh, NC 27616 If you would like us to return your photo print, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

(We will not return others.)

March 2019 | 41

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2/7/19 1:07 PM

CAROLINA COUNTRY

adventures

Goldsboro: Plenty to See from Land and Air

By Renee Gannon | Photos by Goldsboro Travel & Tourism

Goldsboro sits just about in the center of North Carolina’s Coastal Plain, about an hour east of Raleigh, an hour south of Greenville, an hour west of New Bern and a little over an hour north of Wilmington. Many of us travel the Highway 70 East corridor to the coast and make a quick stop in the Goldsboro area for a plate of Eastern-style barbecue. Ever wonder what else is in Goldsboro? Well, there’s a lot!

Head downtown In the mid-2000s, like many mid-sized towns in North Carolina, abandoned buildings were slated for demolition in Goldsboro, but the locals fought to earn grants and development funding to renovate the buildings.

Goldsboro has seen a revitalization of its 21-block downtown, becoming a mixed-use mecca for local shops and businesses, including the Paramount Theatre, restaurants, art studios, bottle shops, taprooms and a growing list of accommodations, including apartments, bed and breakfast inns and Airbnbs. The middle 8- to 10-block corridor, with its Street Scapes project, now serves as the backbone for

Wings Over Wayne Every other year, Seymour Johnson AFB hosts a national air show, trading off with the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station.

This year’s Wings Over Wayne Air Show will be held April 27–28. The two-day event will feature the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, as well as other air performances, ground demonstrations and enactments. Visit wingsoverwayneairshow.com to learn more.

the renovation efforts. A portion of the 1,200-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs through downtown Goldsboro.

And the NC African-American Music Trail has a stop at the Arts Council of Wayne County.

Visitors can enjoy a variety of food and drink downtown (including Thai and sushi), that ranges from home cooking for around $6 at B&G Grill to upscale dining. You can relax at the wine bar and whiskey lounge at Barrique, sample a few craft beers at Well Travelled Beer or sip and play an arcade game at Goldsboro Brew Works, and smoke cigars and taste craft beer at Tobacco and Hops.

Hotbed of barbecue Let’s get back to the Eastern-style barbecue, where you can sample pork at six different locations in and around Goldsboro. Three of the oldest restaurants are Grady’s, Wilber’s and McCall’s. Grady’s is located at a country crossroads south of town near Dudley. Its unassuming white building with the church-like pithouse in the back is worth the venture off the main roads. Historic Wilber’s and McCall’s are across the street from each other along Highway 70, on the eastern edge of town. Both have been mainstays for locals and travelers.

Adams Roadside Bar-B-Q, a fairly new addition, is on the west side along

Highway 70. All offer pit-cooked, vinegar-based barbecue, chicken and a variety of sides; and each has its own flavor and attitude.

For the love of jet noise One of the area’s biggest resident and visitor draw is the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. The sound and excitement of F-15E Strike Eagle jets and KC-135R Stratotanker refueling planes flying overhead is constant.

Home to the 4th Fighter Wing and the 916th Air Refueling Wing, the base is named for Goldsboro native U.S. Navy Lt. Seymour Johnson. The base serves as a main hub for training and deploying the nation’s fighter pilots and weapon systems operators.

The city’s tagline: “Be more. Do more. Seymour.” harkens to the impact the base has in the area. Bumper stickers that state “I Jet Noise” are seen around town. Free base tours are offered on the fourth Thursday of every month through the Goldsboro visitors center (919-734-7922 or ahoggard@goldsboronc.gov). The tour takes you behind the scenes of a vital armed forces base, allowing you to see jets up close and peak into a fighter jet’s cockpit, watch take-offs and landing, and learn more about the past, Learn more about Goldsboro at visitgoldsboronc.com.

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Tea with Seagrove Potters Gallery crawl, baked goods March 9, Seagrove

Demos, displays March 1–3, Asheboro 336-629-0399 ncpottersconference.com

March Events MOUNTAINS Fly fishing tournament Banquet-style fundraiser March 8–9, Boone 828-355-9109 duesouthoutfitters.com/blog

For King & Country Australian duo March 9, Franklin 866-273-4615 greatmountainmusic.com

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Disney film adaptation March 15–16, Franklin 866-273-4615 greatmountainmusic.com

Food, arts, brews March 16, Morganton 828-438-5252 downtownmorganton.com

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Flapjack Fundraiser

March 16, Boone 828-268-6280 joneshouse.org

Local breakfast flavors March 16, West Jefferson 336-846-3827 florenceartschool.org

Daniel Boone Rail Jam Ski, snowboard competition March 16, Boone danielboonerailjam.com

Chili Cook-Off

Mid-Winter Dulcimer Festival

Amateur & restaurant competitions March 14, Morganton 828-438-5252 downtownmorganton.com

Spring Sip & Shop Demos, treats March 22–23, Asheville 828-253-7651 grovewood.com info@grovewood.com

Workshops, concerts March 2, Shelby 704-472-9791 jcdulcimer.com

Ralph Stanley II Show Bluegrass music March 2, Liberty 336-622-3844 thelibertyshowcase.com

James Bay British singer-songwriter March 5, Durham 919-680-2787 dpacnc.com

Tea with Seagrove Potters Gallery crawl, baked goods March 9, Seagrove 336-879-4145 teawithseagrovepotters.webstarts.com

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See more events online with photos, descriptions, maps and directions.

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Carolina Compass

Southern Foodways

Spring Garden Symposium

Year of the Woman Lecture Series March 9, Pineville 704-889-7145 bit.ly/yotw-lectures

Horticulture speakers March 23, Fayetteville 910-261-1091 bit.ly/fayetteville-gardens2019

Bluegrass and Gospel Festival

Whispers & Echoes

March 9, Locust 704-622-5793 bearcreekbluegrass.com

Jewelry, paintings, wood Through April 21, Hillsborough 919-732-5001 hillsboroughgallery.com

Highfalls Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention

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Entertainment, food March 9, Robbins 910-464-3600 ncmcs.org/domain/753

Rock concert March 26, Durham 919-680-2787 dpacnc.com

Sandy Ridge School Bluegrass Show

Benefit Concert

March 16, Sandy Ridge 336-932-5664 richintraditionbluegrass.com

Tap Dogs Contemporary dance-theatre March 19–20, Durham 919-680-2787 dpacnc.com

The Isaacs, Karen Peck & New River March 30, Albemarle 704-986-3666 stanlyciviccenter.com

COAST Magic School Bus Musical adaptation March 1, Greenville 252-737-5444 bit.ly/ecu-schoolbus

Know Before You Go

In case something changes after Carolina Country goes to press, check information from the contact listed.

First Friday Artwalk

Rooming House

March 1, Greenville 252-561-8400 uptowngreenville.com

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Eastern Home & Living Expo Landscaping, building vendors March 2, Greenville 252-756-7915 pitthba.com/expo2019

Vox Fortura Classical vocals March 21, Washington 252-947-2076 gobcca.org

UNC Harp Ensemble March 3, Oriental 252-617-2125 pamlicomusic.org

Kidsfest

African American Music Series March 8, Greenville 252-551-6694 pittcountyarts.org/events/music-series

Brunswick County Intercultural Festival Celebrating cultural diversity March 10, Bolivia 910-842-6566 bcifestival.org

Puppet show, face painting March 23, Greenville 252-758-8885 mppfc.org

March Madness Bazaar Bake sale, kitchen boutique March 30, Bridgeton 252-638-4638 eghaggett@embarqmail.com

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“CAROLINA COUNTRY REFLECTIONS” More than 200 photographs showing life in rural North Carolina before 1970. Each picture has a story. Hardcover, coffee table book, 160 pages. Only $15 (includes tax and shipping).

Comes with free cookbook. Send payment to “Reflections,” Carolina Country, PO Box 27306, Raleigh, NC 27611. Or buy online at carolinacountry.com.

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HEIRLOOM SEEDS FOR YOUR GARDEN. Free catalog call 828-389-2642; or write Seedworthy, 31 Wounded Knee Lane, Hayesville N.C. 28904; seedworthy@gmail.com or visit our website; seedworthy.org The N.C. Association of Electric Cooperatives and its member cooperatives do not endorse the services and products advertised. Readers are advised to understand fully any agreement or purchase they make. To place a classified ad: carolinacountry.com/classifieds

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PERIODICAL

Recipes, event listings, energy What’s in Gol dsboro? Turn s out quite a bit —p age about 42 efficiency tips and stories why we love to call North Carolina home, delivered to your mailbox every month.

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Make a connection with Carolina Country! Sign up for our email updates so you don’t miss out on your favorite content. New email subscribers will automatically be entered into a random drawing for a $100 gift card. Visit carolinacountry.com/signup by March 31.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. There are two ways to enter into the random drawing and become an eligible entrant: (1) PRIMARY ENTRY: An Entrant must sign up to receive emails from Carolina Country (typically two per month) and from select approved sponsors using the form at carolinacountry.com/signup for a chance to win;(2) ALTERNATIVE ENTRY: In order to be entered without completing the primary entry conditions, an Entrant must send a letter with the Entrant’s first and last name, mailing address and telephone number to Carolina Country, Email Sign-up Sweepstakes, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616 prior to conclusion of the applicable Sweepstakes Period. One entry per person, drawn by random; odds of receiving the one (1) gift card (retail value of $100) depend upon number of entries received.

Entries must be received by March 31, 2019. The drawing will be held April 1, 2019.

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Carolina Kitchen

‘Don’t Tell Them It’s Good for Them’ Vegetable Soup Even carnivores will enjoy this simple, hearty soup, but you can make it completely vegetarian by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock or water. Boost the nutrition by adding a cup of canned, drained cannellini beans.

¼ 2 2 2 1 1 1

cup olive oil cups chopped onion cups chopped celery cups chopped carrots clove garlic, chopped quart chicken broth (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained 1 cup peeled, diced potatoes Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup shredded green cabbage Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes with their juice and potatoes, plus enough water to cover the vegetables by about 2 inches. Taste, then add salt and pepper.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the cabbage, stir, and simmer for another 5 minutes or so, just until the cabbage is soft.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

carolinacountry.com/recipes

Search more than 800 recipes, with a new recipe featured every week!

Unless otherwise noted, recipes on this page are reprinted with permission from “Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home” by Debbie Moose (debbiemoose.com), who has authored seven cookbooks and is a former food editor for The News & Observer in Raleigh.

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Carolina Kitchen

From Your Kitchen

Corny Cornbread Crumble it into chili, or serve it beside soup or meatloaf — this cornbread goes with anything.

Baking it in a cast-iron frying pan makes for even cooking and gives the crust a crunch. ½ cup flour 1½ cups yellow or white cornmeal ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 5 tablespoons butter, divided 1 (8.25-ounce) can creamed corn* 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup buttermilk 1 egg Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If using cast-iron pan (recommended) put the pan in the oven during preheating.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave or a pan on the stove. Combine the melted butter with the creamed corn, sugar, buttermilk and egg. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined; don’t overmix.

Remove pan from oven once very hot.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the hot pan and swirl to coat the sides.

Pour in the batter.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the pan cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before serving. * Make it spicy! Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon chili powder to the dry ingredients and use 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained, instead of the creamed corn.

Yield: 8 servings

Crowd-Pleasing Marinated Green Beans This easy salad is a favorite at parties, potlucks and picnics (and even other events that don’t begin with a “P”). It travels easily and the proportions can be multiplied. ½ large red onion, thinly sliced 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup herb-flavored wine vinegar (for extra flavor) or white wine vinegar Salt and black pepper to taste 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed Place the sliced onion in a colander placed over the sink.

In a small bowl, stir together the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until combined.

Stir in the garlic. Set aside.

Place the green beans in a large pot and add enough water to cover them. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the beans are bright green; do not overcook. Pour the beans and hot water over the onions in the colander. Rinse under cold running water to cool down.

Drain well.

Put the beans and onions in a large bowl or large zipper-top plastic bag. Pour the dressing in and mix well with the vegetables.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Serve at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings

Pistachio Cake 1 box yellow cake mix 2 boxes (3½ ounces) pistachio instant pudding 4 eggs ½ cup oil 1 cup club soda ½ pint heavy cream 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour tube pan or angel food pan. In a large bowl, mix cake mix with one box of instant pudding mix, then add eggs, oil and club soda.

Mix gently until smooth, and bake 45–55 minutes.

For icing, combine heavy cream, milk, second box of pudding mix and sugar. Beat until smooth and ice the cake after it has cooled.

Refrigerate before serving. Makes a very pale green-colored cake, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! Recipe courtesy of Christine Wyant of Clyde, a member of Haywood EMC

Send Us Your Recipes

Contributors whose recipes are published will receive $25. We retain reprint rights for all submissions. Recipes submitted are not necessarily entirely original. Include your name, address, phone number (for questions), and the name of your electric cooperative. Mail to: Carolina Country Kitchen, P.O. Box 27306, Raleigh, NC, 27611. Or submit your recipe online at: carolinacountry.com/myrecipe.

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Looking for

where

Recipes?

Find them on page 48.

in Carolina Country is this ?

Send your answer by Wednesday, March 6, with your name, address and the name of your electric cooperative.

Online:

carolinacountry.com/where

By mail: Where in Carolina Country?

P.O. Box 27306

Raleigh, NC 27611 Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.

The winner, chosen at random and announced in our April issue, will receive $25.

March winner

The February “Where Is This” photo by Michael Huss features the Walker Top Baptist Church, located on top of Burkemont Mountain near Morganton in the South Mountains of Burke County. According to Huss and a few readers, the church was built around 1840 by Joseph Alexander Walker and is still used today for homecomings and reunions.

It is believed to be one of the oldest churches in the county. Sharon Winters notes that a local 5K goes up the mountain and ends at the church, which sits at an elevation of 2,900 feet. The winning entry chosen at random from all correct submissions came from Deborah Lambert of Nebo, a Rutherford EMC member.

Have a roadside gem you’d like to share? Submit a photo, plus a brief description and general location information, at carolinacountry.com/where.

MUSIC

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MARCH’S FEATURED TRACK

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Superb horn smoothly weaves with drums, bass and piano in Al’s elegant, mellow song, one of 10 tracks on his versatile album, “LoveStrong Volume 1.”

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Learn more about Al and listen to this featured track, as well as others from NC musicians.

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