Get It! Guide (2014)

R E S I L I E N T C O M M U N I T I E S ✚ S U S TA I N A B L E L I V I N G

2014 Western North Carolina

get it! guide

Business listings Organization profiles Ideas for living better locally

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ta l est ou f dco ntents c ab se i es

Introduction Welcome to the Get It! Guide

RiverLink 7

Features So you want to be an activist? 8 Tips from the front lines for oftering an engaged citizenry Found food 12 Foraging for wild edibles in WNC

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Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

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WNC Alliance

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Transition Asheville

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Ujamaa Freedom Market

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Redesigning success 18 B-corps explore an alternative business model

Asheville Green Drinks

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Asheville Green School

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The art of sustainable culture 20 Building community through creative place-making

Why Grow Herbs? A guide to herbal sustainability

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Asheville Tool Library

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A solution-oriented practice 23 Permaculture takes root in WNC Clean and green 26 Transportation initiaves work to improve the air in WNC

guide

Business listings Organization profiles Ideas for living better locally

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get it!

Green Restaurant Association 44

Sustainability Studies at Lenoir-Rhyne University

Local production The other side of the coin

R E S I L I E N T C O M M U N I T I E S ✚ S U S TA I N A B L E L I V I N G

2014 Western North Carolina

Just Economics

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How to protect your pollinators 56 How to be a green computer user 57

Cover Design: Megan Kirby

Masthead Publisher: Jeff Fobes Get It! Coordinators: Carrie Eidson, Jordan Foltz, Megan Kirby Managing Editor: Margaret Williams Associate Editor: Carrie Eidson Listings Editor: Grady Cooper Assistant Listings Editor: Lisa Watters

Together and equal 30 Supporting diversity for a sustainable, healthy city

How to greenerize your home.

Easy and inexpensive ways to save energy

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Mark-Ellis Bennett, Hayley Benton,

profiles & how-tos

How to dress local

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Advertising Manager: Susan Hutchinson

Why buy local

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WNC Green Building Council 35

Copy Editor: Rob Mikulak Contributing Writers:

Mountain BizWorks

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School of Integrated Living

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How to launch a local business A Mountain BizWorks 63 success story

Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council

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Asheville Grown Business Alliance

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Sow True Seed

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Buncombe Fruit and Nut Club 40 Biltmore Estate

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Blue Ridge Hops

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

Jesse Farthing, Howard Nemon Marketing Associates: Nichole Civiello, Bryant Cooper, Jordan Foltz, Tim Navaille, Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt, Kenneth Trumbauer, John Varner Art & Design Manager: Megan Kirby Graphic Designer: Lori Deaton I.T. Manager: Stefan Colosimo

Listings 37

Distribution Manager: Jeff Tallman

Copyright 2014 Mountain Xpress

in tr o d u ct i o n

Welcome to the Get It! Guide Welcome to the first ever Get It! Guide, Mountain Xpress‘ annual guide to conscientious and sustainable living.

Sustainable community — where does it start? How is it created?

What’s at stake, and how can you get involved?

The Get It! Guide’s mission is to help all of us “Get It” — by offering locals and visitors a readily accessible introduction to the many ways we can engage and have a stake in building vibrant, sustainable community in Western North Carolina by promoting the organizations that underpin, inform and help organize a sustainable community.

In this guide you’ll find a directory of businesses and organizations that are invested in promoting socially and/or environmentally responsible practices. You’ll also will find articles on opportunities for creating conscientious lifestyles and profiles of local groups and initiatives that are fostering sustainable community.

All Get It! directory listings have been screened by our partner and contributing nonprofits: • Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project • Asheville Grown Business Alliance • Green Restaurant Association • Just Economics • Mountain BizWorks • WNC Green Building Council.

The movement toward sustainable community doesn’t start in one place or with one group — it encompasses a multitude of themes and concepts that are being driven locally by initiatives, businesses and people like you. We hope the Get It! Guide will help connect ideas and initiatives with individuals and organizations that are leading the way, while serving as an annual resource for those who want to live engaged, conscientious lives. Get it?

— Jeff Fobes, publisher

certifying partners

h4 a f c b d

asheville grown Business alliance Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project Green Restaurant Association Just Economics Mountain Bizworks WNC Green Building council

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so you want to be an activist? tips from the front lines for fostering an engaged citizenry

balancing self-expression with service

When it comes to activism, Asheville’s arena of initiatives and nonprofits may be competing for resources and attention, rather than working together. When approaching activism in this city, it’s important to find a balance of self-expression and community service.

Photo courtesy oF toM lleWellyn

by Jordan FoltZ “In Asheville, we have a lot of people who are what we would refer to as ‘lifestyle activists,’” says tom Llewellyn, campaign organizer for the Dogwood Alliance and co-founder of the Asheville Tool Library and REAL Cooperative.

Lifestyle activism — everyday actions such as personal conservation efforts or conscientious purchasing choices — may be meaningful ways to shape our world, but in addition to making those day-today choices, many still yearn to find their voice and place in a world that feels increasingly loud and anonymous. So what can you do?

“It’s important to make those lifestyle choices, [but] it’s not enough: People need to show up,” Llewellyn says.

Show up for what? For Llewellyn and other activists, being a citizen is more than just maintaining a residence somewhere.

“For those of us who have the privilege of being citizens, there’s a responsibility to shape the world we want to live in,” he adds. “It will not only position us as a sustainable culture, community or nation, but as a regenerative one.”

showing up:

Dogwood Alliance organizer Tom Llewellyn, above, encourages activism based in cooperation and action. “There’s a responsibility to shape the world we want to live in,” Llewellyn says.

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

dylan ryals-Hamilton, of Transition Asheville, breaks down activism into three categories: “The first is Holding Actions,” he says.

“These are what most people think of when they think about activism.” Examples include protesting, blockading, putting oneself in front of a bulldozer, petitions and other efforts.

“The second is a kind of Consciousness Shift. [This] overflows into [all] areas of life, such as how we relate to each other as human beings and building social capital and strengthening communities,” RyalsHamilton continues. “Then there is Creating the New Paradigm, or building the world that we want to see.”

Within these, there are actions that aim to stifle or tear down existing systems and trends — focusing on what is broken — and those that seek to build new elements— nurturing what is healthy, Llewellyn says.

As to which is more effective in initiating change, “It’s really campaign- and issuespecific,” Llewellyn says “[Sometimes] you don’t have the luxury of putting your energy into the solution, [but] no matter what we’re doing, we always have to have the mindset of ‘what are the alternatives?’”

“One mistake that environmental activists as a whole have made for a very long time is ‘dooming and glooming’ people,” says Ryals-Hamilton, “And most people aren’t very receptive to that. [Activism] really should be fun.”

“We have almost an epidemic of visionary startup syndrome,” says Ryals-Hamilton, “We have a lot of people who are trying to start new projects and get things rolling from the ground up — reinventing the wheel in a lot of cases to create this thing that is their baby and possibly replicating something that’s already happening.

“For just about any major interest or issue, there’s probably [an initiative] out there, and I would advocate taking a look around [to] see what is already happening before initiating a new project,” he continues.

All the same, there are still a lot of niches to be filled, notes Llewellyn. Whether you’re lending yourself to an existing initiative or building up new systems and solutions, a common question for organizers is “How do I make my cause appeal to the widest possible scope of people in order to get them mobilized?” As Llewelyn mentions, “It’s the hardest thing to do, because everybody is coming from a different place.”

Some activists, however, suggest asking a different question: “How do I widen the scope and find a cause that mobilizes people?”

Meeting goals, dynamically

When a core group of individuals first began brainstorming to create what is now the Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council in fall 2011, they saw the importance of building a wide network to determine not only their goals but to define their purpose.

“We met with over 60 organizations just to say, ‘Hey, what would you say about collaborating on this?’” says darcel eddins, founder of Bountiful Cities and one of the original founders of ABFPC. Before such outreach, Eddins notes, “[Bountiful Cities] was finding that [these organizations] were competing. So the goal was to collaborate as a network and

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f e at u r es move forward so that Asheville could be a food-resilient community.”

By the time of the first public convening in October 2011, each organization had done its own outreach, and more than 100 people showed up at UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center.

“There were people from Hillcrest, there were gardeners, farmers, people from nonprofits and also just a lot of citizens who were interested and concerned,” says Mary Lou Kemph, the facilitator of the ABFPC General Council.

By the end of the second convening in February 2012, the group had established its purpose and determined that “dynamic governance” would be its process for decision-making.

Dynamic Governance uses what Tracy Kunkler, founder of the Asheville-based Dynamic Governance Institute, describes as “ecosystem logic,” a process in which participating individuals can be fully selfexpressed but also agree on common needs and common goals, working together for the whole, she explains. Kunkler describes this interconnectivity as “feedback loops.”

“Natural systems have feedback loops,” says Kunkler. “But if you look at a top-

down hierarchy, it doesn’t have feedback loops. If you get that we are all deeply interconnected, you realize that if you’re missing a voice — or worse, if you’re plowing over somebody who has an objection — in the end you’re going to pay for that.”

Feedback loops facilitate clear communication between the “clusters” that comprise a given organization, Kunkler says.

“If the stomach is telling the brain that it does not consent to a particular food, but the brain overrides the feedback and consent of the stomach, then the whole body is going to suffer,” Kunkler says.

When decisions are made by way of debate and persuasion, she adds, the objective is to overcome diversity rather than embracing it, which is contrary to ecosystem logic.

Early adoption of a dynamic governance system can be beneficial even to a group that considers itself harmonious, says Michelle Smith, also of the Dynamic Governance Institute.

“One of the mistakes that groups make is not making any clear decision about the process they are going to use for making decisions,” says Smith. “They may say, ‘Well, we’re all good people, so we’ll be fine. But in fact a process will emerge and

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be adopted. If it’s not intentional, it will often be based on dominant voices and shadow-power dynamics.

“The implementation of those decisions is going to be choppy,” Smith continues.

“There’s going to be more conflict, more debate, more disagreement, more criticism — instead of something that allows us to move forward together, getting the real perspectives from all different corners.”

For the Food Policy Council, it seems adopting the dynamic governance model has led to a resilient and sustainable organization and completion of the organization’s goals. Since its inception, Eddins and Kemph agree, the group has surpassed their expectations of accomplishment — including the adoption of its Food Action Plan by the Asheville City Council in February 2013.

Connection: The new activism

“Through the stories of the civil rights movement and before, we hear that the actions of a single individual changed the entire world and the course of history,” says Emma Hutchins, a local organizer who sits on the Access Cluster of the Food Policy Council. “While this perspective

was likely intended to be empowering, it is actually disempowering to think that you can make change by yourself, because you can’t. People are starting to realize again that the secret to change is to organize with your community.”

It seems the folks on the front lines are not only forging new ways to accomplish effective initiatives but are the harbingers of a deeper fulfillment — one that fuses self-expression with collectivism, where making a mark isn’t as important as doing one’s part.

“What’s emerging now is the idea of collective impact,” says Kunkler. “If we’re going to make a change in this complex social system, it’s not going to be one organization, no matter how good they are.

“I’ve heard it said that connection is the new activism,” she continues. “It’s not about fighting for what you want: It’s actually about creating a new table for authentic citizen engagement.”

Ryals-Hamilton quotes from Transition Asheville founder Rob Hopkins: “If we wait for governments to act, it will be too little, too late. If we act as individuals, it will be too little. But if we act as community, then it might be just enough — just in time.”

Working together:

Activist Dylan Ryals-Hamilton suggests the best results come through working together .“[Take] a look around and see what is already happening before initiating a new project,” he says.

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Found food Foraging for wild edibles in Wnc

by MarK-ellIs bennett and hayley benton Local forager alan muskat leads a group of public school kids through a wooded area of Western North Carolina not too far from town.

They search for greens, nuts, berries and mushrooms — and unexpectedly stumble upon an abandoned apple orchard, abundant with ripe, red apples.

“One kid picked up an apple from the ground and was like, ‘Are you sure we can eat this?’”

Muskat says. “I asked him what he meant, and he said, ‘Well, this was on the ground.’ It was so empowering that he could get his own food and that it wasn’t poisonous or dirty because it touched the ground.”

Muskat says Western North Carolina features the greatest variety of flora and fauna north of the tropics, which makes Asheville an ideal place for those who forage for food. In fact, foraging can begin as close as your own backyard — where edible plants like chickweed, lamb’s quarters, dandelion greens, bit-

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ter cress, wild onions, purslane and nettles (which must be cooked) are often mistaken for weeds.

“People have a fear of [foraging] because it’s not part of our culture,” says Muskat, who runs the educational nonprofit No Taste Like Home and has appeared on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern — where Muskat taught the show’s host that the first lesson of foraging is “to keep your eyes open.”

Foraging, after all, “isn’t any more difficult than going to a grocery store and learning to distinguish cabbage from iceberg lettuce,” says Muskat.

Knowledge before action

natalie Bogwalker takes foraging to the extreme. As founder and instructor for the organization Wild Abundance, she teaches people to live self-sufficiently, entirely off the land.

She teaches adults and children about eco-

homesteading, primitive skills, permaculture and connecting with nature in everyday life.

“I started foraging when I was about 4 years old with my dad,” says Bogwalker. “I’ve always just really liked being in the woods, and very little makes me as excited as getting food from the wild.”

But, Bogwalker says, “it’s not just in the woods that I find food, but also where the wild meets the domesticated.”

For foraging, Bogwalker recommends knowledge before action and making sure you can tell the difference between edible, medicinal and toxic plants.

hidden treasures: On a foray, Alan Musket (above, center) identifies a mushroom called “The Blusher.” The first rule of foraging?

Muskat says “to keep your eyes open.”

“There are a small number of green plants to stay away from, mostly in the carrot family,” Bogwalker says. “I tend to only harvest a few species of mushrooms that are incredibly easy to distinguish from the toxic varieties. There are many varieties that are quite toxic.”

And there’s little doubt that foraging wild species can be a bit dangerous — which is why many expert foragers, like Muskat, really encourage education. ”It’s like riding a bike or driving a car. Someone teaches us, [but] that’s still dangerous, right?” Muskat says. “If we hunted mushrooms in this country as normally as we watch TV or play a video game, everyone would be an expert at it.”

In most cultures around the world, he adds, children learn about collecting food with their parents. In lieu of that, Muskat is hoping to teach local kids about foraging through the Afikomen Project, which he started at Asheville Middle School in 2012. He hopes the program will expand to public schools across the country.

Muskat guides foraging tours and founded the first forage-to-table program in the United States and the first wild foods market in North America. For those interested in safe ways to learn about foraging mushrooms and other wild foods, he recommends hands-on, expertdirected learning.

“The only word you need to remember has three letters, and it’s ‘Ask,’” Muskat says.

A good place to start? Muskat suggests the George Washington Carver Edible Park near the Stephens-Lee Recreation Center downtown. “You wouldn’t typically find mushrooms there, but there are other wild foods and over a dozen cultivated fruit trees,” Muskat says.

But, both Muskat and Bogwalker say, once you learn more about foraging, you’ll find plenty not far from your front door.

“Pretty much around anybody’s house anywhere there’s going to be some basic things,” says Bogwalker, who says she likes to forage greens to make wild salads. “There’s going to be chickweed, dandelion greens, dock greens — there’s all sorts of things available where you live all the time.”

Muskat adds, “Five feet, you know, 10 feet from my front door, and I’m nibbling on dandelion and onion grass and bitter cress.”

Venturing into the woods

If you’re thinking about taking your journey into foraging into the woods, however, make

From generation to generation: Today, few

kids know about collecting wild foods. But students in Alan MuskAt’s Afikomen Project will get the chance to learn. Photo courtesy of No Taste Like Home

“Our goal is to have, by 2030, every child in the United States able to safely identify and harvest the 10 most common wild foods in their area,” he says.

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f e at u r es sure you know the rules — and have your permit handy — before exploring along the Blue Ridge Parkway or venturing onto U.S. Forest Service property. Permits are required to harvest ginseng, black cohosh, bloodroot and other medicinal plants and roots, each with specific restrictions and prices per pound, according to the Forest Service manual.

You can collect up to 5 pounds of popular ramps per season without a permit, though the Forest Service encourages applying for a Free Use Permit. That helps rangers keep track of how many people are collecting them. Fruits, berries and mushrooms can also be foraged for personal use without a permit — though some polite restraint is encouraged.

“People need to make sure they leave plants behind for future years. That’s called sustainability,” says Public Affairs Officer Stevin Westcott.

According to a Forest Service handbook, there are plenty of edibles to find on the Blue Ridge Parkway: mushrooms and related edible fun-

gi, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, wine berries, blueberries, elderberries, huckleberries, gooseberries, serviceberries, currants, grapes, cherries, plums, persimmons, black walnuts, hickory nuts, American hazelnuts, apples, peaches and pears.

You’re allowed up to one gallon per person, per day, though respect and caution are a must. Climbing trees to gather these edibles is prohibited and straying off the trails can cause damage to delicate and rare plants and increase the risk of erosion.

Enjoying the adventure

If you’re looking for some tips on how to prepare a feast from your foraged harvest, you can ask the “Sustainable Gourmet” aka Michael Gentry. He teaches students at UNC Asheville how to prepare and consume a vegetarian meal made with organic and wild ingredients.

“I harvest most of the vegetables myself from Warren Wilson College,” says Gentry. He also likes to showcase new foods featured in local stores “so we can try those out, [but] I also

harvest something wild from Mother Nature to include in my meal.”

Another tip for foraging? Make it a social activity. Gentry says that he likes to forage with the Asheville Mushroom Club. “We go on forays all over WNC and in Tennessee,” Gentry says, adding that the club meets March through November.

Other Asheville clubs include the Buncombe Fruit and Nut Club, which plants and maintain a wide variety of trees and bushes in public parks and schoolyards throughout the city and county. Member Bill Whipple says there’s everything from the ABCs (apples, blueberries and cherries) to Ziziphus jujube, otherwise known as the Chinese date, though hazelnuts are his favorite.

“When you come to one of the edible parks, the best way to engage foraging is to gently shake a tree with ripe fruit and pick up one or two that fall,” Whipple says. “But don’t come with boxes or bags. Leave plenty for the next guy.”

Bogwalker, meanwhile, is currently working on a book that may provide some helpful insight for regional residents on how to prepare and forage for foods. Her book, Preparation and Preservation: A Guide to the Wild Abundance of Southern Appalachia and Beyond, will include gathering tips, preservation and fresh recipes and stories featuring 40 common wild foods in the area.

Muskat recommends the blog Transitional Gastronomy for ideas on how to prepare found foods. “We have one of the most diverse places on the entire planet in Asheville, so you could make whole meals.”

Preparing the Harvest: Michael Gentry leads a regular cooking class, teaching students how to incorporate new grocery store finds with their foraged bounty.

Photo courtesy of Michael Gentry

A Week’s Worth of Food for under $100

Ultimately, Muskat says, the great thing about foraging is how easy and accessible it can be. “The only preparation you need is some familiarity,” Muskat says. “You don’t have to put anything special on. You don’t need any equipment.”

“And best of all, Muskat adds, “You don’t have to go far.”

A Week’s Worth of Food for Under $100

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Local production The other side of the coin commentary by Howard Nemon Years before the World Commission on Environment and Development coined the phrase “sustainable development” in 1987, Wendell Berry was talking about how to live sustainably. As a renowned author, a farmer and an activist, he has lived and taught his vision of a good life, based on sustainable agriculture, appropriate technologies and strong community.

Berry believes deeply in the interconnectedness of livelihood, neighborhood and nature — and understands that only a local economy could maintain a harmonious relationship among the three. When communities control their own economies, they can ensure, without abusing the environment, that their real needs will be met.

Today the idea of local economy has become a growing global movement to build a saner and more sustainable world. Increasingly, people are waking up to the simple truth that “local” matters — the best way to help out their economy is by keeping it as local as possible. This is not merely wishful thinking: For decades,

local economic development specialists have been practicing this core concept — the more money circulates, the better it is for the economy, and when it circulates locally, then the benefits are multiplied.

Consumers have been quick to respond.

“Buy Local” campaigns have blossomed across the country, and consumers are consciously selecting local goods and services over nonlocal ones. While this is a good beginning, the full potential of a local economy has yet to be realized.

Producing locally: the next step There are two sides of the local economy coin.

One is local purchasing. When consumers and businesses purchase from locally owned businesses or invest their savings in local ventures, a larger percentage of that money will continue circulating in their cities and regions.

The other side of the coin represents local production. Without making our own products, our locally spent money leaks out of our communities whenever we buy imported goods and services. Whether it’s a chain store, franchise or even a locally owned business, if it is selling imports, then its investment capital and profits are flowing out of the area to suppliers or corporate headquarters somewhere else.

The graph on the next page shows how different business models influence the multipliers in our economy. Ideally, a business that hires locally and pays good wages, produces or sells local products and invests and donates in the community is maximizing the money circulation in your area. If it’s an employee-owned business, like a cooperative, then there is a greater chance that the business will stay local, pay better and provide more job security. Of course, any economy today will have an assortment of businesses. The challenge is to intentionally increase multipliers by assisting new or existing businesses to become more local.

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f e at u r es

Growing local production in WNC

Multiplier Effect How do we build up a sustainable, local

PROFITS

GOODS & SERVICES

LABOR

Business Model

Low

Med.

Employee ownership Good wages (above living wage) Local hiring

4

Job creation Import substitution (local production)

Export of goods & services

4

4 4

Local investments and donations Local spending of profits Export of profits

4 4

4 4

Local purchase of supplies

Import of goods & services

4

High

4

4

production?

There are several ways that economic developers help new and existing businesses become more localized and multibottom-line. First, they improve access to information, technology and capital.

Second, they build relationships and networks among businesses in order to increase the purchasing of supplies locally.

Third, they assist local producers to market their goods and services. Fourth, they can develop clusters or “value chains” in targeted sectors, such as food, health care or textiles. This entails linking or creating local enterprises within a specific sector to ensure a smooth flow of interactions among producers, suppliers, distributers and retailers.

Here are some of the organizations building capacity for local production: The Asheville-Buncombe Economic Development Coalition maintains a close relationship with manufacturers, helping them access resources, resolve bottlenecks and connect with local supply sources. It has instituted the E3 Forum (Economy, Energy

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and Environment) to create a space where businesses can share best sustainable practices, such as how to become a zero wasteto-landfill facility.

and sell the remaining protein-dense meal to livestock farmers.

sourcing, design, tagging, production and marketing.

The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project has created a branding logo for local farm products called Appalachian Grown, which helps local farmers market their products and allows consumers to recognize and select local production. Local farmers can get certified for free and then have access to a variety of promotional materials.

Local Cloth networks the large number of talented fiber artists in our region with the hundreds of local farms raising fiber animals, such as sheep, goats and llamas.

Through educational workshops and forums, promotional events and networking opportunities, Local Cloth has been helping farmers, natural fiber merchants and fiber artists connect with each other to grow a local, craft textile industry.

AdvantageWest, a nonprofit regional economic-development organization that serves the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina, brings together technology, capital, entrepreneurs and green thinking to incubate new local production companies, such as Organicel. Given the exponential growth of the breweries in this region, there was an opportunity to recycle the spent grains that are a byproduct of beer production.

Partnering with the botanical-research nonprofit Bent Creek Institute, AdvantageWest began to incubate a new company — Organicel — that would extract the cellulosics from the spent grains for use in the production of a number of other products (such as pill capsules for our emergent natural-product industry)

Rural Support Partners promotes valuechain development with rural economies. Value chains take a comprehensive approach to economic development, incorporating not only the usual players of a supply chain, but other related public agencies, educational institutions, community organizations and business sectors as well. Value chains are responsive to community needs and consumer demands and are based on values of collaboration and triple bottom-line (social, economic, environment) business. A good example of its work is the Carolina Textile District (CTD) in Burke County.

The CTD provides a supportive one-stop shop that helps entrepreneurs connect with local textile businesses for all their production needs, including testing,

Ownership Appalachia was inspired by the Evergreen Cooperatives in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cleveland model demonstrates how an import substitution approach can be used to develop worker-owned cooperatives, which gives residents of low-income communities a chance to own their own businesses. Harnessing the purchasing power of anchor institutions, such as hospitals, universities and large public agencies, the Evergreen cooperatives supply essential goods and services to meet existing demand. Ownership Appalachia has recently begun discussions with local institutions for developing a cooperative incubator in this region.

It’s time to put our economy back on its feet.

Right now we are standing on our heads, and all the money is falling out of our pockets and rolling away. We need to stand right side up and become more self-reliant and productive.

Buy local and produce local. Then our dollars will work for us to create a dynamic local economy that builds prosperity for all.

Howard Nemon is the director of the Center for Local Economies and is currently involved in developing Ownership Appalachia.

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redefining success B-corps explore alternative business models

by Jesse FarthIng If a big company comes along and wants to steamroll a smaller corporation with a buyout, what options are there when corporations must maximize profits for shareholders? Does the smaller company have to sell, even if it means the death of its eco-friendly, socially conscious practices?

Maybe not, if the smaller company is a B-corp or benefit corporation. Both designations — the first certified by international nonprofit B Lab, and the second a designation offered by some states — give small companies options, particularly when the bottom line includes sustainable practices and philosophies, along with social and environmental goals.

This trend can be seen nationally, as well as in the Asheville area, the B-corp designation is being adopted by companies like New Earth Muziq, New Belgium Brewing Co. and Buchi Kombucha.

stakeholders over shareholders

“Basically, the idea is about stakeholder values over shareholder values,” says Katie Kerr, B Lab’s communication director. “Your business impacts so many people around you, so we’re looking at a wider lens than just money in and money out.”

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More than 950 corporations from 32 countries and 60 industries are “working together toward one unifying goal: to redefine success in business,” using the nonprofit’s standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency, the nonprofit states on its website.

“You can be a profitable company but destroying the environment and the community around you … is not going to be a long-term value,” Kerr explains. “Look at what happened with Wall Street — they were focused on the short-term profit and the whole place collapsed.”

“A [music] venue is one of the most wasteful things in the world,” says adrian Zelski of downtown Asheville’s nightclub New Earth Muziq, a certified B-corp. “You throw away an average of 100,000 [plastic] cups a year if you’re a small-size venue.”

But under B-corps’ alternative business model, companies look at the “triple bottom line” — the business’ sustainability through social, environmental and community impacts alongside profitability. The triple bottom line is opposed to the longheld business traditions that look strictly at profit when defining success.

The desire to reduce environmental impact was also important to New Belgium Brewing Co., another B-corp. “We have always considered the environment and our communities as shareholders in the business,” says Media Relations Director Bryan simpson. “It makes sense that we would not want to be beholden to strictly a financial bottom line.”

a knowledgeable business

Benefit corporations are certified through B Labs’ “B Impact Assessment.” This tool asks questions tailored to a company’s size, sector and geography to measure impact in a variety of categories, including governance, employees, environmental impacts and community involvement, before giving a score out of 200 possible points. Any company with 80 points or above can take steps toward becoming a certified B-corp — though the process may take some time.

beyond the shareholders:

Bryan Simpson, of New Belgium, says the company has always considered the local community and the environment when developing company policy. “It makes sense that we would not want to be beholden to strictly a financial bottom line.”

“Learning how to do that, to become a B-corp, was a big challenge,” Zelski says. “It was a monumental effort. It took about 18 months with two people working on it full time.”

A corporation does not have to meet or exceed all of B Lab’s suggestions to become a B-corp, however. Though B Lab encourages practices such as employee health care, maternity or paternity leave and living wages, not every business can do all of that and remain sustainable.

“Don’t become a B-corp if you can’t. If you’re not sustainable, you’ll go out of business,” Zelski says. “But the idea is, if you can [adopt these changes] in any way, ... you should, and it will better your company.”

Transparency and accountability make up a large part of the B-corp philosophy. Business owners seeking to become certified need to know exactly where all of their raw ingredients or products are coming from. They are expected to strive to source everything from sustainable, environmentally and socially conscious businesses — and to actively encourage others to do the same.

Zane Adams is a worker-owner at Buchi Kombucha in Weaverville, another local company actively working toward certified B-corp status. Adams says she believes in the importance of following those supply lines.

“There are some companies that are doing it right, and they are amazing, and then there are some companies who are not necessarily telling you the truth,” Adams says. “We were getting sugar — this awesome organic sugar — and it turned out it was being distributed by one of the biggest groups proliferating GMOs,” she says.

That’s crucial information for getting assessed as a potential B-corp. B Lab may ask applicants questions such as, “Who provides your raw materials?” or “Do the raw materials providers have policies on wages

or maternity leave?” Business owners seeking B-corp certification have to make a concentrated effort to know every part of their business. But being a B-Corp is not all about environmentalism or any single facet — it’s about becoming a more organized, more knowledgeable business.

“This isn’t some righteous cause that’s not going to work,” Zelski says. “There’s no endgame. That’s the fun part. You’re always trying to make it a little bit better.”

Creating a legacy

So far, 19 states and the District of Columbia have created laws recognizing benefit corporations. North Carolina is not one of them.

In the states where B-corps are officially recognized, there are tax benefits to be gained, which Zelski says are similar to nonprofit organizations. But for now, in North Carolina, it’s all about the ideal. “[B Lab] really has a big goal,” Zelski says.

“They want to transform the economy. By the year 2020 they want everyone to ask themselves, ‘Why am I not a B-corp?’ They want people to ask, ‘Do I not want to pay a living wage? Do I want to outsource to China? Do I not want to give health benefits? Do I want to pull the wool over the eyes of the consumers?’

The goal is definitely to bring awareness.”

Kerr elaborates, “Our goal is to redefine success in business, so that all businesses compete to be not just best in the world, but best for the world. So we’re trying to reshape the way businesses and society look at what a company is and what they can do.”

Though not yet officially recognized in North Carolina, B-corps still offer a plus side for businesses. One of the biggest is that the certification helps protect the vision and integrity of smaller companies when larger, non-B-corp businesses buy them out.

“The biggest ‘pro’ is the ability to protect our values-based, mission-driven legacy as a 100 percent employee-owned company,”

Attention to detail: As part of their quest to attain B-Corp status, Buchi Kombucha is investigating their supply lines and making sure all their ingredients are GMO free. Photo by Jesse Farthing.

Simpson said. “By registering as a B-corp, our trustee is legally protected should she decide to refuse an offer for purchase that holds financial gain for shareholders without upholding our commitment to co-workers, communities and the environment.”

Adams shares a similar view. “The changes that we make [to become a B-corp] are baked into the DNA of our operating agreement,” Adams says.

B Lab helps the company create a sort of mission statement and “declaration of interdependence.” As Adams explains it, “That means that if you want to come — Mr. Coca Cola or whatever — and buy my company, then you have to be a B-corp. You have to follow the rules. If you don’t follow the rules, you have to disband my company, create a new brand and start again.”

Zelski agrees, saying it was important to note that by becoming a B-corp, the company is less at risk of being derailed if someone new comes in and wants to shake things up.

Once the B-corp ideals are part of the corporation, they are part of it forever — and that’s a good thing.

“I feel privileged to be a part of it,” he says.

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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Photo By Jordan Foltz

the art of sustainable culture creating communities that feed the soul

by Jordan FoltZ Often when we talk about sustainability, we focus on clean energy, the local economy or conservation. These are clearly integral to a resilient future — but the cultural fabric and the qualitative aspects that comprise this future are just as vital for creating a foundation for a sustainable community. Sometimes called “creative placemaking,” this process starts with the premise that the drivers and inspiration of a community are inextricable from its systems and economy — linking artists and poets to scientists and economists in realizing a sustainable future.

the importance of attachment

robin Cape, who served on the Asheville City Council from 2005 to 2009 and found-

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ed Asheville Buncombe Sustainable Community Initiatives, works with the HUB Community Economic Development Alliance, a board of community leaders whose present agenda involves catalyzing a more resilient Asheville. For Cape, solutions start with strong relationships.

aesthetic capital: What happens when we create places that inspire people? “Self-expression and participation, care and investment,” says Kitty Love, executive director for the Asheville Area Arts Council.

“The platform of engagement is going to be constantly changing, but what we need to always look at is: ‘Do we have a way to start building trust? Do we have a way to start connecting?’” Cape asks. “Right now, [the HUB] is following this idea brought on by the Knight Foundation — ‘What is the soul of the community? And how do we support that?’”

distinguishes the elements needed to build attachment between people and the places they live. The top three elements are tolerance, or the sense of being accepted for who you are; aesthetics, or being in a beautiful place that feeds the soul; and openness, or having a place to be with others, according to the study.

Cape refers to a recent study, conducted by the Knight Foundation and Gallup, that

Essentially, what bonds people to the place they live is their ability to expressively in-

teract with each other in open, beautiful spaces, Cape explains. The importance of attachment? Without it, there is no drive to nurture and care for places we are bonded to. That emotional tie is essential to creating caring and motivated stakeholders — despite differences, these stakeholders agree on what feeds their “souls” and can work together, she says.

An evolving aesthetic

So what do these “beautiful spaces” look like? Every culture has some aesthetic foundation that is vital to sustaining its wellness generation after generation. The sense of what is beautiful or attractive is a huge driver for how people apply themselves and are fulfilled.

“The culture we have created? It’s brutalist,” says Cape, referring to the architectural style that flourished worldwide from the 1950s through the ’80s and reflects an ethos characterized by privatization and bland materialism — definitely not inspiring trust or participation. “We’ve created a brutalist response to our environment,” says Cape.

And that dominant aesthetic hasn’t worked out too well, says Kitty Love, HUB member and executive director of the Asheville Area Arts Council. “Our culture is evolv-

ing,” she says. “Instead of valuing personal profit over people, we are moving to a more egalitarian system where we value living [and] where you don’t accumulate too much because — what’s the point, really? It doesn’t make you happy, and it’s not sustainable.”

Love and Cape see the cultural aesthetic moving from one that inspires and venerates domination to one that inspires collaboration and participation. Though economic pillars of finance, food or housing will always exists, the ways that these pillars are expressed will grow from the foundation of how people seek to be happy and fulfilled. Through this lens, scientific/ technological change is only “progress” insofar as it expresses the advancement of how we see ourselves in relationship to each other and our environment.

“These guys who have fallen hook, line and sinker for this idea of the power of personal wealth really just want to play, you know? And they have no idea how to even do it,” Love says.

Her job is to steward that common playground, facilitating the growth of “aesthetic capital” that ultimately speaks to our sense of play — not our sense of domination — and inspires people into

what she names the God Posture: “evoking self-expression and participation, care and investment.”

According to Love, we are moving out of a consumer culture that ignores psychological and emotional fulfillment, is driven by psycho-emotional deprivation and pushes us toward physical consumption. Without first addressing these root cultural issues, says Love, resilient, sustainable communities will not be possible.

With these elements in mind, she is working with the newly formed Buncombe Cultural Alliance to apply for funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The money would be used to compile a “cultural assets inventory” for Buncombe County. Love says that this is an initial step in defining the scope of Asheville’s “soul,” so that benchmarks can be created for its growth.

Love notes that “arts and culture are the after-effect of creativity,” and creative placemaking is integral to nurturing the collective aesthetic experience that generates creative interaction.

“Using arts programming to change the way public spaces are perceived and used ... ultimately builds a sense of place and ownership for all involved,” she says.

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f e at u r es

Keeping it real

For Chris Joyell, executive director of the Asheville Design Center, that sense of ownership is achieved by making sure the members of a particular community have a say in designing their public spaces themselves. “You can’t fake it up,” he says, “When you think about how a city organically forms, … placemaking is derived from community.”

He explains that for all of its design solutions, the ADC first spends ample time with the communities that will house and experience the spaces to find out what the present problems are, as well as the desired solutions. “If we’ve done our job right, then it’s as if the community had gone to school, studied design and came up with it on their own.”

When local mural artist and ADC volunteer Molly Must spearheaded the Triangle Park mural in 2012, she had a year to complete the project.

“She spent nine months meeting with people in their living rooms, and out in the park, gathering information, stories, audio — and I was beginning to get nervous because we had 270 linear feet to cover,” says Joyell. But then, with the help of The Block’s neighborhood nonprofit Just Folks,

the mural was painted “almost overnight” he says. The mural depicts real scenes, stories and people from the neighborhood — it represents, in art, the community itself.

“Making a place beautiful can definitely aid in building community relationships, but only if it’s the community itself that’s making the decisions and changes,” says Must. “Many communities have been inadvertently displaced by well-intentioned policy-makers and city planners who equate aesthetic ‘placemaking’ with community improvement.”

“Triangle Park is that last remnant of The Block that’s left,” Joyell adds, “The community held onto it and it’s going to help dictate what we see happen as development comes back in.”

The ADC has contributed designs for projects that run the gamut in terms of scale: “Everything from [Interstate] 26 to a bus shelter for New Belgium [Brewing Co.],” he says. But no matter what the scale, Joyell emphasizes, “It’s detail that really captures people’s imaginations, … and it’s the attention to detail that really makes a difference. [And] in doing that with all the input, you can create a real place — a destination where people want to stop, absorb, talk, interact. And the more plac-

es we create like that the better our community becomes.”

Cape, Love, and Joyell all see “places” existing through the detail and character they express. Places don’t hurry you along.

They don’t say, “Nothing to see here.”

Rather they say “Isn’t this beautiful?” And they inspire citizens to engage, interact and care — vital elements to what Cape terms “an infrastructure of resilience.”

“It’s not about painting a wall,” Love adds.

“It’s about having an innovative relationship with your community and creating more than you consume.”

The Arts Council offers fiscal sponsorship to those with specific projects that will add to our common aesthetic capital and partners with Asheville Art in the Park in offering an annual place-making grant, she explains.

“We’re all here because we have something that bonds us to this place,” says Love, “And that seed of similarity between the disparate kinds of people here ... means, on some level, that we all want to play together.”

What happened to the music?

Music is one of the most powerful and influential forms of expression. Throughout history it has been incredibly influential in shaping culture. Young people often define their entire identities based on the music they relate to as they grow up, and society places much responsibility on this relationship. Possessing this kind of power, music has enormous potential to create positive impact. Sadly, we feel the industry that has formed around music today may be delivering the wrong message.

Music events today are associated with excessive alcohol and drug use supporting companies that only care about their bottom line. Artists and venues are limited by contracts backed by large corporate entities and audience focus has shifted away from shared experience and more commercial consumption. There is a great need to re-consider the driving forces and their motivations behind this monumentally influential social mechanism. The power of music can be harnessed and redirected toward a healthier and more inspiring future for individuals, communities, and the environment in which musical culture exists.

This is where New Earth MUZiQ is aiming to take this journey.

New Earth MUZiQ has arrived in Asheville NC, the perfect place to (B)

www.bcorporation.net • www.newearthmusiq.com 38 N. French Broad Avenue • Asheville, NC 28801 22

mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

a solution-oriented practice Permaculture takes root in Wnc Photos courtesy oF ashevillaGe institute

by hayley benton In her Southern opus Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell wrote, “The land is the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for, because it’s the only thing that lasts.”

to develop a symbiotic relationship with the environment.

Thrive off of the land, and the land will thrive in return.

The philosophy behind permaculture is defined by 12 principles written by co-originator of the concept, david Holmgren. The first principle is “observe and interact.”

Learning to respect the land — from observing and interacting with nature or valuing renewable resources and producing no waste — is the foundation of permaculture, which is gaining attention throughout the country and in Western North Carolina. And local advocates say that Asheville and WNC are at the heart of cutting-edge, sustainable land use, which can be used in backyards, at schools, in businesses — or brought to complete fruition at places like Black Mountain’s Earthaven, a self-sustaining, “off-the-grid” eco-village where residents learn bit by bit

But defining permaculture can be challenging.

what is permaculture?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Holmgren writes. “By taking the time to engage with nature, we can design solutions that suit our particular situation.”

Other principles instruct the environmentally conscious to catch and store energy, obtain a yield, apply self-regulation and accept feedback, use and value renewable resources and services, produce no waste, design from patterns to details, integrate rather than segregate, use small and slow

solutions, use and value diversity, use edges and value the marginal and creatively use and respond to change.

Janell Kapoor, founder of Ashevillage Institute, a local nonprofit dedicated to facilitating knowledge with an all-thingsnatural approach, says there are many ways to describe permaculture.

“You probably get a slightly different response to that question from anyone you ask,” she says. “In a nutshell, permaculture is really geared at looking at [the question], ‘How do we, as humans, consciously create and consciously design

cyclIcal systeMs:

“Permaculture is ... an ecological design system for the creation of regenerative human habitats.” — Chuck Marsh, Earthhaven co-founder

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f e at u r es the living world and the systems and the interactions around us on a daily basis?’”

For Kapoor, part of permaculture is also creation. “We have the opportunity as intelligent beings — the opportunity to intentionally make choices and essentially design systems that are respecting and also in balance with the natural world around us,” she says.

Chuck Marsh, co-founder of Earthaven and of Living Systems Design, views permaculture through both a holistic and practical lens.

“Basically what permaculture is, is an ecological design system for the creation of regenerative human habitats,” says Marsh, who began studying the approach in 1981.

“I also call it ‘applied common sense.’”

He says permaculture began as a permanent agriculture movement in Australia designed to enrich the soil and the landscape after destructive agriculture practices depleted natural nutrients. Part of permaculture, then, is building landscapes that become more productive over time, Marsh says, though that is not the whole picture.

“It’s really applying common-sense solutions to the challenges we as humans face in our world — with food security and depletion and exhaustion of natural resources,” Marsh continues. “We take a real, wholesystems approach to problem solving. We basically look for biological solutions and ecological solutions wherever possible to deal with whatever it is.”

You can see many of these principles in action at Earthaven, an off-the-grid community of about 175 people, nestled in a valley just outside Asheville. Earthaven, Marsh says, is part of a global ecovillage movement focusing on “how to live responsibly on the land in our care without depleting or exhausting it.”

“We’re just one of many pioneering efforts on land in the United States,” Marsh says.

“We’re still here. We’re still at it. We’re still making mistakes and learning and growing and adapting.”

Whole-system solutions

Another way to understand permaculture is to think of it as a cyclical system where problems should also be viewed as solutions, says Zev Friedman, vice president of Living Systems Design, which provides permaculture consultation and education to clients around WNC. An example Friedman gives is of a North Asheville property with an invasive-plant problem.

Instead of using herbicides or harmful chemi-

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Mutual Respect:

Permaculture relies on the concept that everything is cyclical. Rather than creating devices that work against the land to relieve our human stresses, permaculturists find solutions using naturally occurring aspects of their environments.

cals, Friedman developed an idea based on the natural instincts of certain animals and plants — and, using the principles of permaculture design, he established a 60-foot long, 6-foot wide chicken run along his client’s property.

“Chickens have a tendency to scratch land down to the bare dirt,” he says. “You can use that tendency of chickens to prevent plants that you don’t want from getting established.

The chickens would patrol that edge, which lets the chickens do what they naturally want to do, but creates it into an asset.”

Another solution: “Plant a thick hedge of elderberries. It grows really fast and produces an edible, highly medicinal berry — prevents flus and colds and all sorts of viruses.

And it out-competes other plants because it grows so fast.”

From the session, Friedman learned his clients were also having an issue with water running off their roofs and across their lawns, so the needs of the elderberries presented the perfect solution to that problem as well.

“The elderberries themselves are water-loving,” Friedman explains. “We diverted [the runoff from the roof] into little pits in the ground that will flow the water down, and

the elderberries will grow from that water.

The water that was running off the roof now nourishes the elderberries.”

In short, Friedman says, “We take all these things that were problems and turn them into solutions.”

Practical applications

“There are lots of pathways to permaculture,” says local permaculturist Justin Holt.

“Since I decided I wanted to become a permaculturist, I’ve realized it’s not just something that can be isolated as ‘one’s job.’

When you really start to get the principles in your bones, really understand the ethics and how to derive your actions from those ethics, your whole life becomes part of this big, living system.”

Holt runs Kudzu Cowboy, a company that helps clients to transition into permaculture design and installations — what he calls “restoration landscaping.” He specializes in kudzu management and removal — using the raw materials of the plant to make baskets and fiber crafts and extracting root starch for cooking and medicinal purposes.

For people looking to learn how to apply permaculture to their daily lives and their

home, Holt recommends thinking back to the founding principles of permaculture: care of the earth, care of the people, sharing the surplus and honoring the intrinsic value of all life.

“A lot of those weeds are actually trees, or would be if you let them grow,” Holt says.

“And there are lots of useful perennials plants that you can introduce if you didn’t want to let the lawn become a forest.”

“I always refer back to those core ethics because it’s a really great grounding for starting to think about permaculture and for deciding what you want to do,” Holt says.

Elderberry is a great native perennial, Holt says. He also recommends sochan (also Friedman also says that there couldn’t be a betcalled green-headed coneflowers) and ter place to learn than WNC. comfrey, which he calls “a wonder plant in permaculture.”

“There’s so much going on — seriously,” he says. “It’s actually a really exciting time Other favorites? “Chickweed, which is a re- to be in Asheville and this area. This is one ally nutritious green. And lamb’s quarters, of the leading places in the whole country which is often pulled out [and treated] as a for cutting-edge sustainable land use.” weed but is very rich in vitamin A. In fact, it has way more nutrients than many of the Marsh adds, “There’s a rich treasure trove wimpy lettuces imported from Europe that around this area of really good programs — are more popular in gardens.” specifically permaculture or some of them that might be various aspects of what we do, property consultings and design.”

A more sustainable life Permaculture, enthusiast say, is fundamentally a solution-oriented practice. No matter For beginning permaculture enthusiasts, where we are in the world, we can apply Holt suggest studying the principles and these principles and come up with solutions literature while also trying a few forays into foraging as a way to develop a working to live a sustainable life. knowledge of the plants and animals that are Friedman points to the example of the already around you. black soldier fly, which eliminates the problem of excess manure in animal en- “Let grow what wants to grow here and learn closures. Ecosystems, like permaculture, how to use it,” Holt says. “The generosity of Friedman says, allow for “this kind of the landscape is overwhelming if you have design process — helping us to deal with the eyes to see it and appreciate it.”

For the home gardener and landscaper, Holt suggests simple starter techniques: garden with perennials, start composting and stop fretting about the height of your grass.

“If you stop mowing your yard for just one year, it’s going to move pretty rapidly into an early sucessional forest,” Holt says.

In place of that micromanaged lawn, you could have a fruit and nut orchard or an edible forest garden, Holt says. And while each situation is unique, you can find what plants want to grow in your lawn just by looking at what grows around the edges where you didn’t mow or the weeds that you’re pulling out. Holt says that the first step towards understanding and implementing permaculture is cultivating an awareness of what already wants to grow on your property and understanding how those plants fit your needs.

situations where we have pollutants, and enter them into actual opportunities instead of problems.

“And that was really hopeful and captivating to me,” he says.

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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clean and green transportation initiatives work to improve the air in Wnc

by Jesse FarthIng It’s 5 p.m., and you’re sitting in backedup traffic trying to get home. You’re stuck, choking on vehicle exhaust, which pollutes the surrounding air. You may think there’s nothing to do but patiently wait it out and repeat the next day.

But there are things you can do, and Asheville is ahead of the game when it comes to looking at the future of transportation and sustainable fleets. With a real need for sustainable transportation solutions, there are many individuals and organizations working to increase access to those cleaner options in our metro area.

Until recently, Americans have been 97 percent dependent on petroleum-based trans-

portation, and 40 percent of the oil we used in 2012 was imported from foreign countries, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That same year, transportation use of petroleum dropped to about 71 percent, a trend that looks to be improving nationwide as more affordable solutions roll out.

“There is no one solution,” says anne tazewell, who manages the Clean Transportation Program at the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. “Right now we’re focused on the things available in the marketplace today — biodiesel, natural gas and propane, electric vehicles and efficient driving habits.”

greener fleets

In the Asheville metro area, the nonprofit transportation service Mountain Mobility has 10 vehicles that run on propane or gas and a dozen that run on compressed natural gas or gasoline. The city of Asheville has more than 30 vehicles running on CNG, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department has several patrol cars running on propane and the Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County switched its more than 80 diesel vehicles to biodiesel in 2003, making MSD the first major purchaser of biodiesel in Buncombe County.

By the end of June 2013, the agency had purchased more than 725,000 gallons of B20, replacing about 145,000 gallons of fossil fuel with oil made from soybeans.

Photo By carrie eidson

a cleaner, greener city : As part of the Asheville’s efforts to support alternative transportation, charging stations can be found at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and other spots around town.

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

“The inspiration, on a personal level for the staff involved, was looking at the amount of miles that we drive and the emissions,” says Lori Hembree, general manager at Mountain Mobility. She and her operations manager “wanted to look at a way to contribute less in terms of vehicle emissions,” Hembree recalls. “Once grant money became available, we started looking at the cost savings and reduced dependence on foreign oils. It has been very successful.”

to … without compromising the public safety aspect.”

The Asheville Police Department is considering greening its fleet too. The APD has three hybrid SUVs used by administrative personnel, one Chevy Volt electric cruiser used downtown and five Ford Fusions used in the criminal investigations division. Beyond that, they say they are assessing the use of green vehicles for more non-patrol vehicles in the future.

“We hope to see big fuel savings,” Gudac says.

“The police department, within the city fleet, is probably the biggest user of fuel in the city,” said Lt. Gary Gudac of the APD. “We are one of the largest divisions within the city, and we also have the most vehicles. So we definitely want to reduce our operating cost and reduce our carbon footprint. That’s something we’ve been looking at for a while, [and we’re] looking at what vehicles we could switch over

But Gudac notes some concerns the department must consider: Can hybrid vehicles deliver power when needed, get through or around traffic, or maintain power on steep mountain roads? The biggest thing APD has done recently, he says, is to purchase 29 new Ford police interceptors with “smart” engines that cut down on fuel consumption when power isn’t needed.

Cleaner cities

Bill Eaker is the Clean Cities coordinator for the Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition, which works with vehicle fleets, fuel providers and community leaders to reduce petroleum use in transportation in Western North Carolina. The coalition worked toward getting Land-of-Sky’s five-county area certified by the U.S. Department of Energy as a clean city in July 2012, something that Eaker says is very proud of.

“The federal clean cities program, which is 20 years old, designates metropolitan areas, and in some cases entire states, as clean cities after those [area leaders] have proven to the DOE that they are serious about reducing their petroleum use and improving their

quality through the use of all these technologies,” Eaker says. “There’s a lot you have to do over a period of years to prove to the Department of Energy that you are serious and worthy of being designated.

“Just because you are designated a ‘clean city’ does not mean by any means that you are clean,” Eaker is quick to note with a laugh. “What it means is that these are areas that are working toward being clean. Some of them may be clean in terms of air quality; others may have severe air-quality problems, and they are working toward it by using more sustainable forms of transportation.”

One of the main objectives of the clean cities program, says Eaker, is to reduce dependency on foreign oil, especially oil coming from unfriendly countries.

“There’s a lot of interest in the use of alternative fuels and more sustainable transportation in the region, especially the Asheville/ Buncombe County region,” Eaker says.

The coalition makes use of that interest by sitting down with fleet managers and helping them analyze their fleets to determine what kind of alternative fuels they could put to use, whether it be biodiesel, CNG, propane or electric hybrids. Then the coalition helps find federal and state grants available

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For express service and to view our music and event calendar, go to: www.espressoandjuicebar.com, and check out our fresh food and drink specials on our FB page at Medea’s Espresso & Juice Bar.

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f e at u r es for vehicle purchasing, conversion or infrastructure installation.

“We’ve made a lot of progress,” Eaker says.

“In the last year, with all of our partners, we reduced petroleum use by about 800,000 gallons through all of the different fuels and technologies. Asheville is a leader in terms of the variety of fuels and technologies.”

People power

There are also several things commuters can do to reduce emissions and help to make this a greener area to live. Electric hybrid cars are a popular option, and there are more than 50 charging cords at 25 locations around the region. The N.C. Solar Center also offers a few tips for nonhybrid drivers, including coasting on downhill stretches when it’s a safe option, lightening loads to improve efficiency, reducing idle times, keeping speeds under 65 miles per hour as much as possible and considering smaller vehicles when it comes time to update your ride.

“The first one is quality of life,” Sule says.

“It’s a lot of fun to get outside and ride your bike to a destination. It slows down the pace of life, you get some quality exercise, and you get to re-engage with your community.

Secondly, Sule says, riding your bike saves you money.

“AAA estimates that the average American spends $10,000 a year on the total costs of owning an automobile,” Sule says. “Even if you do own a car but choose to ride part of the time, you’re still saving yourself money.”

He adds that riding a bike means you’re doing your part for preserving a healthy environment.

“Save the planet and save money at the same time,” Tazewell says.

Meanwhile, Asheville and Buncombe County are working on building connected greenway systems that can make it easier to get around by bike or foot. The city currently contains 4.3 miles of developed greenways and is working toward a vision of a 15-mile system. The county has adopted a greenway plan and is in the early stages of funding it.

Biking is another great, clean transportation choice. Mike Sule, founder of Asheville on Bikes, says there is a three-tiered benefit from choosing to ride instead of drive.

“Our system is moving toward connectivity,” Sule says. “We’re not quite there yet, but in the city of Asheville there are a lot of champions who are supporting greenways.”

The next hurdle is establishing interconnected greenways throughout Buncombe County, Sule says, in part for the boost they bring to businesses along greenways.

“We’ve got some work to do on demonstrating that a robust greenway system is healthy for the community,” Sules says. “I think we’ve made that case in Asheville, but the next place to really make that case is countywide.”

For the best places to ride in the city, the Asheville Parks and Greenways Foundation has created an active transportation map — the Get Moving Map — that can be found at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce as well as most bike shops in town.

So while you may still find yourself stuck in traffic, the spread of cleaner transportation methods will, in time, reduce the amount of pollution in the air. From improving greenways to increasing the ease of active transportation methods like walking and biking, to expanding usage of alternative fuels in city fleets and encouraging electric vehicle ownership by providing numerous charging stations, Asheville is continuing its move toward a cleaner, greener city.

76 Biltmore Ave Asheville, NC 28801 828-254-2668 www.builditnaturally.com Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Sat 10am-2pm

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Photo By carrie eidson

together and equal supporting diversity for a sustainable, healthy city by carrIe eIdson What are we talking about when we talk about sustainability in Asheville? Do we mean cleaner air and environmental preservation? More city parks, better education, access to good food and quality housing? All these things help make a sustainable, happier, healthier city.

But history shows that the vision of a prosperous city often fails to include all the residents. For low-income communities, people of color, women and other minorities, basic desires like achieving workplace equality or attaining safe, affordable housing may be more difficult. Access to green spaces is often more limited in low-income neighborhoods; children of minorities often face increased discrimination in schools.

“There is a point to which people can be agents of their own life and their own change,” says deborah miles, executive director of the Center for Diversity Education at UNC Asheville. “But after a while, if they and all the people around them are acted upon, instead of being their own agents, then their feelings of self-esteem, of self-efficacy, the belief that they have some control over what happens in their life, diminishes.”

If we think of sustainable systems as diverse but interdependent parts of a whole, then the disempowerment of minorities is not

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only a danger for the health and well-being of those communities: Miles cautions that without all the voices of a diverse citizenry, we diminish the power of a city’s democracy and its overall health.

the legacy of separate but equal

Like many cities throughout the country, Asheville has its own dark history that includes subduing the power of minority communities.

“We know from eyewitness testimony that Asheville was a segregated city,” says Miles.

“Restaurants, hotels, buses, pools, school, libraries — everything.”

She says segregation in Asheville, as in most of the country, was carried out through redlining, named for the literal act of drawing a red line around communities on a map — communities where financial institutions denied service, usually African-American or low-income neighborhoods. Segregation was reinforced from the 1940s through 1960s as part of urban renewal, when cities improved tax bases by installing new trans-

portation corridors and expressways, often by sending the new construction through low-income communities and uprooting African-American neighborhoods.

“Asheville is a microcosm of all the federal legislation, all the banking practices, all the social experimentation that occurred throughout the country,” Miles says.

Though some of this effort may have been intended to remove substandard housing stock, Miles says, the actual result was destruction of the social fabric of nearly all of Asheville’s African-American communities.

“The concern always seems to be, ‘What is best for more well-to-do citizens?’ rather than ‘How can we live together?’ or ‘How can we have good education, good air, access to healthy food, for everyone?’” says Miles.

The effects of urban renewal can be seen in Asheville’s East End neighborhood, which includes Eagle and Market streets, as well as the YMI Cultural Center. For the first half of the 20th century, East End was the commercial hub for Asheville’s African-American community, with about 70 residences and about 50 small businesses.

achieving the dream, together:

Every January, Asheville residents turn out to City/County Plaza to honor and remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The legacy of “separate but equal” still poses a challenge as communities work to create a sustainable and inclusive future.

“Urban renewal splintered community,” says Stephanie Swepson-Twitty, president and CEO of Eagle Market Streets Development Corp. “They didn’t just tear down bricks or mortar, or tear down physical structures. They tore down the fabric of the community, so that those folk who lived down the street and could shop in their community no longer could do that. Those folk lost their identity.”

Swepson-Twitty says the loss of housing stock in East End and other neighborhoods left many in those communities with no other option but public housing. And public housing, Swepson-Twitty says, was a place where fear, insecurity and despair became concentrated and strengthened.

“You didn’t create a better life by putting people in these pockets where all the same ideas and mentalities and fears coexisted,” Swepson-Twitty says. “People didn’t feel a motivation to come out of that situation.

“The tragedy of urban renewal was that it took away people’s hope,” she continues.

“The family that had the corner store lost their livelihood. The neighborhood that was immediately adjacent lost its connection to this neighborhood, and so they couldn’t grow together.”

Undoing the damage of urban renewal has been an ongoing process, and SwepsonTwitty says that for the last 25 years there have been efforts to revitalize the area around Eagle and Market streets known as The Block, including the formation of the nonprofit Eagle Market Streets Development Corp. in 1994.

“It’s speculative, but if this hadn’t happened, I think now we would be looking at how to improve ourselves, rather than how to reinvent ourselves,” Swepson-Twitty says.

In late 2013, the EMSDC received funding to partner with another local nonprofit, Mountain Housing Opportunities. Together, the organizations developed a new mixed-use space called Eagle Market Place. The project will include 62 workforce-affordable rentals, in addition to retail and community space. But as much as the new project is about revitalization of the neighborhood, Swepson-Twitty says, the vision is rooted in collaboration.

“We, as a culture, had this sense that we could be ‘separate but equal,’” SwepsonTwitty says. “Well, that won’t work. The resources need to be shared by all of us, in order for all of us to participate.”

Eagle Market Place will lease space to “strong businesses” from across the city and across

the region, Swepson-Twitty says. She envisions a future for The Block that is vibrant and economically healthy, while making the neighborhood a shopping, entertainment and cultural destination for all the residents of Asheville and its visitors.

“In order for us to be whole, we have to be inclusive,” she says. “We have to be willing to say, regardless of our ethnicities, if you bring value to the community, then you have a place in the community.”

The economics of diversity

When we think about diversity and sustainability, it’s important not to overlook the practical side — the dollars and cents of the equation.

“I think Asheville does a great job at looking at the environmental concepts behind sustainability, but we do a poor job looking at the economic concepts behind sustainability,” says Mark Hebbard of Just Economics.

Hebbard uses the example of natural systems, where you see diverse systems working in harmony and rarely find monoculture.

“If you come in and plant one crop, the quality of the soil and the surrounding environment suffers,” Hebbard says. “Similarly, if we had only huge, corporate establishments

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f e at u r es without the small businesses, it wouldn’t be too long before there wouldn’t be very many small businesses left or even people interested in starting small businesses.”

How does that relate to diversity? When we look at the structure of many national corporations, Hebbard says, we’re less likely to see women and minorities in the upper ranks. However, when we look at Asheville’s small, locally owned businesses, particularly those that have received Living Wage Certification from Just Economics, the opposite seems to be true.

“The Living Wage Certified employers that we have, there’s a lot of diversity in there,” Hebbard says. “We have a lot of women- and minority-owned businesses. I think [it’s] a lot higher representation than the overall percentage here.”

Just Economics began the Living Wage Certified program in 2008. The organization promotes education about the importance of paying a living wage and has certified more than 330 businesses, making it the largest living-wage certification program in the nation. And that’s important, Hebbard says, because in Asheville, as in the rest of the nation, women and minorities are typically paid less.

But there’s another benefit to supporting small businesses, Hebbard says: Small-business owners are more likely to live in the same communities as their employees, giving them a personal investment in the future of their employees and their neighborhoods.

“When the owners of the companies actually socialize with their employees — when they shop at the same stores, when they see each other on the street — when that happens, the employers understand the plight of their employees better,” Hebbard says.

“When you have a separation between the owners of the company and the employees, it becomes easier to look away or to not feel a connection to your employees.”

That’s why it’s important to support minority-owned businesses in minority communities, Hebbard says. Through its Voices Program, the nonprofit aims to build leadership among low-wage workers and low-income persons, which often means minorities and women.

“Instead of having people in privilege advocate for people in poverty, we want to empower folks in poverty to get back in the community to advocate for themselves and others like themselves,” Hebbard says. “To build up their communities and to direct and drive our work.”

Sineath Construction is a family-owned custom builder and remodeler. We strive to make the relationship with our clients our number one priority. Through this relationship, we will make your project environmentally friendly, happy and healthy for your family.

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Ending self-segregation

While there may be many efforts underway to overcome the history of separate-butequal in Asheville, there are communities still experiencing the kind of persecution that seems to be plucked from the pages of a history book — including racial profiling, sexual harassment and wage theft.

Mirian Porras works at Nuestro Centro, a community outreach center whose stated goal is helping people affected by racism, classism, homophobia, sexism and unjust and corrupt economic policies and political systems. The center offers English as a second language (ESL) classes and connections to services such as food pantries and health clinics. The staff facilitates communication for those who feel uncomfortable with the language barrier and works to foster relationships between the Latino community and local law enforcement.

They also work to stop the exploitation of their community, which Porras says is a bigger problem than many may realize.

“It’s really hard to stand up for your rights when you don’t speak the language, because you will be told, ‘You don’t understand what’s going on,’” Porras says. “That’s a big excuse.

There is a lot of this going on in Asheville, but people don’t know. Many in the Latino community don’t want to speak. They are afraid and they stay silent for a long, long time.”

Porras tells the story of a woman who sought assistance at Nuestro Centro after being the repeated target of racial epithets and sexual harassment in her workplace. Like many in the Latino community, Porras says the woman chose to “self-segregate,” focusing on her work and withdrawing from her co-workers.

“When you work 10 hours, more, every day, eventually that makes you feel alone and depressed,” Porras says. “It’s not a way to live.”

What made matters worse is that when the woman spoke to her manager about the situation, she was told that because she didn’t speak English, she simply misunderstood what had happened. Porras says that’s an outcome all too common and one that leads many in her community to leave abuse unreported.

“Even if you have a barrier with the language, you know when you’ve been discriminated [against],” Porras says. “You know when you’ve been sexually harassed. You know when you’ve been exploited. If your manager doesn’t want to hear it, find someone who does. Do not remain silent.”

Porras says the work of Nuestro Centro is outreach, letting Latinos know they are not alone.

The nonprofit also helps victims of sexual harassment and wage theft to feel safe and have their complaints heard. Nuestro Centro also

Planting seeds of love: Nuestro Centro hosts a cultural day at Emma Elementary School to introduce students to Latino culture and help Spanishspeaking parents feel included and welcome. Activities include teaching the children traditional Mexican dances to be performed at school assemblies.

Photo by Carrie Eidson

works to get Latino parents more involved with local schools and holds cultural days to educate non-Latino children about the customs of their fellow students and remove what Porras calls “seeds of hate” from a younger generation.

“When you begin to link people, you erase

the segregation of the Latino community,” Porras says. “It’s really hard to link communities, but it’s a basic need.

“We want to rest of the community to know us, so our children can live in peace,” she continues. “We don’t want to live in a place that is unsafe or filled with prejudice.”

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f e at u r es

Remember the past and plan for the future: Mountain Housing

Opportunities and Eagle Market Streets Development Corp. hope Eagle Place, below, will bring revitilization and a spirit of inclusiveness to the area known as The Block. image courtesy of Eagle Market Streets Development Corp.

Moving forward

Looking at Asheville’s history, it’s clear the movement toward a more sustainable future has come a long way. But have we succeeded in creating a healthy, happy city for all the residents?

Problems still exist in Asheville. Miles points out that for residents of many low-income neighborhoods, such as Pisgah View Apartments, access to green space still means having to cross high-speed, high-traffic roads.

And the evidence of generations of white flight is still visible in Asheville City Schools. In a city that is about 13 percent African-American and about 80 percent white, about 40 percent of the students in Asheville City Schools are African-American, says Miles. Furthermore, children of minorities are more likely to face bullying, especially Latino children, she says.

Porras also cautions that many Latino parents who would otherwise be involved in local schools feel unwelcome by other parents because they do not speak English.

So what can individuals do to reach across barriers of race, gender or income? Start simple, Miles suggests.

Talk to your cashier at the checkout counter and say, “Thank you.” Build relationships outside your peer group. Increase your cultural awareness by watching TV shows or reading magazines de-

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

signed to appeal to a different demographic. Go to cultural festivals. Donate money to community groups working to revitalize their neighborhoods. If you’re an employer, look at your pipelines: How do you recruit your employees and are you always pulling from the same sources?

“Small encounters change lives,” Miles says.

Porras adds that encouraging communication is a giant step, and while the Latino community should work to learn English, we should also encourage the rest of the community to learn “even a little bit of Spanish.” It’s also important, she adds, that all members of the community report sexual harassment, wage theft and racial profiling when they see it, whether directly affected by it or not.

“We have to listen to each other, to be empathetic with the problems of the Latino community, and participate,” Porras says. “All the communities in Asheville should work on tolerance.”

For Swepson-Twitty, a sustainable city can only be achieved by holding onto a vision of collaboration and inclusiveness.

“A healthy, sustainable community is inclusive — meaning there is a voice for all the people who live there, work there, enjoy entertainment or go to church there,” she says. “You and I are much better together than we are separately.”

partner p r o fi le

Western North Carolina Green Building Council its existence, WNCGBC has educated more than 6,000 building professionals and homeowners by providing building science and weatherization training. The council has also worked with local governments and utilities to provide training and incentives for green buildings.

We host classes and events throughout the year to teach builders, architects, Realtors, and the general public how they can build green, sell green, and live in green homes. The primary and most valuable educational tool the WNCGBC produces is the annual Green Building Directory, a resource guide and directory of professionals. The Directory is available online and distributed throughout WNC.

Photo courtesy of WNCGBC

The Western North Carolina Green Building Council (WNCGBC) is a membership supported, 501C3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote environmentally sustainable and health conscious building practices through community education.

Buildings are responsible for 39 percent of annual carbon emissions, 65 percent of waste, 12 percent of water use and 71 percent of electricity use in the U.S. Building and renovating green is imperative to a sustainable future. Not only do green building techniques help the environment, they also save money and protect health by reducing toxic chemicals, providing adequate ventilation and promoting more durable materials in the places where we live and work.

WNCGBC began as a casual gathering of five building professionals in the spring of 2000. A common desire to educate others on the health and environmental impacts of design and construction led to the official formation of the council in 2001. Throughout

The WNCGBC also administers the Green Built NC Home Certification Program. Green Built NC is a voluntary, statewide program that aims to educate and provide third party quality assurance that homes are built to green construction standards. New houses in the program follow a checklist and as they are built are evaluated by a third-party Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rater. Similar to Green Built, but national in scope, the WNCGBC is also a provider for LEED-Homes, a national green building certification program of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Our newest program is Green Gauge. This simple and affordable tool assesses how green a home actually is and is open to both new and existing homes. It is the perfect comparison tool for buyers or sellers of green homes or for homeowners needing recommendations on how to make their home greener. Participants receive a one-page Gauge highlighting the green features of the home. The Gauge illustrates how the energy and indoor water use of the home compare to average homes in the region.

In 2013, the WNCGBC began hosting the Living Building Challenge Collaborative-Asheville, which certifies buildings that are net zero energy, net zero water, have locally sourced materials and zero red list chemicals. Hoping to inspire builders and designers to think beyond “less bad” buildings, the Living Building Challenge offers ideas and a path forward to truly sustainable living.

The WNC Green Building Council offers a free hotline for your questions, many online educational resources and provides assistance through its many programs. If building new, the WNCGBC can help you through the process of certifying your home through Green Built NC or LEED-Homes. If renovating or buying, consider our new Green Gauge Assessment. Become a member online at WNCGBC.org!

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pa r t ner p r o f i le

Mountain BizWorks Founded in 1989, mountain BizWorks is a local nonprofit organization and U.S. Treasury certified nonprofit community development financial institution (CDFI) serving Western North Carolina. We are one of nearly 1,300 CDFIs operating in the U.S., 200 operating in the Southeast and 16 operating in North Carolina. CDFIs exist to provide access to credit and other services that contribute to the economic stabilization of families and communities.

For 25 years, Mountain BizWorks has been making business loans ranging from $1,000 to $150,000 to small businesses in Western North Carolina who may have trouble securing funding from banks and other traditional sources.

What makes Mountain BizWorks unique is that all loan decisions and relationships are managed locally. We work to ensure our clients’ success by offering highly customized, peer-to-peer business coaching by an extensive network of local, successful business owners. This innovative blend of lending and learning helps entrepreneurs overcome obstacles, grow strategically and create jobs.

We provide business loans and coaching to emerging and established small businesses in Western North Carolina. We have a particular focus on working with businesses unable to access financing from banks and other traditional sources, as well as low-income, minority, women and immigrant entrepreneurs, and businesses that operate within the local food system. All of our services are available in Spanish and English.

As you might be aware, Mountain BizWorks has undergone a transition over the last few months. Change is never easy, but these changes have

Photo courtesy of Mountain Bizworks

allowed us to become more streamlined, strategic, and sustainable. Step by step, we are moving forward and continuing our support of Western North Carolina's entrepreneurs and local businesses. We're pleased to report that — from December 2013 to February 2014 — Mountain BizWorks has: • Closed 23 loans totaling $518,000; on pace for a $2 million year • Provided 300 hours of business coaching to local entrepreneurs.

• Taught 100 entrepreneurs in seven classes.

To date, Mountain Bizworks has delivered $9 million in loans to 715 WNC businesses and served over 6,000 clients.

For more information, visit mountainbizworks.org.

Photo courtesy of Mountain Bizworks

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

l i s t i ng s

listings WHAT THE ICONS MEAN

✔ a f c b d h

ACCEPTS ASHEVILLE GROWN’S GO LOCAL CARD “APPALACHIAN GROWN,” CERTIFIED BY ASAP

listings directory arts

36

Arts, crafts & DIY supplies/services

36

Framing

38

Studios

38

Building construction, improvement & repair

Builders, general contractors

39

JUST ECONOMICS LIVING WAGE CERTIFIED EMPLOYER

Building materials

40

Garage

40

Green builders

40

Heating and cooling

41

Remodeling & contracting

41

Mold/water damage

42

LOCALLY OWNED, INDEPENDENT BUSINESS

the contents of this directory are intended for informational purposes only. the certifying partners and Mountain Xpress do not endorse or recommend the products or services mentioned herein, and disclaim any and all warranties, express or implied, in any way related to advertisements, events, businesses, organizations or other information presented within the Get it Guide.

Arts arts, crafts & diy supplies/serVices Echoview Fiber Mill h c

Animal fiber processing and fiber art supplies for knitting, weaving, crochet, spinning, felting and more produced by sustainable, Gold LEED certified environmentally friendly processes.

Foundry h✔ b

92 Charlotte St., Asheville 255-2533 • digfoundry.com Specializing in one-of-a-kind gifts handcrafted from repurposed and reclaimed materials. Featuring keepsakes for the home, jewelry and original art; Foundry illuminates the versatility of upcycling.

fact asheville is ranked as the ninth “hungriest” city in the u.s.

— Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council

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Good Fibrations a h

27 Ivan Bridge Drive, Barnardsville 626-4303 • buyappalachian.org/listing/ good-fibrations Marcia's colored and white Angora goats produce mohair for her custom spun yarn.

Products for sale include handpainted yarn, raw mohair, apparel and registered goats.

Purl's Yarn Emporium h ✔ c b

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pets & animals Pet kennels, boarding retail

62 62 62

Baby & children’s goods

62

Body products

62

Bookshops, comics

62

Boutique Clothing

62

Boutique shops

66

Home furnishings

66

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Kitchenwares

66

Children’s activities

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Organic Lifestyles

66

Colleges & universities

42

Creative workshops, classes, educators

42

education & learning & children’s services

Schools—private, charter, homeschooling 42 environmental

43

Efficiency Products/Services

43

Energy audits/rating

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Energy—alternative

43

Environmental/ ecological education & consulting

46

Indoor air quality

46

Organizations

46

Recycling/composting

46

Water filtration/conservation

46

events, Venues & excursions

76 Jupiter Road, Weaverville 855-693-4237 • echoviewfibermill.com

lodging

60

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Architects & designers

WNC GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL MEMBER

Nonprofits & charitable organizations

Bed & breakfasts and farm lodging

GREEN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION MEMBER

MOUNTAIN BIZWORKS CLIENT

government & nonprofit services

46

services Accounting & payroll services

66 66

Computer repair, services, supplies

66

Consultants—general

66

Counseling—life, business

66

Credit unions

67

Financial consultants

67

Graphic & printing services

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House cleaning services

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Realtors

68

Woodworkers

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transportation

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Automotive—sales & service

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Bike shops & repair

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Co-work spaces

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Event planning

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Festivals

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Acupuncturists

Tours

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Alternative health practitioners

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Venues

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Chiropractors

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Counseling & therapy

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farm, farm-related

48

Beekeeping services/supplies

48

wellness & spirituality

68 68

Exercise facilities & movement classes

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Eyecare

70

Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs)

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Farms

48

Health clinics

70

Supplies & services

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Herbalists

70

Tailgate markets

49

Massage therapists, bodywork

70

Maternity care

70

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Medical specialists

70

food & drink

10 Wall St., Asheville 253-2750 • purlsyarnemporium.com

Bakeries

50

Retreats & places of worship

70

Breweries & Brewing Supplies

50

Purl's is a welcoming space for knitters and crocheters. We offer help, tools, community and yarns from around the world and just around the mountain.

Spas

70

Coffee/Tea Shops & Roasters

50

Yoga

71

Food delivery services

50

Grocers, co-ops, health food stores

50

Restaurants

52

Landscape contractors, design & maintenance71

Retail & artisan producers

57

Permaculture

71

Sweets, desserts

59

Plant nurseries

72

Wine/Beer stores, vineyards

59

Supplies

72

yard, garden & landscape71

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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l istings

p r o fi l e

Alembic Studio h d c 13 1/2 Eagle St., Asheville 333-4647 • alembicstudio.com

Refined designs of custom homes and landscapes that combine local resources and natural materials with superior energy and water conservation strategies.

Ten Thousand Villages c b

10 College St., Asheville 254-8374 • asheville.tenthousandvillages.com

Photo courtesy of soiL

365 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 225-3117 • blackbirdframe.com

School of Integrated lIvIng school of integrated Living's (SOIL) mission is to inspire and empower people to live responsible and creative lives by providing experiential education in integrated living and regenerative systems.

farms of their hosts and faculty for hands-on, skill-building, life-changing experiences. The Immersions take place at the farms and off-grid neighborhood homesteads within and near Earthaven Ecovillage.

We are based out of Western North Carolina at Earthaven Ecovillage, a 20-year-old intentional community devoted to sustainable education. This village and farming community has the unique ability to host hands-on, skill-building immersions with the physical, economic, agricultural and social infrastructure necessary for featuring some of the most exciting aspects of whole-life education.

The curriculum is based on the “three-legged stool of sustainability” and approaches the topics of social, ecological and economic issues through organic food, regenerative systems, community living and mindfulness.

The Farm and Ecovillage Immersion is profound and dynamic, combining ancient and modern wisdom and empowering people of all ages to become stewards, mentors, entrepreneurs and leaders.

Our residential, service learning program, called Farm and Ecovillage Immersions, places its participants into the villages, homes, lives, businesses and

For more information about the School of Integrated Living, visit schoolofintegratedliving.org.

Antiques • Uniques e Consignment & Salvag OVER

2 6,0 0 0

We Play Vinyl All Day Long 26 Glendale Ave • 828.505.1108 • Mon-Sat 9a - 6p • Sun 11a - 6p

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framing BlackBird Frame & Art h ✔ c

studios Centerpoint Studios h c b

Legerton Architecture, P.A. h d c

21 North Liberty St., Asheville 251-9125 • legertonarchitecture.com Legerton Architecture specializes in the design of residential, institutional, commercial, and community projects.

Sustainable and energy-efficient design is integrated into all of our projects.

Samsel Architects h d

60 Biltmore Ave., Asheville 253-1124 • samselarchitects.com

320 Lakewood Drive, Asheville 253-1118 • centerpointstudios.net

Haw Creek Forge h✔ b

2000 Riverside Drive, No. 6, Asheville 285-9785 • hawcreekforge.com

Building Construction, Improvement & Repair architects & designers

Scott W Bartholomew Architecture h d

14 S. Pack Square, Suite 361, Asheville 712-1297 • swbarchitecture.com Scott W Bartholomew Architecture is a small firm based in Asheville, specializing in residential and commercial, green/ sustainable architecture.

Stephens Smith Farrell Architecture h d

179 S. Delano Road, Asheville 231-4915 • AshevilleArchitect.com Stephens Smith Farrell Architecture is committed to building a sustainable future.

Join us in this celebration of artistry and culture through green design.

We Want Your Junk

$20 OFF first time removal 828.707.2407 garrisonrecycling@gmail.com theregenerationstation.blogspot.com • junkrecyclers.net

pro fil e

aShevIlle-BUncoMBe food PolIcy coUncIl

fact stormwater runoff can pose a major threat to infrastructure, the environment and our health. diverting the water to vegetated areas on your property such as rain gardens or rain barrels can help reduce the runoff.

— RiverLink

Builders, general contractors

Burr Construction d

39 North Pershing Road, Asheville 296-1223 Traditional and modern materials – Highlevel craftsmanship – Buildings, additions and remodels in the Asheville area since 2000.

Faulkner Woodworking and Construction h d

61 King St., Brevard 577-5493 • faulknerwoodworking.com/ index.html Brevard-based woodshop and homebuilder who offers tasteful construction with an experienced skill base. Services include: Licensed Contracting services, remodels, timber framing, cabinetry and custom furniture.

JAG and Associates Construction, Inc. h d c 33 Mineral Springs Road, Asheville 216-0914 • JAGGREEN.com

The asheville-Buncombe Food policy Council (ABFPC) is a community-based advisory group that identifies and proposes innovative policy solutions to improve local food systems, spur local economic development and make food systems environmentally sustainable and socially just.

ABFPC members include nonprofit organizations, local government representatives, community advocates, farmers, local businesses, students and others. The organization formed in 2011 when local advocates and policymakers recognized that “food insecurity” — lack of access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food at all times, also called “hunger” — is an urgent problem in Asheville and Buncombe County with profound effects on residents’ health and wellbeing.

Asheville is ranked as the ninth “hungriest” city in the U.S. Since 2011, the ABFPC has worked closely with local decision makers and community partners to create policies that support food security and healthy food access.

We partnered with the cty of Asheville Office of Sustainability to create the city’s first “Food Action Plan.” We also worked with the Asheville City Council to change zoning regulations to allow tailgate markets and market stands in residential areas.

Anyone with an interest in food security, food access and food systems is welcome to get involved with ABFPC! Visit our website (abfoodpolicy. org) to learn more about our work and ways you can get involved.

Osada Construction h d c

138 Charlotte St., Suite 220, Asheville 606-5295 • osadaconstruction.com

Continuous Improvement Construction LLC h d

125 Walker Cove Road, Black Mountain 551-7573 • cic-llc.squarespace.com Specializing in healthy, energy efficient and durable construction, we are a fullservice residential general contractor, building quality new homes, additions and remodels. Design assistance available.

SAGE Builders h d

299 Morgan Branch Road, Leicester 713-7208 • thesagebuilders.com SAGE Builders creates Sustainable, Appropriate, Green and Efficient (SAGE) homes. SAGE specializes in building handcrafted homes using custom woodworking and solar designs.

Photo By carrie eidson

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Beach Builders Inc. h d Sineath Construction h d 65 Monticello Road, Weaverville 645-8518 • sineathconstruction.com

Photo courtesy of BuncoMBe fruit & nut cLuB

BFNC is a place where people get together to share a common passion — the shear joy of fruits and nuts and each others’ company. Our members have been stewarding the creation of edible parks since 2003 and the club has facilitated the creation of four edible parks in Buncombe County. We now care for five edible parks around town.

We direct our passion towards public service without the bureaucracy of a formal organization. We call ourselves a "lead-

erful disorganization." There is no president, but rather a loose conglomerate of individuals who come together and lead separate initiatives that serve the public good. If the club is made of "loose bolts” it can change and grow and always be relevant to the present needs of the community and its participants.

We learn about cultivating fruit trees, support the idea of public access to food, have a blast and — more importantly — cultivate civic leaders. We assist school programs with fruit trees grown in conjunction with their garden programs. The four elements of our club — fun, education, community building and maintenance — overlap and complement each other.

For more information, fruitandnutclub.com.

Owned by a native Ashevillian with 14 years of residential construction experience, our focus is creating sensibly crafted, energy-efficient homes.

76 Biltmore Ave., Asheville 254-2668 • builditnaturally.com

BUncoMBe frUIt & nUt clUB Downtown Asheville boasts one of the oldest public fruit forests in the world. For this reason, the Buncombe Fruit and nut Club started in 2008 to care for The George Washington Carver Park, an edible park about an acre in size that contains 40 different varieties of edible fruits and nuts.

Building materials Build It Naturally Inc. h ✔ c b

PO Box 7646, Asheville 28802 450-1508 • BeachBuildersInc.com

garage

Blue Ridge Energy Systems h d

28 Sourwood Lane, Fletcher 775-8665 • blueridgeenergysystems. com

Asheville Garage Door Service Inc. h c 277 Lynn Cove Road, Asheville 255-0830 • ashevillegaragedoor.com

We design and build super-insulated, passive solar, affordable homes. You can heat and cool our homes for under 200$ annually. Thirty-plus years of local operation.

Asheville Garage Door Service is a locally owned business. The company offers sales, service and installation of residential and commercial garage doors and electric openers.

green Builders Arrowood Builders h d 3861 Bull Creek Road, Marshall 989-9800

We are a local "Green" focused company specializing in Remodeling, Additions, Weatherization, and Decks.

Eco-Huts h d

371 Reed St., Asheville 564-1125 • eco-huts.com Eco-Huts specializes in tiny studios and sustainable eco-friendly homes crafted with local antique reclaimed materials, poplar bark siding, solar electricity, and living roofs. Contact eco-huts.com

visit

Cheri Wagner Certified Medical Herbalist

“One of only 16 Medical Herbalist practicing in the US”

Specialties include Family health, Chronic conditions and Cancer care.

Formulating personalized remedies for all your health concerns!

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Asheville Construction Inc. h ✔ d c

1302 Patton Ave., Asheville 776-6909 • ashevilleconstruction.com Unlimited green general contractor imagining/designing/building WNC efficient homes/businesses/remodels since 1992. Local subcontractors/ suppliers/men for your state of the art construction. All large and small jobs welcomed.

JAG and Associates Construction, Inc. h d c 33 Mineral Springs Road, Asheville 216-0914 • JAGGREEN.com JAG Construction is a builder of fine custom homes as well as "JAG Built" semi-custom designs. Our focus is on sustainability and community.

prof i le Mountain Housing Opportunities Inc. d

64 Clingman Ave., Suite 101, Asheville 254-4030 • mtnhousing.org Mountain Housing Opportunities is committed to green building practices and has been for more than 25 years. We're dedicated to environmental sustainability and building affordable housing.

heating and cooling

Asheville Geothermal Inc. h ✔ d c b

Asheville 712-6786 • ashevillegeothermal.com We are the Western North Carolina Geothermal experts and only do geothermal. Certified GeoExchange Designer and IGSHPA geothermal accredited Installer and driller trainer on staff.

BIltMore eState At Biltmore, sustainable thinking has been the centerpiece of our efforts to serve as a model in our community regarding environmental stewardship. Our emphasis on sustainability has been inspired by George Vanderbilt’s vision of Biltmore as a working estate.

Our current projects include solar panels to generate our own renewable energy source. We now have nine total acres of solar panels that offset our energy usage by 20 percent. Plus, the solar fields continue to serve as pasture for estate sheep that supply lamb to our restaurants enabling us to utilize the land for agricultural use.

Another major effort is our canola plantings. We planted 50 acres of non-GMO canola which is converted to 5,000 to 6,000 gal-

lons of biodiesel oil annually to power various farm machines around the estate.

We run a 10-acre Field to Table production garden as part of our emphasis on local food. Our garden provides a variety of vegetables, herbs and small fruit yearround, all of which are used in estate restaurants, along with both estate-raised and locally sourced meats.

Appalachia’s Tiny Home Company

As a family-owned business, our top priority is preserving and protecting Biltmore for future generations; using sustainable practices ensures that vision is carried on.

For more information about the Biltmore Estate, visit biltmore.com.

Solar Dynamics Inc. h d 40 Green Valley Road, Asheville 665-8507 • solardynamicsnc.com

Perfect for...

We design, install and repair hydronic radiant floor heating systems. High efficiency, quiet and clean. May be used with solar hot water. Free estimate.

- Guest Cottage - Artists’ Studio - Yoga/Massage - Vacation Rental - Backyard Office

remodeling & contracting

Continuous Improvement Construction LLC h d

125 Walker Cove Road, Black Mountain 551-7573 • cic-llc.squarespace.com Specializing in healthy, energy efficient and durable construction, we are a fullservice residential general Contractor, building quality new homes, additions and remodels. Design assistance available.

“At Eco-Huts, HomE is wHErE tHE Hut is.”

fact the Biltmore estate’s 9-acre solar farm offsets its energy usage by 20 percent.

— Biltmore Estate

Photo courtesy of BiLtMore estate

828.564.1125 www.eco-huts.com

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colleges & uniVersities

BlUe rIdge hoPS

Green Built Environments h d 25 St. Dunstans Circle, Asheville 707-2919 • greenbuilt-e.com

Designing from the 'inside out,' renovating to create a truly green and healthy home.

LEED AP, ASID, 25 years experience in green design and building.

mold/water damage

Blue ridge Hops is a small family farm, located in Marshall, North Carolina, where spectacular long-range views surround the hops yard. Owners John Wright and Rita Pelczar have been growing USDA Certified Organic hops since 2009.

Most large hops growers harvest their crop all at once, often with machines, but at Blue Ridge Hops, cones are harvested by hand, over several weeks and selected at peak maturity, leaving younger cones to continue to de-

velop. While this process is labor intensive, it maximizes production of quality cones.

Blue Ridge Hops sells the bulk of their harvest fresh to area microbreweries for special seasonal brews — this requires coordinating the harvest with the brew masters’ schedules and delivering within hours of harvest.

Hops that are not sold fresh are dried on site, the same day they are harvested. Dried cones are vacuum-sealed and frozen for sale year-round to home brewers.

Taste the difference mountaingrown, organically cultivated, hand-harvested hops can make to your beer. For more information, visit blueridgehops.com.

Blue Ridge School OF HERBAL MEDICINE

Blending ancient traditions with modern wisdom Personal Consultations Available

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(828) 275-6221 BlueRidgeSchool.org

mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

Serving Western North Carolina 243-5192 • RickBaylessHealthyHome. com Mold! Where is it? How bad is it? How to best remove it and prevent it? Rick's inspection and guidance is thorough, solutions-based and non sales-oriented.

Education & Learning & Children's Services

CoreyPine Shane, RH (AHG) Director

Organic Growers School a h

P.O. Box 17804, Asheville 28816 772-5846 • organicgrowersschool.org

children's actiVities Oakley Farmers Market h a 607 Fairview Road, Asheville 407-0188 • oakleyfarmersmarket.com

Asheville's kid friendly market! Weekly kid's activities, live music, and fresh local food every Thursday, 3:30-6:30 p.m., May 8 through Oct. 16.

True Nature Country Fair h d

At Highland Lake Cove, 215 Rhett Drive, Flat Rock 342-1849 • truenaturecountryfair.org

Buying local reduces shipping costs and fuel usage, but it also means encouraging the use of existing structures, which can avoid new-construction problems such runoff, erosion and decreased green space.

Holistic Herbalist Program, Experiential Herbalism, Advanced Clinical Program & more!

The Sustainability Studies program at Lenoir-Rhyne University is a unique program focused on science, business, social justice, and public policy within the sustainability field.

A Healthier Home h d

fact

Celebrating 15 years of herbal education!!!

36 Montford Ave., Asheville 407-4263 • asheville.lr.edu

creatiVe workshops, classes, educators

Photo courtesy of BLue ridGe hoPs

Did you know you can source hops locally? Using locally grown hops to brew your beer means that you can enjoy the freshest hops available without the energy waste of transporting them across the country.

Lenoir-Rhyne University Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville c

— Asheville Grown

Roots + Wings School of Art and Design h✔ c b 3 Angle St., Asheville 545-4827 • rootsandwingsarts.com

schools—priVate, charter, homeschooling

Rainbow Community School h c

574 Haywood Road, Asheville 258-9264 • rainbowcommunityschool.org Rainbow Community School develops accomplished, confident, and creative learners who are prepared to be leaders in building a compassionate and environmentally sustainable world.

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Environmental efficiency products/ serVices savENRG by RGEES h d

Solar Contracting Service h

1200C Hendersonville Road, Asheville 505-1485 • solarcontractingservice. com

rIverlInk

1465 Sand Hill Road, Suite 2016, Candler 708-7178 • rgees.com

energy audits/rating

Solar Dynamics Inc. h d b

40 Green Valley Road, Asheville 665-8507 • solardynamicsnc.com

Conservation Pros Inc. h ✔ d c

We specialize in solar electric, solar hot water, radiant floor heating systems and wind power. Design, installation, repair, consultations. Serving Western North Carolina since 2001.

53 Wellington St., Asheville 713-3346 • conservationpros.com Our home performance checkups and energy audits provide solutions to improve comfort, safety and efficiency in your home. Our skilled technicians will handle the repairs.

Photo courtesy of riverLink

Sugar Hollow Solar h d 14 Old Farm Lane, Fairview 776-9161 • sugarhollowsolar.com

VandeMusser Design h d c

26 Crabapple Lane, Asheville 348-4723 • vandemusser.com A green Home Energy Rating Services (HERS) company providing certifications for ENERGY STAR, GreenBuilt NC, NAHB Green, and LEED, as well as green design services.

energy—alternatiVe

Asheville Solar Company h d b

Candler 357-8319 • ashevillesolarcompany.com We are a family-owned residential and light commercial solar installation company, focusing on sustainable idealism, a personal customer experience, and an unwavering commitment to quality.

Blue Ridge Biofuels h ✔ d c

109 Roberts St., Asheville 253-1034 • BlueRidgeBiofuels.com Sustainable biodiesel from renewable resources for on-road, off-road and home heating use. Better for the environment, your engine and our economy. Fuel Local!

Sundance Power Systems h d c 11 Salem Hill Road, Weaverville 645-2080 • sundancepower.com

Proudly voted WNC’s No. 1 alternative energy company, Sundance Power Systems brings experience and integrity to residential and commercial projects.

Family-owned, local and committed to community.

Thermacraft Solar Solutions Inc. h c PO Box 8833, Asheville 28814 285-8825 • thermacraft.com

Serving Western North Carolina since 1988! Thermacraft specializes in custom design, installation and service of solar electric, solar thermal and radiant floor heating systems. NABCEP certified.

riverLink is a regional nonprofit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its watershed as a destination for everyone to work, live and play.

We accomplish our mission by providing permanent public access to the river through conservation and recreation easements and reclaiming contaminated lands for public use and enjoyment. We develop greenways, create public no-fee, no-reservation overnight camping sites along the river and adapt and reuse historic structures.

Annually, we educate 5,000 K-12 students, in addition to interested members of the public, about the French Broad River watersheds’ importance. We also empower over 1,700 volunteers each year.

RiverLink promotes the power of “forever” in all its work and demonstrates, through its work and projects, that a healthy economy in the French Broad River watershed is dependent on a healthy and clean river that is swimmable, drinkable, fishable and accessible.

Sustainability is the key to understanding the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan that RiverLink has developed. The Dykeman Plan documents the need for respecting the carrying capacity of our shared French Broad River watershed, along with the social and economic challenges for making the watershed the best place to live, work and play.

For more information, riverlink.org.

visit

HERO HUNTER COMICS •Comics •Graphic Novels

1107 Smoky Park Hwy

( 8 2 8 ) 66 5 -70 0 5 ®, ™ and © 2013 DC Comics.

All rights reserved.

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green restaurant assocation The green restaurant association is a national nonprofit that provides the only official Certified Green Restaurants mark in the country. For 23 years, the GRA has pioneered the Green Restaurant movement and has been the leading voice within the industry encouraging restaurants to listen to consumer demand to “green” their operations using transparent, science-based certification standards.

With our turnkey certification system, the GRA has made it easy for thousands of restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable in areas such as energy, water, waste, chemicals, food, building and packaging.

The Green Restaurant Association helped to found the green business movement in 1990 and now has restaurants in 47 states and Canada. In 2014, GRA greened the first football stadium — helping MetLife Stadium become the first Certified Green Restaurant stadium in the world. The GRA also greened the 2014 Super Bowl.

The GRA has been featured in hundreds of media outlets: CNN, NBC Nightly News, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, CBS News and more.

Green saGe coffeehouse & cafe Photo By carrie eidson

GRA Asheville members are Bouchon, Cedric’s Tavern on the Biltmore Estate, Curate, Frankie Bones, French Broad Chocolate Lounge, Homegrown, Laughing Seed Cafe, Luella’s Bar-B-Que, Plant, Posana Cafe, Rosetta’s Kitchen, Social Lounge & Tapas, Strada, The Bistro at the Bitmore Estate, The Cantina, The Corner Kitchen, The Green Sage (two locations) and Tupelo Honey Cafe (two locations).

For more information, visit dinegreen.com.

Mountain Housing Opportunities Committed to Green Building Practices For 25 Years Dedicated to Environmental Sustainability

Glen Rock Depot Apartments Awarded LEED Gold Certfication by the US Green Building Council for green building practices and environmental design, including solar thermal water heating and an onsite recycling center.

www.mtnhousing.org • 828-254-4030

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partner p r o fi le

appalachian Sustainable agriculture Project appalchian sustainable agriculture project’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters and build healthy communities through connections to local food. Our vision is of strong farms, thriving local food economies and healthy communities where farming is valued as central to our heritage and our future. As an organization, we believe that it is only through connections to food and agriculture that we can build an equitable, health-promoting and environmentally sustainable food system.

In 2000, ASAP launched a local food campaign. Nearly 15 years later, what began as a strategy to help Appalachian farmers find new markets has now evolved to be part of a national (and even international) movement to fundamentally change the food system.

ASAP’s work begins with an understanding that meaningful connections to food are the foundation for transforming our food system. When food production happens where we live, it creates transparency and connection. Close to the source of production, we gain firsthand knowledge of how food is being produced — by whom and using what means. We meet the people growing our food. We learn about the connections between agriculture, land use and labor. We gain power as citizens and consumers to directly influence the qualities of the food that we eat and the way our food system works.

In this way, ASAP’s work focuses on building community ties centered around local farms and local food. We also work to provide the public with direct food and farm experiences in farmers markets, farm tours, community supported agriculture, cooking demonstrations and tastings and much more. These kinds of experiences (re)introduce the processes of food production, familiarize people with agriculture and build community ties.

We work to accomplish our mission by providing farmers with marketing support and training and connecting them to the region’s food businesses. We produce the Local Food Guide, a directory of the area’s family farms, farmers markets and businesses that use local agricultural products. Through our “Appalachian Grown” branding and certification program, we identify local food in the marketplace and provide shoppers with a tool to truly find local food grown in the Southern Appalachian region.

Through our Growing Minds Farm to School Program, we take our work to area schools, preschools and Head Start centers to ensure children know where their food comes from and develop lifelong healthy eating habits. Our Local Food Research Center conducts scholarly research on

Photo courtesy of asaP

the region’s developing food system and looks at the social, economic and environmental impacts of localizing food systems. We organize and run Asheville City Market and coordinate the Mountain Tailgate Market Association, a network of tailgate markets in counties throughout Western North Carolina.

The campaign’s influence has helped local food sales in Western North Carolina triple in the last three years alone. Each year our work helps keep thousands of acres of farmland in production, connects local residents to hundreds of grocers and restaurants sourcing food from local farms and provides tens of thousands of students in the region with meaningful local food and farm experiences. We lead the state in SNAP sales at farmers markets through Asheville City Market, and every day we work to transform our food system from one that is failing us and our planet into one that will sustainably feed us all, both in body and in spirit.

For more information, visit asapconnections.org.

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WeStern north carolIna allIance

enVironmental/ ecological education & consulting Long Branch Environmental Education Center a h

Events, Venues & Excursions co-work spaces

278 Boyd Cove Road, Leicester 683-3662 • longbrancheec.org

Come hiking, Berry-picking 1,400 acres ecological sanctuary wildlife mountain habitat Whoever finds Love and Beauty in wild nature is reborn a thousand times!

Yes! Yes!

True Nature Country Fair h d

At Highland Lake Cove, 215 Rhett Drive, Flat Rock 342-1849 • truenaturecountryfair.org

indoor air quality

Co-luminate h b

69A Biltmore Ave., Asheville 581-3090 • co-luminate.com Co-luminate is an urban hub for transformational culture – a vibrant community, co-working and event space.

Join us to connect, to work, to grow.

eVent planning Sparrow Junction h✔ Photo courtesy of wnca

Western north Carolina alliance is the only grassroots environmental advocacy group focused solely on conserving Western North Carolina’s natural heritage.

We were founded in 1982 by citizens in Macon County who organized to successfully protect their local national forests from oil and gas leasing.

Utilizing a combination of policy advocacy, scientific research and community collaboration, the Alliance and its chapters throughout Western North Carolina unleash the power of citizens’ voices to protect the natural heritage of

our region so that people and the environment can thrive.

Today, we focus on a core set of issues — sensible land use, restoring public forests and improving water quality — that have high impact on the environmental health and longterm prosperity of our region.

WNCA is also a proud founding member of the Asheville Beyond Coal coalition, which is calling on Duke Energy to retire the Asheville coal plant, clean up its toxic coal-ash waste sites and move boldly toward a clean energy future.

A Healthier Home h d

Serving Western North Carolina 243-5192 • RickBaylessHealthyHome. com Is your house supporting your health?

Mold, odors, dust, pollutants, pests, off-gassing. Rick's inspection is thorough, solutions-based and non sales-oriented.

For A Healthier Home environment.

204 Charlotte Highway, Suite F, Asheville 398-0565 • SparrowJunction.com Sparrow Junction offers business consulting, marketing & design and event services from planning through delivery for weddings to festivals and large-scale productions.

festiVals True Nature Country Fair h d

organizations Highland Lake Cove, 215 Rhett Clean Water for North Carolina At Drive, Flat Rock c

29 1/2 Page Ave., Asheville 251-1291 • cwfnc.org

342-1849 • truenaturecountryfair.org

tours recycling/composting

Travelling Yogini Yoga Tours h✔

For more information, visit WNCA.org.

Danny's Dumpster h f c b

60 Huckleberry Cove, Leicester 380-9094 • dannysdumpster.com Danny's Dumpster is a sustainable waste hauler and compost processor serving Western North Carolina. Offering service to businesses, schools, and events.

Corner of Market and College streets, Asheville 782-8687 • yogatours.net This unique 90-minute city tour has three 15-minute (all levels) yoga sessions.

It offers travellers the experience of CULTURE, COMMUNITY and CONNECTION.

fact water filtration/ conserVation Little Green Frog h✔ d

26 Austin Ave., No.1, Asheville 255-0772 • aquaprosolutions.com

Managed honeybee colonies alone contribute over 16 billion dollars of economic value to agriculture in the u.s.

— Wild Mountain Bees

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tranSItIon aShevIlle transition asheville is part of a growing international transition movement that provides a model for communities to engage in a co-creative process for building local resilience. We’re joining cities and towns from around the world to face the challenges of economic instability, climate change and fossil fuel dependency. There are hundreds of transition initiatives worldwide and Transition Asheville is the 88th such community in the US.

OFFER EXPIRES 4/1/15

We are a small grassroots organization, as well as a network of ordinary folks focusing on the solutions to these great challenges of our time.

We bring people together to re-localize our community in a number of ways. We raise awareness around local and global issues through various film series, themed potlucks, book study groups, skill-sharing workshops, public presentations and orientations.

We host public gatherings to bring community members together to share ideas, experiences and visions, finding common ground and next steps. Our website and e-newsletter help inform and connect people with current events, initiatives, opportunities and needs. Our members and friends spread the message and principles of resilience, sustainability, social equality and energy descent to existing work groups, coalitions, governments and organizations.

Transition Asheville is a community of people who understand that we can’t sit back and wait for someone else to do the work, provide the solutions or come to the rescue at the last moment.

For more information, transitionasheville.org.

visit

Photo courtesy of transition asheviLLe

Eco eyewear is made from 95% recycled materials.

For every pair sold, Eco plants a tree in Cameroon

Wholesale & Retail

Locally roasted coffee

Custom roasted in small batches to suit your unique taste.

www.notoriouscoffee.com • 828-575-4150

*NO OTHER SPECIALS ACCEPTED WITH THIS OFFER. INSURANCE PLANS DO NOT APPLY. CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS

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Venues

UjaMaa freedoM Market ujamaa Freedom market is a worker-owned, cooperative mobile market that sells fresh local produce, healthy prepared foods and other household necessities in communities throughout Asheville on a weekly basis, particularly focusing on communities experiencing poverty and food deserts.

The mission of Ujamaa Freedom Market is to feed and nourish the whole community through access to healthy, fresh food. We aim to promote social, economic, environmental and food justice by serving as a model for self-sufficiency while educating and inspiring healthy relationships with food. Our goal is to strengthen the quality of life and the health and wellbeing of the community.

The market was founded by worker-owners Calvin Allen and Olufemi Lewis. Allen is a local community gardener with culinary experience in food preparation and presentation. Lewis is a former officer in the Hillcrest Resident Association and organizer for the Hillcrest Unity Garden. Allen and Lewis are both graduates of Just Economic’s Voices program for community organizing and Mountain BizWork’s Foundations and Financials business courses.

Ujamaa Freedom Market can be found on Depot Street across from Glen Rock Depot.

For schedule and more information, visit ujamaafreedommarket. wordpress.com.

Cane Creek Valley Farm Inc. a h 1448 Cane Creek Road, Fletcher 338-0188 • canecreekorganics.com

Yesterday Spaces at Sluder Branch Farm a h

305 Sluder Branch Road, Leicester 777-6948 • yesterdayspaces.com Rustic, unique, conditioned, farm wedding and event spaces for up to 300 just minutes from Asheville. Farmhouse for up to13 guests and log cabin for up to 10 guests also available for rent.

Farm, Farm-Related Beekeeping serVices/ supplies Wild Mountain Bees a h✔ 425 Weaverville Road, Asheville 484-9466 • wildmountainbees.com

Your local source for everything bees offering a complete selection of beekeeping supplies, nucleus honeybee colonies, queens, classes, local honey, beeswax, beeswax candles, and gifts.

community supported agriculture (csas)

New! Introducing Farm Stand Cards! The Farm CSA Membership with a Choice!

Select the organic vegetables or box you want, when you want it!

Dry Ridge Farm a h 181 Willow Drive, Mars Hill 319-5656 • dryridgefarm.org

Pastured pork, lamb, chicken and eggs.

Looking for high-quality meat and eggs, raised ethically? We've got it! Find us at area farmers markets and restaurants.

First Blossom Farm a h b 220 Sluder Branch Road, Leicester 423-4065 • avl.mx/05j

farms Blue Ridge Hops a h c

313 Laurel Branch Road, Marshall 301-602-0722 • blueridgehops.com

Franny’s Farm a h

38 Came Sharp Road, Leicester 515-0075 • frannysfarm.com

Grandad's Apples a h

2951 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville 685-1685 • grandadsapples.com

Green Goddess Farm h a b

22 Cedar Hill Road, Asheville 779-7048 • greengoddessfarm.com

Photo courtesy of ouLfeMi Lewis

Open March 1st – July 1st Wed-Fri 9-5, Sat-Sun 9-4 • Family run for over 40 years • Homegrown, healthy plants (800 varieties) • Wide variety of non-GMO edibles (heirloom tomatoes, unique herbs, fruits) • Full calendar of events, classes & sales • Annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, fruit, shrubs, trees, natives, aquatics, succulents, houseplants, baskets, huge ferns, pottery & art

www.paintersgreenhouse.com . 828-668-7225 48

mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

Cane Creek Asparagus & Company a h

Fairview 628-1601 • CaneCreekCSA.com More than 10 years Community Supported Agriculture farming experience growing asparagus plus 90 other vegetable varieties. Convenient pickups. Advance payment accepted — never required. MidApril thru mid-November every-other-week commitment.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm a h ✔ c

57 Sugar Hollow Road, Fairview 628-1027 • hickorynutgapfarm.com 100% grassfed beef, pasture-raised pork & chicken, organic apples & berries, local goods, & farm animals. Store open Tuesday-Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 12-5.

Oteen Farms a h

East Asheville Market, Asheville 230-9501 • Oteenfarms.com

Sandy Hollar Farms a h

tailgate markets

63 Sandy Hollar Lane, Leicester 683-3645 • sandyhollarfarms.com

We are a working farm – Choose and cut Christmas trees – blackberries – strawberries – raspberries – wool & wool products – pumpkins – apples coming

East Asheville Tailgate Market a h 954 Tunnel Road, Asheville 912-656-1251 • https://www.facebook. com/EastAshevilleTailgateMarket

Sunburst Trout Farms a h 128 Raceway Place, Canton 800-673-3051 • sunbursttrout.com

Sustainably farming humanely raised rainbow trout with NO pesticides, hormones or antibiotics. Moving to 314 Industrial Park Drive in Waynesville in Late Summer 2014.

Madison County Farmers & Artisans Market a h 5 Athletic St., Mars Hill 575-4150 • marshillmarket.org

Mills River Farmers' Market a h 5046 Boylston Highway, Mills River 891-3332 • facebook.com/ pages/Mills-River-Farmers-Market/111947272161081

Mills River Farmers' Market offers fresh vegetables and fruits as well as eggs and meat. Educational demonstrations monthly.

EBT welcome. Saturday mornings, 8 a.m.noon, May through October.

pro fil e

SUStaInaBIlIty StUdIeS at lenoIr-rhyne UnIverSIty The Lenoir-rhyne university sustainability studies master’s program is beginning its journey close to home by taking a look at the university’s sustainability practices on its Asheville campus. A Reese Institute Fellowship is providing students the opportunity to make change happen.

Lenoir-Rhyne shares a building with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce where this year’s Reese Institute Fellows, Lin Orndorf and Bekah Webb, will be focusing their sustainability efforts.

“I would like to see the university’s facility become a model for the region, especially for businesses and academic insti-

tutions,” Orndorf says. “I’d like to reduce the building’s energy footprint, and I believe it can be done without a major investment or retrofit.”

The Sustainability Studies graduate program is focused on four areas: sustainability, business, public policy and research, within a structure that is custom-tailored to each student’s needs, interest and schedule.

Through service learning, scholarship, fieldwork, travel opportunities and internships, students have the chance to positively impact their immediate community, while setting their sights on the larger conservation issues of the nation and beyond.

The Spicewood Farm a h✔ 2002 Riverside Drive, Suite 42-F, Asheville 254-5455 • thespicewoodfarmhoney. com

Rich honeys from Western North Carolina packaged in unique and elegant glass bottles. Many varietals available, perfect for gifts or wedding favors!

Venezia Dream Farm Alpacas and Farm Store a h 56 Pisgah View Drive, Candler 667-2785 • VeneziaDream.com

Socks, blankets, yarn and roving and much more. Wrap yourself in the Natural Luxury of Alpaca! Meet healthy happy alpacas who provide this fiber.

North Asheville Tailgate Market

a h 1 University Heights, Asheville 776-6286 • northashevilletailgatemarket.org

Our market offers an incredible local shopping experience, featuring farm raised and hand made products, serving our community for over 34 years!

Photo courtesy of Lenoir-rhyne university

supplies & serVices Mushroom Central a h 16 Allen St., Asheville 273-9141 • shroomcentral.com

Asheville's only mycological supply, sterile lab, and grow room! Books, tools, classes and advice on how to grow your own edible and medicinal mushrooms!

Oakley Farmers Market a h

fact

607 Fairview Road, Asheville 407-0188 • oakleyfarmersmarket.com

the wnc Green Building council offers a free hotline for questions: 254-1995, or visit wncgbc.org.

Eat well and support your local farmers, artisans and crafters every Thursday, 3:30-6:30 p.m., May 8 through Oct. 16.

Live music, kids activities and friendly neighbors!

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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l istings

p r o fi l e

food deliVery serVices

aShevIlle green drInkS asheville green drinks is proud to be one of the most consistent events in Asheville, NC. Part of the self-organizing, international, grassroots networking event series, Green Drinks, we connect our local community to environmental consciousness, green endeavors, sustainable media and social justice action.

All over the world people who are interested in environmental issues and topics meet up for a drink and occasionally listen to an expert in environment, ecology and/or social justice. The Green Drinks phenomena is featured in over 639 cities worldwide hosting events featuring conversation, networking and education.

We are lucky to be supported by a wide variety of community members with a range of ideological backgrounds who share a common commitment to ecological stew-

ardship and humanist interests.

We rely on Western North Carolina’s leading environmental nonprofits in developing educational and interactive programming. The steering committee is led by Western North Carolina Alliance and our “Partners in Education” include the United Nations Association of WNC, Sierra Club of WNC, the WNC Green Building Council, Just Economics, Transition Asheville and Lenoir-Rhyne University Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville.

Asheville Green Drinks is a great way of catching up with the latest issues in sustainable and social advocacy issues, connecting with people you know and meeting new contacts. Our events are primarily social and educational. We look forward to seeing you soon!

For more information, visit ashevillegreendrinks.com.

Waynesville Tailgate Market a h 171 Legion Drive, Waynesville 648-6323

Fresh vegetables and fruits in season, grown by Haywood County farmers. Open May 14 through Oct. 29 at the American Legion parking lot behind Bogarts Restaurant.

Farm to Home Milk a h ✔ b

25 Meadow Road, Asheville 225-1900 • farmtohomemilk.com We are an Asheville family business committed to connecting with others that desire quality and locality. Glass bottle milk, oganic meats & more – home delivered.

Weaverville Tailgate Market a h 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville 649-3373 • weavervilletailgate.org

Food & Drink Bakeries Beulah's Bavarian Pretzels a h b Asheville 407-3877 • beulahsbavarian.com

Breweries & Brewing supplies Highland Brewing Company Inc. h ✔ d f b

Mother Earth Produce a h c

170 Bradley Branch Road, Unit 11, Weaverville 275-3500 • motherearthproduce.com

grocers, co-ops, health food stores

12 Old Charlotte Highway, Suite H, Asheville 299-3370 • highlandbrewing.com

coffee/tea shops & roasters

French Broad Food Co-op a h ✔ c

90 Biltmore Ave., Asheville 255-7650 • frenchbroadfood.coop

Photo courtesy of asheviLLe Green drinks

KEY

Biltmore Coffee Traders h ✔ b

518 Hendersonville Road, Asheville 277-9227 • BiltmoreCoffeeTraders.com Biltmore Coffee Traders is an artisan micro-roaster specializing in direct trade relationship coffee. Drive thru, wi-fi, smoothies, organic pastries, homemade gelato milkshakes and great coffee!

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

h✔

Accepts Go Local cards

a

“Appalachian Grown,” Certified by ASAP

f

Green Restaurant Association member

c

Just Economics Living Wage Certified Employers

b

Mountain BizWorks client

d

WNC Green Building Council member

h

Locally owned, independent business

prof i le

Greenlife Grocery a

70 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 254-5440 • wholefoodsmarket.com/ stores/asheville

Healthy Harvest Natural Foods a h 29 W. French Broad St., Brevard 885-2599 • healthyharvestnaturalfoods.com

Highlighting wholistic supplements; locally grown organic produce; organic and nonGMO groceries; local organic gardening seeds, honey, free-range eggs, meats, lunch wraps, baked goods and more!

aShevIlle green School: construction Management, Building Science & Sustainability technologies at a-B tech

The construction industry provides the basic human need of shelter. Like other fundamental industries, such as the food industry, economic/social shifts such as the recent recession have spurred our industry to evolve and reinvent ourselves around current conditions. Due to this changing economy and industry, many training and re-training opportunities are needed.

The latest version of building codes were embedded with many of these reflected changes as energy efficiency and building performance become more of the focus in construction.

The construction industry consumes over half of our energy use, which creates major opportunities in this industry to help address some of society’s most

challenging problems, such as climate change.

Aside from our construction programs, we offer a 2-year associate’s degree in Sustainability Technologies, which offers students more hands-on training with clean renewable energy and energy analysis technologies.

All indicators point to steady job growth in these industries as society makes this much needed and inevitable shift to a cleaner & more sustainable future. Now is the time and A-B Tech is the place to embrace your career in green building and sustainability.

For more inforamtion, visit abtechconstructionscience.com.

Hendersonville Community Co-op a

425 Weaverville Road Asheville, NC 28804

715 S. Grove St., Hendersonville 693-0505 • hendersonville.coop

Cooperative grocer, natural & organic foods. Great service, knowledgeable staff.

Locally owned, dedicated to community and sustainability. Deli offers freshly made foods, sandwiches, salads, soups.

Photo courtesy of a-B tech

Maddie Hayes Naturals

®

Katuah Market a h✔

2 Hendersonville Road, Asheville 676-2882 • katuahmarket.com We are a natural market for local, organic groceries, prepared foods, baked goods, custom & local meats, seafood, beer, wine, artisan cheese & more.

Inspired by one awesome dog, made for people!

Safe, Natural & Effective Products ...Made in Asheville!

Read about our products and our beloved Maddie on the web at maddiehayesnaturals.com. Or visit us at etsy.com/shop/MaddieHayesNaturals.

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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l istings

Why groW herBS: a guide to herbal sustainability

By Mudluscious Pottery & gardens

Herbs work as pollinators: At least a third of what we buy in the market is dependent on pollinators, but our pollinators (including honey bees, wild bees, butterflies, wasps and flies) are having problems due to pesticides, disease, climate change, loss of habitat and more reasons.

Berry Picking You Pick!

All Organically Grown for your Health & Well-Being Multiple Varieties of Raspberries, Blackberries!

Early & Late Variety Blueberries!

Native Food & Medicinal Plants Over 70 Varieties of Heirloom Apples Back-crossed Hybrids of American Chestnuts Fresh Honeys and Jams Plants & Tree Seedlings

Some great herbs for pollinators include wild milkweed (the only plant monarchs will reproduce on), whose flower can be dipped in tempura-batter and fried for a tasty snack. Other pollinator friendly herbs are rosemary, thyme, cilantro (if allowed to go to flower), nasturtiums (whose pods can be pickled and used as capers), chives, fennel and dill.

Herbs can be easily grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides: People want their beds to look neat and tidy, but herbs are happy when allowed to grow. Spraying your plants with chemicals makes them a death trap for the pollinators that will be attracted to them.

Herbs are great for urban gardeners, college dorm rooms or others small spaces: Many herbs are easily grown in planters on balconies or windowsills.

Herbs have great holistic uses: There are many medicinal uses for various herbs. We like to use a marjoram and lemon balm to avoid mosquitos and gnats.

The Cheese Store of Asheville at the Weinhaus a h✔

86 Patton Ave., Asheville 484-1586 • csasheville.com

restaurants

Asheville Sandwich Co. h b

794 Haywood Road, Asheville 491 Saris Road, Enka 252-0110 • AshevilleSandwichCo.com Asheville Sandwich Co. offers fresh, unique sandwiches, salads and local beers from two locations. 794 Haywood Road and 491 Sardis Road. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Herbs are beautiful: It’s important to have beauty in your life and herbs are a great way to grow a beautiful, healthy plant in as much space as you have.

CONSERVATION RESEARCH EDUCATION

Set aside in 1974 as an ecological sanctuary and land trust in NW Buncombe County, Long Branch Environmental Education Center has developed into a place for sharing positive strategies of local self-reliance in the areas of environmental design, organic food production, renewable energy, shelter design and construction, appropriate technology, resource conservation, recycling, wildlife protection, and improved environmental quality.

www.LongBrancheec.org 828-683-3662 52

Cindy Trisler and Rodney Bowling, owners of Mudluscious Pottery & Gardens, have been selling herbs from their Madison County farm since 2006. They deliver to the Asheville and Mars Hill area. For more information on Mudluscious, visit mudlusciouspottery.com or email mudlusciousgardens@gmail.com to receive information about herb delivery. You can also find them at the Asheville Herb Festival in May. For more information on the festival, visit ashevilleherbfestival.com

Avenue M h✔

791 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 350-8181 • avenuemavl.com EAT. DRINK. GATHER. at your neighborhood restaurant and bar in the heart of North Asheville. We support local and serve something for everyone.

Bavarian Restaurant & Biergarten a h

332 Weaverville Highway, Asheville 645-8383 • bavariandining.com

fact Buildings are responsible for 39 percent of annual carbon emissions, 65 percent of waste, 12 percent of water use and 71 percent of electricity use in the u.s.

Photo courtesy of MudLuscious Pottery & Gardens

mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

— WNC Green Building Council

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aShevIlle tool lIBrary

Biscuit Head a h✔ b

Glass Onion-Global Italian a h

733 Haywood Road, Asheville 333-5145 • biscuitheads.com

18 N. Main St., Weaverville 645-8866 • glassonionasheville.com

Offering fun biscuit creations, seven different gravies, bacon of the day, mimosas and much more! Open TuesdaySunday.

Independently owned, Glass Onion serves global Italian using local, organic and sustainable products from area farmers.

Open everyday lunch and dinner. Support Local=Support Community

Chestnut a h✔ f b

48 Biltmore Ave., Asheville 575-2667 • chestnutasheville.com

Green Sage Cafe a h✔ f 5 Broadway, Asheville 252-4450 • thegreensage.net

Green Sage Cafe, Asheville’s all natural restaurant, has three convenient locations: Downtown, South Asheville and now the Westgate Shopping Center. Come in and be nourished!

The Asheville Tool Library is basically like a regular library — but instead of books you get to rent out tools. We provide low-cost access to a wide range of tools, literature and knowledge. The community-driven project empowers individuals through affordable access to resources that encourage rehabilitation, creativity, entrepreneurship and livability.

Here’s how it works: Any person with a NC ID/credit card can buy a membership (roughly $35-$65 per year based on income), which will grant full access to the tool inventory.

Tools range from a table saw to a sewing machine for domestic projects or a set of community dishes to a tiller for community or land-based work. We also offer all the general hand tools one would need.

Our goal is to make the library not only be a space for

Photo courtesy of asheviLLe tooL LiBrary

renting tools but also a space for classes in tool refurbishing, sewing, DIY engine repair, soldering, permaculture, leather working and more. If you're a homeowner, student, ramblin’ musician or even a contractor, this will be a resource not be missed. We're always looking for tools and volunteers, so get in touch — let's build it together! Cheers, Nick, Tom and Julian.

For more information, visit ashevilletoollibrary.org or email librarian@ashevilletoollibrary. org. For information about donations, contact donations@ ashevilletollibrary.org.

Corner Kitchen a h f b 3 Boston Way, Asheville 274-2439 • thecornerkitchen.com

Early Girl Eatery a h b 8 Wall St., Asheville 259-9292 • earlygirleatery.com

Farm Burger a

10 Patton Ave., Asheville 348-8540 • farmburger.net

HomeGrown a h✔ f b 371 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 232-4340 • slowfoodrightquick.com

Landscapes that are BEAUTIFUL natural

sustainable

Medea's Espresso & Juice Bar a h ✔ f c b Frogs Leap Public House a h

44 Church St., Waynesville 456-1930 • frogsleappublichouse.com A farm to table restaurant and pub serving regionally inspired modern dishes. Our weekly menu celebrates innovative southern food sourced from from local farms.

200 Julian Lane, Suite 220, Arden 989-9144 • espressoandjuicebar.com

Come experience delicious organic coffee, cold-pressed organic juices, smoothies, acai bowls, baked goods, wraps, salads, appetizers, beer, wine and cocktails! Next to Pomodoros Long Shoals.

Residential, commercial and institutional landscapes based on one simple idea:

that landscaping should work with nature rather than against it.

We are dedicated to using native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and native stone in forms that harmonize with the natural landscapes of our region.

carolinanativelandscapes.com • 828-665-7234 2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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pa r t ner p r o f i le

just economics or private assistance. In short, a living wage is the real, just, minimum wage. In 2014, for a single individual in WNC, this equates to $11.85/hour without employer-provided health insurance or $10.35/hour with employer provided health insurance.

The Living Wage Employer Certification program positively affects a business’s bottom line in many ways, including reducing turn-over, training costs and recruiting costs while increasing employee commitment, productivity, morale and overall dedication to the business. Our employers have found that by providing a bit more in terms of wages, they get an excellent return on investment that touches almost every aspect of the business. Employees are quite often the face of a business in our community; employees who are provided a living wage are happier, healthier, more productive and certainly stay on longer. All of which is rarely lost on the customer.

Photo courtesy of Just econoMics

Just economics is a small (three person), local nonprofit that works primarily on the concept of Living Wages. Our Living Wage Certification Program is designed to celebrate and reward those employers that provide a Living Wage to all their staff, provide tools and incentives to create new Living Wage Employers and encourage consumers to support those employers that share our vision of a just and sustainable economy that works for all in WNC. A “living wage” is defined as the minimum amount that a worker must earn to afford his or her basic necessities, without public

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

Providing living wages rarely happens overnight; the majority of our Living Wage Certified employers made the commitment to their employees and our community by incorporating living wages into their business plan intentionally, making the necessary changes over time in order to make them a reality. Some of the employers we are working with have been slowly moving towards the criteria for the past few years and hope to reach their goal by year’s end. The old adage, “If there is a will, there is a way,” certainly applies here.

In the past, profit alone was the sign of running a successful business.

Just Economics is interested in broadening the definition of success to include the business’s positive impact on our community. This new

Photo courtesy of french Broad food co-oP

definition represents a change in philosophy and is a move towards building community and a step towards conscious capitalism.

Certainly an integral piece of the equation is you, the customer.

As consumers, we have the ability to change the landscape of our local economy by supporting those businesses that share our vision of community. We vote every day with our dollars and, by shopping with those businesses that provide a living wage to all their staff, you send a clear message of support; Liv-

ing Wage Certified Employers deserve to be lifted up in this community. Please frequent those businesses that share this vision of an ideal community and are willing to take strides to shape it intentionally.

For a complete list of Living Wage Certified Employers, visit justeconomicswnc.org or ishoplivingwagecertified.com. For additional information about how your business can become Living Wage Certified, contact Mark Hebbard at 505-7466.

THE MASTER OF SCIENCE

in Sustainability Studies program at

is a unique graduate program focused on science, business, economics, social justice, and public policy within the sustainability ďŹ eld. Areas of study include green building, community planning, climate change, clean energy, environmental justice, biodiversity, and sustainable behavior.

Lenoir-Rhyne University Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville

36 Montford Avenue, Downtown Asheville (828) 407-4263 • Asheville.lr.edu 2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

55

ho w t o

hoW to Protect yoUr PollInatorS By jon christie, Wild Mountain Bees

Photos courtesy of wiLd Mountain Bees

Bees and other pollinators are an essential component to the health and function of our environment. Managed honeybee colonies alone contribute over 16 billion dollars of economic value to agriculture in the US. It is estimated that 30 percent of the food we eat is entirely dependent on bee-pollinated plants.

Unfortunately, pollinators are in decline worldwide. Like the proverbial canary in the coalmine — our pollinators are giving us a warning we should heed. Fortunately, there are ways we can promote and encourage pollinators in today’s challenging environment: • Create pollinator nesting habitats. Visit xerces.org for more information on some simple ways to construct nesting sites.

• Get involved. Support the Xerces society and other pollinator organizations. Join your local beekeeper association (visit wncbees. org) and support your local beekeepers and initiatives like Bee City USA.

• Create pollinator friendly gardens including plants rich in highquality pollens and nectar to nourish visiting pollinators. Visit pollinator.org for a list of beneficial plants native to your region.

• Become a beekeeper. Wild Mountain Bees is a local source for honey, bee products, bees, classes and beekeepers supplies.

• Practice and promote organic methods and avoid all of the “cides.” A growing body of research suggests that not only insecticides but also herbicides and fungicides are affecting our pollinators.

Wild Mountain Bees is a family owned business located at 425 Weaverville Road. We offer honey products, pollinator friendly plants and seeds, bee-related literature and beekeeping supplies, workshops and events.

Make A Difference By Where You Bank Now Offering Residential Solar Loans Unsecured up to $15,000 Secured up to $50,000

For more information Contact Jane Hatley 828-676-2196 x 3473 • Email: jane@self-help.org • www.self-help.org

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l i s t i ng s

h o w to retail & artisan producers

hoW to Be a green coMPUter USer

By Mountain area Information network

Nourish & Flourish h✔ b 347 Depot St., Suite 201, Asheville 255-2770 • nourishflourishnow.com

Nourish & Flourish is a wellness center that features transformational network care and Nia classes and also a cafe with all organic juice and tea.

Plant a h✔ f

165 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 258-7500 • plantisfood.com Socially just: Plant gets it. Healthy: Plant gets it. Environmentally conscientious: Plant gets it. Nonviolent: Plant gets it.

Delicious: Plant gets it.

Asheville Goods a h✔ 33 Dorchester Ave., Asheville 252-9175 • ashevillegoods.com

We are an Asheville-centric artisan food gift box company. Our boxes showcase the variety of exceptional foods produced here.

Local delivery and nationwide shipping available.

Blue Moon Water h✔ c 2002 Riverside Drive, Suite 42-F, Asheville 253-6060 • bluemoonwater.com

Increasingly, people hope to eat and shop consciously by being aware of the origins and production of the goods they buy and use. But many people don’t know that we can do the same thing when we use our computers.

Conscious computing is an effort to bring that same awareness to the digital world. At Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN), we’re all about conscious computing.

We buy our bits from ERC, a nonprofit fiber network right here in town, and we provide service from our headquarters downtown on Wall Street.

Recycling is part of conscious computing as well. Goodwill can provide you with refurbished computers at a fraction of the cost of new ones, and, for many applications, they’re perfectly useful. The same goes for

when your computers have outlived their use to you — be sure you send them back to Goodwill or recycle the old parts.

Software is another place where we can be conscious in our computing. MAIN promotes the use of Linux, because it’s free and community supported. Other open-source software, such as OpenOffice and Audacity, are as powerful as their expensive brand-name counterparts and are available for free downloading.

Local computer vendors, Internet service providers and web hosting firms mean quick and personal service.

They also mean your dollars stay in the community you love. Be conscious when you compute – and buy local!

For more information, main.nc.us.

visit

Foothills Farm & Butchery a h Sunny Point Cafe a h✔ b 626 Haywood Road, Asheville 252-0055 • sunnypointcafe.com

Family owned/operated in the heart of West Asheville. Join us for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Stroll through our on site garden while you’re here!

1196B Old U.S. Highway 70, Black Mountain 669-8200 • foothillslocalmeats.com Foothills Farm & Butchery is a farmerowned, all-local butcher shop and deli offering fresh and cut-to-order pastureraised meats, house-made charcuterie, artisan sandwiches and takeout dinners.

Tod's Tasties a h c 102 Montford Ave., Asheville 505-3701 • todstasties.com

Tod's: a beautiful setting where one enjoys made to order breakfasts all day,fresh baked croissants, pastries, sandwiches, burgers, salads and local beers on tap.

Delicious!

West End Bakery & Cafe a h ✔ c 757 Haywood Road, Asheville 252-9378 • westendbakery.com

We partner with local farmers and nonprofits that champion sustainable food systems and nutrition and have invested in solar and waste management including composting/ recycling.

Green River Picklers a h ✔ c b Asheville grpicklers.com

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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l i st i ng s

fiLe Photo

hoW to ‘greenerIze’ yoU hoMe: easy and inexpensive ways to save energy

By WeStern north carolIna green BUIldIng coUncIl

Delivery is Always Free

Pure Spring Water

All bottles are returnable and we are committed to creating a zero-waste facility

Water purification units available through us.

Local & Family Owned Since 1969

299 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 254-9848

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

service your heating/cooling system: Like a tune-up for your car, this should be done annually. Clean the unit and replace the filters to ensure that the equipment is running at its most efficient. Do it yourself or hire a service technician. install a programmable thermostat: Automatically adjust your home's temperature settings when you're away or sleeping! A programmable thermostat with four temperature settings can save up to $150 a year in energy costs. add weather stripping around doors/windows: Use of door thresholds, weather-stripping and window caulk could save up to 20 percent — with an investment of as little as $25. seal leaky ductwork: Over 20 percent of the average heating and cooling bills go to duct leakage. Seal your ducts with mastic and you can substantially decrease the amount of conditioned air being wasted with a cost as little as $10 and 2-3 hours of time.

switch light bulbs to CFL’s or Led’s: If everyone in NC replaced one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light (CFL) it would save 1.5 Million kWh’s each day.

Buy appliances and electronics with the energy star label: EStar refrigerators use 15 percent less energy, dishwashers 25 percent less and washers up to 50 percent less.

Change faucets and shower heads to low-flow: A 10-minute shower can use less water than a full bath. With a new 2.5 gal-perminute (low-flow) shower head, a ten-minute shower will use about 25 gallons of water and will save energy — up to $145 each year on electricity.

Wash laundry with cold water: Switching to cold water can save the average household up to $400 annually. Washing full loads can save you more than 3,400 gallons of water each year.

For more information from WNC Green Building Council visit wncgbc.org or call 254-1995.

sweets, desserts French Broad Chocolates a h ✔ f c b

10 S. Lexington Ave., Asheville 252-4181 • frenchbroadchocolates. com

The Chocolate Fetish a h

36 Haywood St, Asheville 258-2353 • chocolatefetish.com

Gypsy Queen Cuisine a h c b

51 Coxe Ave., Asheville 280-6647 • gypsyqueencuisine.com Serving Asheville and surrounding areas with delicious and authentic Eastern Mediterranean Cuisine in a food truck,using local and regional produce and meats when possible.

The Hop Ice Cream Cafe a h ✔

640 Merrimon Ave. Suite 103, Asheville 254-2224 • thehopicecreamcafe.com

wine/Beer stores, Vineyards

Roots a h✔ c b

166 West Haywood St., Asheville 232-2828 • rootsfood.com Roots' non-GMO, artisanal dips have been staples of Asheville's River Arts District since 2006. "The Microbrew of Hummus" nourishes its community's bodies and minds.

Addison Farms Vineyard a h 4005 New Leicester Highway, Leicester 581-9463 • addisonfarms.net

Addison Farms is a family owned and operated vineyard, winery and tasting room, located in the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains. Just 17 miles from downtown Asheville.

Smoking J's Fiery Foods a h

36 Rootstock Road, Candler 230-9652 • smokingjsfieryfoods.com Western North Carolina's largest specialty chile pepper farm and producer of: Fresh peppers, dried peppers, pepper mash, hot sauce, salsa, BBQ sauce

Asheville Wine Market h c 65 Biltmore Ave., Asheville 253-0060 • ashevillewine.com

Locally owned (since 1993) with more than 2,000 carefully chosen wine selections, craft beer choices, fine deli meats and extraordinary cheeses. Quality in all price ranges!

Wild Salmon Co. h✔ b

554 Riverside Drive, Asheville 216-2565 • thewildsalmonco.com Buy direct from the fisherman. We offer high quality, sustainably harvested wild Alaska seafood at local tailgate markets and online every Fall. Don't miss out!

Yielding Branch a h b

Hops & Vines h✔ c b 797 Haywood Road, Suite 100, Asheville 252-5275 • hopsandvines.net

Asheville's only beer, wine and homebrew shop. Come check out hundreds of specialty and rare beers and wines and our vast selection of homebrew supplies.

826 Smith Dairy Road, Columbus 817-7512

12 Old Charlotte Highway, Suite H Asheville, NC 28803 (828) 299-3370 www.highlandbrewing.com Open 7 days a week!

Call or check website for details 2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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l i st i ng s

how t o

hoW to dreSS local By aShevIlle groWn

Sustainability is a beautiful thing — and so is sustainably crafted fashion.

North Carolina Wine Gifts h✔

1131 Sweeten Creek Road, Suite 111, Asheville 490-1840 • ncwinegifts.com Discover North Carolina Wine! We are the only wine store and quarterly wine club dedicated to NC's award-wining boutique wineries.

Government & Non-Profit Services nonprofits & charitaBle organizations ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) a 306 W. Haywood St., Suite 200, Asheville 236-1282 • aspconnections.org

ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters and build healthy communities through connections to local food.

When we wear upcycled clothing — meaning clothing that would otherwise be discarded, including unique vintage pieces or customcrafted looks from leftover fabrics — we reduce waste and environmental impact. When we buy clothes from locally owned businesses, we support local resiliency by investing in companies that are tied to their communities and are more likely to build positive relationships with neighboring residents and businesses.

Asheville offers the opportunity to dress and accessorize head-totoe, undergarment to outerwear, in locally crafted, one-of-a-kind clothing. As you shop around Asheville, look for Asheville Grown’s “Love Asheville, Go Local” posters and stickers to guide you to locally owned shops. You can also use this brief round-up of independent stores offering locally crafted wares to get you started.

Bow & Arrow

Locally made jeans and accessories crafted from 100 percent

domestic cotton by owner Anna Toth. Manufactured in Wedge Studios, 129 Roberts St. Suite 3B. Info: bowandarrowapparel.etsy. com

GArAGe 34

Handmade gifts and crafts from local artists, in addition to upcycled clothes. 34 S. Lexington Ave. Info: facebook.com/g34avl

Hip replAcements

Locally made jewelry from Amber Hatchett Designs, lingerie from On the Inside and T-shirts from Holdfast Printworks. 72 N. Lexington Ave. Info: hipreplacementsclothing.com

ontHe inside

Custom-made lingerie crafted by owner Elise Olson. Manufactured in Hatchery Studios, 1 Roberts St. Info: ontheinside.etsy.com

minx

Locally made jewelry. 64 N. Lexington Ave. Info: minxasheville.com

reciprocity

Buys and sells upcycled cloth-

ing. 732 Haywood Road. Info: reciprocityofwnc.com.

royAl peAsAntry Clothing, locally manufactured from upcycled fabrics, as well as accessories and bags made from locally sourced scrap leather. 80 N. Lexington Ave. Info: royalpeasantry.com

sHipto sHore Custom dresses for special occasions — including formal and wedding gowns. 85 State St., by appointment. Info: shiptoshoreshop.com

spiritex Locally designed and constructed casual wear and organic, sustainable fabrics. 14 Haywood St. Info: spiritex.net Explore more local fashion — as well as works from local makers, crafters and artisans — at the Big Crafty Festival, downtown every July and December, or online at thebigcrafty.com.

For more local fashioon and a directory of locally owned businesses, visit ashevillegrown.com.

Asheville Downtown Association c

29 Haywood St., Asheville 251-9973 • ashevilledowntown.org The Asheville Downtown Association is a membership organization committed to the preservation and improvement of downtown through programming, civic support and annual events.

Center for Diversity Education at UNC Asheville c I University Heights, CPO 1200, Asheville 232-5024 • diversityed.org

Girls on the Run of WNC Inc. c b

50 S. French Broad Ave., Suite 249, Asheville 713-4290 • gotrwnc.org Photo courtesy of Bow & arrow

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

how t o

Why BUy local?

By aPPalachIan SUStaInaBle agrIcUltUre Project Because choices matter. Buying local helps us to....

celeBrAte our cHArActer And HeritAGe

Buying local ensures that our farms and local businesses remain vibrant and productive and contribute to preserving our scenic landscape and unique culture.

Keep VAlue in tHe locAl economy

Buying local is about more than how we spend our dollars — it’s about supporting what we value in our community like fair pay, sustainable agriculture, healthy food and strong local economies.

Build community resilience

Buying local supports a diversity of innovative and interde-

pendent businesses that make it possible for communities to both survive and thrive in good times and bad.

strenGtHen community ties Purchasing products made or grown by our neighbors builds relationships that strengthen the economy while creating opportunities for greater civic engagement.

creAte tHe Food system we wAnt When we buy local, we exercise our power to change the food system to one that is more transparent and better supports our farms, workers, environment and the entire community.

For more information, visit asapconnections.org.

For 25 years, Mountain BizWorks has been making loans and offering highly customized peer-to-peer business coaching to local entrepreneurs.

Contact us to learn how we can help you start or grow your business with loans and coaching.

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

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l i st i ng s Body products

Our VOICE Inc. c

44 Merrimon Ave., Suite 1, Asheville 252-0562 • ourvoicenc.org

True Nature Country Fair h d

At Highland Lake Cove, 215 Rhett Drive, Flat Rock 342-1849 • truenaturecountryfair.org

Lodging Bed & Breakfasts and farm lodging

Vacation In Asheville h✔ c 74 Oakland Road, Asheville 994-2627 • vacationinasheville.com

Vacation In Asheville, Oakland Cottage Bed and Breakfast and Vacation Rentals in the Asheville area, pet friendly, family friendly accommodations in the Asheville area.

C & Co. All Natural Body Goods h ✔ c 15A Broadway, Asheville 575-9144 • candconaturals.com

Pets & Animals pet kennels, Boarding The Soapy Dog h b Asheville Green Cottage h b

25 St. Dunstans Circle, Asheville 707-2919 • ashevillegreencottage.com Truly green, healthy-minded B&B, featuring many amenities to provide a relaxing stay in a healthy and sustainable historic home.

Vegetarian food. Pet friendly. Great location.

Just 5 miles from downtown Asheville

organic food production, green built homes, pot luck meals, and exercise opportunities

6 Celebration Place Asheville, NC 28806

info@villagesatcrestmountain.com

828-252-7787 62

The Laughing Mermaid Soap Company h✔ b

68 College St., Asheville 259-5331 • thelaughingmermaid.com

Retail BaBy & children’s goods Nest Organics h✔ c b

Handcrafted natural soaps, lotions and perfumes with a “Funky Flair.” We can make you feel good all over!

51 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville 258-1901 • nestorganics.com

We carry baby and children's organic clothes and accessories. Diapers, organic bedding, gently used cotton clothes and locally made products. Classses monthly in diapering, babywearing, etc.

THE VILLAGES AT CREST MOUNTAIN Sustainable living with

270 Depot St., Asheville 350-0333 • thesoapydog.com

The Littlest Birds h✔ c Inn on Main Street B&B a h

647 Haywood Road, Asheville 253-4747 • thelittlestbirds.com

A romantic B&B in quaint and artistic Weaverville, 10 minutes from Asheville.

Enjoy mountain and garden views with from-scratch breakfast on the back porch.

Shoji Retreat h✔

96 Avondale Heights Road, Asheville 299-0999 • shojiretreats.com Stay in one of Shoji's three unique accommodations and enjoy being surrounded by nature yet only six miles from the vibrancy of downtown Asheville.

mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

Maddie Hayes Naturals

a h

88 . S Main St., Weaverville 645-4935 • innonmain.com

Candler 665-8419 • maddiehayesnaturals.com

KEY h✔

Accepts Go Local cards

a

“Appalachian Grown,” certified by ASAP

f

Green Restaurant Association member

c

Just Economics Living Wage Certified employers

b

Mountain BizWorks client

d

WNC Green Building Council member

h

Locally owned, independent business

Maddie Hayes Naturals manufactures the finest all natural insect repellent available.

We also produce the finest premium all natural lip balm.

Bookshops, comics Hero Hunter Comics h✔

1107 Smoky Park Highway, Candler 665-0557 • https://www.facebook.com/ hero.h.comics

Boutique clothing Gallery M.I.A.h c

61 1/2 N. Lexington Ave. 254-8949 gallerymia.com

how t o

Continuous Improvement Construction, LLC Specializing in healthy, energy efficient and durable construction, we are a full-service residential General Contractor, building quality new homes, additions and remodels.

Design assistance available.

828-551-7573

cicllc.duane@gmail.com cic-llc.squarespace.com

Photo courtesy of Mountain Bizworks

hoW to laUnch a local BUSIneSS: a Mountain BizWorks success story

By MoUntaIn BIzWorkS

Kudzai Mabunda is a native of Zimbabwe who has dedicated her career to providing assisted living and social services to her community. Several years ago, Kudzai noticed a growing trend in her field — “family care homes,” which provide elderly or disabled Medicaid beneficiaries with living facilities in a home environment. After starting one family care home in 2007 in Hendersonville, demand was so high that in 2010 she purchased another home to turn into a second facility, Topic Family Home Care.

sion into the building’s lower level, adding space for new residents. Today she has three full-time employees, one parttime employee, and accommodations for 10 residents, who enjoy around-the-clock care in a comfortable home environment. Kudzai also ensures that her residents learn independent living skills; three of her residents have been discharged to live independently.

"The loan process was fast and easy,” Kudzai says. “Mountain BizWorks believed in what I do Kudzai received a loan from and gave me a chance to borrow mountain BizWorks for expan- for my business."

CLASSIC. PROFESSIONAL. AWESOME. Supporting Local Businesses, Non-Profits and Start-Ups. 29½ Page Ave. • Asheville, NC 828.333.4529 • lbnoelcpa.com 2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

63

pa r t ner p r o f i le

asheville grown Business alliance asheville grown Business alliance is a grassroots, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to support independently owned businesses in our community. We work to grow a vibrant local economy while preserving the unique character of Asheville and to emphasize the critical importance of thinking locally first when considering the impact of national and global chains. We are committed to developing a strong community aligned with the principles of collaboration, triple bottom line and the desire to replace consumption as an end in itself.

Photo By carrie eidson

Local independent businesses retain three times as much money in our local economy.

As they are inherently tied to our community’s future, they are better positioned to respond to the special needs of our citizens and nonprofits.

Additionally they:

1. Grow Asheville’s local character and inspire entrepreneurship 2. Encourage making

local

decision-

3. Increase environmental resilience by reducing shipping costs, utilizing existing infrastructure and opting for a tighter bottom line 4. Focus on collaboration and healthy competition 5. Keep dollars in Asheville’s local economy resulting in more jobs and increased wages We recognize the connection between quality public schools and a thriving local economy. Since 2012, we have worked with Asheville City Schools Foundation to produce the Love Asheville: Go Local Card, a loyalty-card-based fundraiser. The card offers discounts at nearly 400 participating locally owned businesses, replacing corporate and fast food-based fundrais-

pisgahpress.com • 828-301-8968 • P.O. Box 1427, Candler, NC 28715

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

ers in our schools. One hundred percent of the $15 purchase price of the card goes back to our public schools and local nonprofits. The effort has raised more than $40,000 and is available for purchase yearround at participating Asheville Grown stores and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.

launch the Go Local Certificate of Deposit, which puts every dollar you invest right back into Western North Carolina via responsible small business lending or home mortgages. The CD has raised $1 million in deposits and has made possible $1.2 million in loans to fund new businesses in our region.

With your purchase of a Go Local card, you receive a directory that helps you to find businesses that are taking local to the next level. We proudly partner with Just Economics, WNC Green Building Council, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and Mountain BizWorks to highlight businesses in the directory that pay a living wage, procure local food or are green built.

We believe the arts and cultural events are essential economic drivers and indispensable to a thriving urban center. In 2011, we co-founded the Big Love Festival, an annual event that highlights more than 150 locally based businesses, artists and community organizations.

With two stages of music and entertainment, this one-day event draws over 8,000 attendees.

We understand that there needs to be a fundamental change to the banking system and Wall Street.

The recent financial crisis has exposed how little control communities have over their own local economies. As responsible residents, it is up to us to change the way we do business and the way we bank.

In March of 2013, we partnered with the Self Help Credit Union to

Look for our posters to identify locally owned, independent businesses and make a conscious effort to spend your money there.

Purchase a Go Local Card and save while you shop. Pick up some stickers and T-shirts and spread the word. By supporting Asheville Grown businesses, you are promoting a dynamic living economy as a way of life.

founder franzi charen Photo By carrie eidson

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

65

l i st i ng s Sims' Futon Gallery h✔

167 Patton Ave., Asheville 252-9449 • simsfutongallery.com

Hip Replacements h ✔ c b

72 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville 255-7573 • hipreplacementsclothing. com A classy little shop for guys and gals specializing in independent designers, local artisans and pieces made in the USA, curated with nostalgia of yesteryear.

kitchenwares Common Housefly: A Kitchen Emporium h✔ Grove Arcade h b

1 Page Ave., Asheville 252-7799 • grovearcade.com A collection of locally owned shops, restaurants and galleries in the heart of downtown Asheville. Located in one of Asheville's architectural jewels.

home furnishings

104 W. State St., Black Mountain 669-0503 • commonhouseflyblackmountain.com Cooking is cool, and we have the right tools for the job. Focus on USA-made products whenever possible. Open seven days a week.

444 Haywood Road, No. 102, Asheville 424-1378 • rhetoricalfactory.com Rhetorical Factory is on mission to recycle clothing, inspire questioning, and to be 100% good. We offer sustainable, sincerely one of a kind fashions.

North Carolina's largest selecton of organic and sustainable products for babies, children and adults. Organic bedding, mattresses and locally made products for the home.

Spiritex h c

14 Hawood St., Asheville 254-3375 • spiritex.net

Boutique shops

Affordable Bedding h ✔ c b

996 Patton Ave., Asheville 254-5555 • gotoaffordablebedding.com Your Asheville Mattress Store for brand new quality sleep products at a discount.

13 years local family-owned. Mattresses, futons, bunks and beds.

Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore d c 31 Meadow Road, Asheville 254-6706 • ashevillehabitat.org

Great source of affordable building supplies, furniture, housewares, etc.

Proceeds support Habitat's building programs: shop or donate to help families in need of decent housing.

3377 Sweeten Creek Road, Arden 650-7300 • bbbarns.com

Services accounting & payroll serVices Leah B Noel CPA, PC h✔ 29 1/2 Page Ave., Asheville 333-4529 • lbnoelcpa.com

computer repair, serVices, supplies

97 Weaverville Road, Asheville 458-1566 • avl.mx/04x Common Ground is an elegant, whimsical place to shop for housewares, furniture, and more wares that are all locally created or sourced. We creatively upcycle!

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Sims & Steele Consulting h c 44 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 254-9004 • simsandsteele.com

Serving nonprofits since 1994, we provide advice and guidance in fundraising feasibility studies, capital campaigns, collaborative fundraising, grant research/writing, strategic planning and organizational development.

Social Profit Services h b

124 Choctaw St., Asheville 230-3845 • themichellesmith.org

Helping nonprofit and social enterprise businesses cultivate social profit in our community. Cultivate enthusiasm. Cultivate abundance. Cultivate cooperation.

Cultivate connection.

counseling— life, Business

252 Charlotte St., Asheville 225-6600 • charlottestreetcomputers. com

k2 Studio h✔

About Change h b

k2 studio is a local , involved family business. We collaborate with carefully chosen local artists, craftspeople and furniture builders who complement our aesthetic.

What have you endured and accomplished?

What's next? Recycling isn't just for plastic and paper - it's also for your past. Free 15 min consult.

PO Box 1439, Flat Rock 28731 697-5464 • aboutchange.info

59 College St., Asheville 250-0500 • k2furniture.com

Common Ground h✔

Consent-based governance for more adaptive and resilient social enterprises, nonprofits and networks. DGI offers workshops, facilitation, organizational development & planning services.

Charlotte Street Computers h ✔ c

B.B. Barns h c

B.B.Barns has a fabulous selection of gifts in their expanded gift shop for any occasion and for anyone on your gift list.

Free gift wrap!

44 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 242-8199 • dynamicgovernanceinstitute.com

organic lifestyles Nest Organics h✔ c b 51 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville 258-1901 • nestorganics.com

Rhetorical Factory h c b

consultants— general Dynamic Governance Institute h c

Nest Organics h✔ c b 51 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville 258-1901 • nestorganics.com

The largest selection of organic, locally made, sustainable products in the Southeast. Organics for babies and children, organic mattresses/bedding and handmade items for the home.

mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

Computer Mechanix Inc. h ✔ c

4 Vermont Ave., Suite 2, Asheville 281-4379 • computermechanix.com Computer Mechanix provides onsite or drop off service for all PCs, Macs, tablets & smart phones. Virus remove to screen repair, we do it all!

Yol Swan: Intuitive Spiritual Mentor, Life & Business Coach h ✔ b Appointment only 458-3543 • SoulGuidedCoach.com

p r ofi l e credit unions Self-Help Credit Union c

SoW trUe Seed sow true seed was founded in 2009 to serve home gardeners, market growers and the seedsaving community at large. The company seeks to promote and foster community sustainability by helping to preserve our shared botanical heritage and “seed” a new era of sustainable culture and ecological wisdom We work with regional growers and independently owned seed producers to offer over 500 varieties of seeds as well as seasonal plant starts, potatoes, asparagus, sweet potatoes and garlic. Collaboration with local artists has created and inspired the beautiful cover art for our free yearly catalog.

At Sow True Seed, we are committed to making seed and food free from GMOs. We are signatories of the Safe Seed Pledge put out by the Council for Respon-

sible Genetics and we do not knowingly produce, process or sell GMO seed.

Our exclusively open-pollinated, non-hybrid, untreated vegetable, herb and flower seeds will remain true to type when saved and replanted. In this way we are able to support and bolster a sovereign seed system in Western North Carolina and beyond.

We invite you to discover and share in Sow True Seed’s active commitment to sustainability by exploring our Donation Program, our ‘Sell Seeds, Not Candy’ school fundraiser program and our Grow Wise Workshop series. If you’re in Asheville, please stop in and see us!

For more information, sowtrueseed.com.

visit

financial consultants

34 Wall St., Suite 704, Asheville 676-2196 • self-help.org

Krull & Company h✔ c

60 N. Market St., Asheville 877-235-3684 • investwithyourvalues. com Asheville's only investment management firm dedicated to socially and environmentally responsible investing.

We help you align your investments with your values.

Telco Community Credit Union h✔ 36 Tunnel Road, Asheville 800-222-1025 • telcoccu.org

Complete banking services for Buncombe, Burke, Catawba, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and McDowell counties. In the branches, online, mobile and telephone access to your accounts.

fact financial & inVestment to date, Mountain Bizworks has delivered $9 million in loans to 715 wnc businesses and served more than 6,000 clients.

— Mountain Bizworks

Sage Counseling and Financial Services h✔ b

78 1/2 Patton Ave., Suite B, Asheville 707-5376 • sagecfs.com Sage Counseling and Financial Services specializes in financial therapy, a unique approach which strives to integrate one's development of both emotional and financial health.

green home cleaning detailed cleaning with earth friendly productsTM

Supporting our clients in achieving a more simple and sustainable lifestyle for any budget Photo courtesy of sow true seed

greenhomeavl.com • 828.582.2080

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l i st i ng s graphic & printing serVices 828:design h c

realtors

32 Broadway, Suite 120, Asheville 254-9200 • 828design.com

Debra Marshall/Century 21 Mountain Lifestyles c

2123 Hendersonville Road, Arden 273-5305 • C21ML.com

Green Light Ink h c

80,000

Mountain Xpress readers

730 Locust St., Hendersonville 736-0287 • greenlightink.com We are a Living Wage Certified, full service screen printing shop specializing in water-based and discharge printing methods.

make buying local a priority.

French Broad River Realty h✔

1238 Hendersonville Road, Suite 112, Asheville 575-2337 • searchashevillerealestate. com

PLI: Plasticard Locktech International h✔

605 Sweeten Creek Industrial Park, Asheville 210-4755

house cleaning serVices Green Home Cleaning h c b

247 Westover Alley, Asheville 582-2080 • greenhomeavl.com

Jackie Rocks Green at Dawn Wilson Realty h d Asheville/ Black Mountain 713-5193 • dawnwilsonrealty.com

Let me help you navigate the shades of Green, whether buying or selling a home or sustainable tract of land. I have firsthand experience with solar.

Organic Planet Cleaning h ✔ c b

12 Daisy Lane, Asheville 280-7315 • organicplanetcleaning.com Organic Planet is an earth friendly cleaning service fully equipped to accommodate any cleaning requirements. We specialize in residential, commercial and postconstruction cleanings.

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

Keller Williams Professionals h✔ 25 St. Dunstans Circle, Asheville 707-2919 • greenbuilt-e.com

Twenty-five years in green design and building can help you find a home with green and healthy features and potential.

LEED AP Professional, ASID.

Bike shops & repair

Suspension Experts h ✔ c b Love The Green Team Keller Williams d c b 86 Asheland Ave., Asheville 279-6723 • lovethegreen.org

We are a full service professional real estate company. We provide quality services to all buyers and sellers for residential property. Call us today!

89 Thompson St., Unit N, Asheville 255-0205 • mtbsuspensionexperts.com Suspension Experts offers retail sales, rebuilds and custom tuning on mountain bike suspension for riders and bike shops with fast turnaround and professional service.

Wellness & Spirituality acupuncturists

Town and Mountain Realty h d

261 Asheland Ave., Suite 103, Asheville 232-2879 • townandmountain.com

woodworkers GreenRiverWoods h✔

24 Ormond Ave., Asheville 450-4535 • greenriverwoods.com

Transportation automotiVe— sales & serVice

White Pine Acupuncture Inc. h✔

247 Charlotte St., Suite R3, Asheville 545-2288 • whitepineacupuncture.com

alternatiVe health practitioners Spiral Way Healing Arts h✔ 485 Hendersonville Road, Asheville 712-0115 • spiralwayjsj.com

chiropractors Dr. Matilda Sienko at Gentle Family Chiropractic Center h✔ Harmony Motors h✔

621 Brevard Rd Asheville NC 28806 828-232-4000 www.harmonymotors.us

82 Arlington St., Asheville 253-8900 • drmatildasienko.com

Harmony Motors, locally owned by Scott and Linda Wilkerson, includes Volkswagen of Asheville, Audi Asheville, and Porsche of Asheville. Proud supporters of many local non-profit organizations.replace with real text.

621 Brevard Road, Asheville 232-4000 • harmonymotors.us

GreenHands Healing Center h ✔ c 1085 Tunnel Road, Asheville 298-4500 • greenhandschiro.com

Nourish & Flourish h✔ b 347 Depot St., Suite 201, Asheville 255-2770 • nourishflourishnow.com

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l i st i ng s counseling & therapy Blue Ridge Treks h✔ c

maternity care New Dawn Midwifery h c

70 Woodfin Place, Suite 417, Asheville 707-3987 • blueridgetreks.com

201 Charlotte St., Asheville 236-0032 • newdawnmidwifery.com

Peaceful Way Massage & Reiki h✔

131 McDowell St., Suite 202, Asheville 423-3978 • peacefulwaymassage.com Swedish, deep tissue, and Integral Eyesight Improvement Providing neuromuscular massage. Massage for h ✔ b clients with cancer. Reiki energy healing

12 1/2 Wall St., Suite P, Asheville 910-859-1232 • integraleyesight.com

Hope Eden, LCSW h✔ 107 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 989-2514

I help people young and old learn the Bates Method to prevent and reverse common vision problems naturally and holistically without glasses, contacts or surgery.

Positive Transformations h✔ 372 Depot St., Suite 10, Asheville Powerful effective therapy, utilizing successful techniques such as EMDR, rapid resolution therapy and family systems.

Adults, couples, teenagers and children all benefit from achieving intentions.

exercise facilities & moVement classes

medical specialists

sessions and classes available. Book online or call (828) 423-3978.

health clinics Integrative Family Medicine of Asheville h✔ c

107 Merrimon Ave., No. 325, Asheville 808-2860 • positiveNC.com

Full-scope nurse-midwifery offering home and hospital births as well as care during and after pregnancy and for all phases of a woman's life.

575-9600 • integrativeasheville.org

herBalists Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism h✔ c 2 Westwood Place, Asheville 350-1221 • HerbsHeal.com

Homegrown Hearing h b Shoji Retreat h✔

96 Avondale Heights Road, Asheville 299-0999 • shojiretreats.com Relax with a customized massage with Shoji's well regarded licensed massage therapists. Choose from a wealth of options; Swedish, deep tissue, Shiatsu, Thai and more!

Cheri Wagner: Medical Herbalist h✔

50 Cedar Hill Road, Asheville 779-7050 • homegrownhearing.com Let me help you maximize the effectiveness of your hearing aids and the way your brain works with them, in your home or mine.

retreats & places of worship Circle of Mercy h c

1 School Road, Asheville 318-3619 • sites.google.com/site/circleofmercy

Appointment only, Asheville 254-0123 • cheriwagner.com

OM Sanctuary h✔

87 Richmond Hill Drive, Asheville 252-7313 • omsanctuary.org

Climbmax Climbing h✔ 43 Wall St., Asheville 252-9996 • climbmaxnc.com

Unity Healing Arts h✔

Rock Climbing is fun and exciting for all ages. Climbmax Climbing offers services to all abilities and ages in a controlled and fun environment.

15 Zillicoa St., Asheville 225-5825 • unityhealingarts.com

Happy Body — a Pilates, Yoga and Bodywork studio h ✔ c b

Red Moon Herbs a h ✔ c b

1378 Hendersonville Road, Asheville 277-5741 • ashevillehappybody.com

Online only, Asheville 484-8449 • redmoonherbs.com

eyecare Envision Eyecare h✔ c

Red Moon Herbs, an Asheville herbal extracts company using fresh, local plants harvested in peak season, locally sources wax, honey, vinegars and other raw materials.

180 Charlotte St., Asheville 254-6757 • myenvisioneyecare.com

Eye on Merrimon/Asheville Optometric Association h✔ 701 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 252-5255 • Eyeonmerrimon.com

massage therapists, Bodywork Advanced Pain Relief Therapy h ✔ c 191 E. Chestnut St., Asheville 776-1392 • medicalmassageasheville. com Voted No.1 Massage Therapist, Best of WNC, 2012 and 2013. Specializing in chronic back, neck, shoulder and hip pain and post-injury recovery.

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mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

spas

KEY h✔

Accepts Go Local cards

a

“Appalachian Grown,” Certified by ASAP

f

Green Restaurant Association member

c

Just Economics Living Wage Certified Employers

b

Mountain BizWorks Client

d

WNC Green Building Council member

h

Locally owned, independent business

Asheville's Salt Cave h ✔ c b

12 Eagle St., Asheville 236-5999 • ashevillesaltcave.com Experience the miracle of salt therapy, balancing your body and mind while strengthening your immune system, naturally. 45 minutes = 4 days at the ocean.

PROUD TO BE LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 2003 Mary Weber Landscape Architecture h d Shoji Retreat h✔

131 Evelyn Place, Asheville 281-3153 • maryweberdesign.com

96 Avondale Heights Road, Asheville 299-0999 • shojiretreats.com An outdoor Japanese style hot tub retreat and massage spa, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just six miles from Downtown Asheville.

yoga Bikram Hot Yoga Asheville h✔

802 Fairview Road, Suite 100, Asheville 299-7003 • HotYogaAsheville.com

West Asheville Yoga h c 602 Haywood Road, Asheville 350-1167 • westashevilleyoga.com

Yard, Garden & Landscape landscape contractors, design & maintenance Asheville Arborcare h✔ b 1141 Tunnel Road, Asheville 565-1984 • Egltree.webs.com

Asheville 712-3945 • rambleandroot.org

Ever wanted to grow your own food? We're here to help! We specialize in design, installation, and maintenance/classes to help create your dream edible landscape.

Useful Plants Nursery a h 111 Another Way, Black Mountain 669-6517 • usefulplants.org

UPN's Chuck Marsh provides permaculture and edible landscape design and consulting services. He has over 35 years experience designing sustainable landscapes in the mountains and Piedmont.

permaculture Ashevillage Institute h✔ b

Asheville info@ashevillage.org • ashevillage.org

Permaculture in Action h b 124 Choctaw St., Asheville 230-3845 • permacultureinaction.com

B.B. Barns h c

3377 Sweeten Creek Road, Arden 650-7300 • bbbarns.com B.B. Barns Landscape Services: Landscape design and installation, hardscapes, driveways, water features, patios and decks, raised beds, fences, arbors, and iron works, and garden maintenance services.

Graceful Design Gardens h c b

3 Lookout Drive, Asheville gracefuldesignwnc@gmail.com • gracefuldesigngardens.com

40% OFF

Ramble & Root h✔ b

Zev Friedman and Dylan-Ryals Hamilton offer affordable, hands-on permaculture training with leading teachers in the Western North Carolina area. Workshops, permaculture design certifications, apprenticeships, design and implementation.

IdeaS “do you have ideas for next year’s Get it! Guide? know of organizations or initiatives that our Get it! readers need to know about? we want to hear from you! send info to: getit15@ mountainx.com”

NEW CLIENTS & GIFT CERTIFICATES

Offering Deep Tissue, Sports Massage, Hot Stones, Ashiatsu, Shiatsu & Cranial Sacral

EXPIRES 4/20/15

Open 7 Days a Week in Historic Montford 15 Zillicoa St, Asheville NC 28801 www.unityhealingarts.com 828-225-5825

Jackie Rocks Green!

“Jackie is a very attentive, professional, local, expert. She made it a fun experience connecting us with the home of our imagination and dreams.”

Dan and Keri Gaddis “Working with Jackie Tatelman on the sale of my home gave me the peace of mind knowing that all the details would be handled in a timely, efficient and honest way.“ Jean Leslie

SaMPle Box • placing the building to have the least environmental impact

jackie@dawnwilsonrealty.com

DawnWilsonRealty.com 2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

71

l i st i ng s

Shop Living Wage Certified!

What is Living Wage Certified?

Local employers that pay at least the living wage of $11.85/hour w/o insurance or $10.35/hour w/ Look for for this icon next to businesses listed in the 2014 GET IT! GUIDE indicating they are Living Wage Certified!

“Support those businesses that share your vision of our ideal community.

Living Wage Jobs!!!”

For a full listing of Living Wage Certified Employers, or to become a certified business visit:

www.justeconomicswnc.org 72

mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

plant nurseries

supplies

Pisgah Ornamentals and Edibles (dba Pisgah Plants) a h B.B. Barns h c

3377 Sweeten Creek Road, Arden 650-7300 • bbbarns.com B.B. Barns is a four-acre destination garden-gift and landscape company hosting an exotic plant collection and a unique gift gallery with surprises around every corner.

74 Curtis Creek Road, Candler 670-8733 • pisgahplants.com

Pisgah Plants is a locally owned wholesale nursery focusing on high quality ornamental and edible landscape plants.

We also sell to the public by appointment

Eagle Feather Organic Farm a h c 300 Indigo Bunting Lane, Marshall 649-3536 • ncgoldenseal.com

Useful Plants Nursery a h 111 Another Way, Black Mountain 669-6517 • usefulplants.org

We grow fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, and permaculture plants adapted to the Southern Appalachian and Piedmont bioregions. Edible landscape design services also available.

Haiku Bamboo Nursery a h

468 Rhodes Mountain Road, Edneyville 685-3053 • haikubamboonursery.net

IdeaS

Established 1989. Sustainable and ecological growing practices producing bamboo plants, bamboo shoot and bamboo poles. Offer a high quality bamboo plants/ and bamboo poles to our customers.

what themes in sustainability

and

resilient

commu-

nity do our readers need to know about next year? Local projects or people that Get it! readers need to know about? send your tips and news for next year’s guide to: getit15@mountainx.com.

Sow True Seed a b

146 Church St., Asheville 254-0708 • sowtrueseed.com

fact a “living wage” is defined as the minimum amount that a worker must earn to afford his or her basic necessities, without public or private assistance. for a single individual in wnc, this equates to $11.85/ hour without employerprovided health insurance or $10.35/hour with employer provided health insurance.

— Just Economics

Villagers h b

278 Haywood Road, Asheville 215-9569 • forvillagers.com VILLAGERS is an urban homestead supply shop located in West Asheville. We offer classes and quality home and garden goods that support sustainable living.

KEY h✔

Accepts Go Local cards

a

“Appalachian Grown,” Certified by ASAP

f

Green Restaurant Association Member

c

Just Economics Living Wage Certified Employers

b

Mountain BizWorks client

d

WNC Green Building Council member

h

Locally owned, independent business

CLEANING by

Kim

* always eco friendly

New Client Special: buy one cleaning get one free

828-772-4276 • www.cleaningbykim.com

2014 | mountain xpress get it! guide

73

ad v er t i ser i n de x

index of advertisers A-B Technical College.............................32

Green River Picklers...............................51

Pisgah Plants............................................58

Alembic Studio........................................27

Grovewood Gallery..................................9

Pisgah Press.............................................64

Antique Tobacco Barn...........................35

Habitat for Humanity ..........................59

PLI Cards....................................................50

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project............................72

HandsOnAsheville.org (United Way).68

Red Moon Herbs......................................31

Hero Hunter Comics...............................43

Samsel Architects...................................21

Highland Brewing Co.............................59

savENRG.....................................................13

Asheville Wine Market...........................39

Jackie Tatelman (Dawn Wilson Realty)........................71

Scallywag‚ Äôs Consignment Furniture............19

B.B. Barns..................................................75

John C. Campbell Folk School..............29

Blackbird Frame and Art......................36

Junk Recyclers Inc / Regeneration Station.......................38

Seven Juice Bar........................................11

Just Economics........................................72

Sineath Construction Co.......................32

Build It Naturally.....................................28

K2 Studio...................................................33

Soapy Dog.................................................71

Care Partners...........................................10

Krull and Company...................................3

Spiritex.......................................................61

Carolina Native Landscapes.................53

Leah B. Noel CPA......................................63

Springtime Homes..................................44

Chem Dry ..................................................17

Legerton Architecture.............................7

Sugar Hollow Solar.................................68

Cheri Wagner, herbalist.........................40

Lenoir-Rhyne University.......................55

Sundance Power Systems...................54

Cleaning by Kim......................................73

Liberty Bicycles........................................46

Surefoot Builders...................Back cover

Continuous Improvement Construction........................................63

Long Branch Environmental Education Center...............................52

Telco Community Credit Union.............4

Downtown Market/Sly Grog...............34

Maddie Hayes Naturals.........................51

Eco-Huts ...................................................41

Medea’s Espresso & Juice Bar..............27

Eden-Out...................................................14

Mountain Bizworks................................61

Eye on Merrimon....................................47

Mountain Housing Opportunities......44

Farm Burger.............................................15

Mountain Meadows.................................9

Farmer Jane Soap...................................62

Mountain Valley Spring Water............58

Useful Plants Nursery............................57

Franny’s Farm....................................47

New Earth Muziq....................................22

VandeMusser Design.............................45

French Broad Chocolate Lounge.......67

North Asheville Tailgate Market.........54

Villages at Crest Mountain...................62

French Broad Imaging..........................15

Notorious Coffee Roasting Company.47

Weaverville Tailgate Market................25

Goodwill Industries................................65

October Road Inc....................................73

West Asheville Yoga ..............................56

Green Home Cleaning............................67

OM Sanctuary ..........................................49

Wild Mountain Apiaries.........................51

Greenlife .....................................................5

Painters Greenhouses...........................48

WNC Green Building Council................29

Asheville Arborcare................................31 Asheville Grown Business Alliance.....69

Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine.............................42

74

mountain xpress get it! guide 2014

Self Help Credit Union............................56

Thermacraft.............................................34 Town and Mountain Realty.................64 True Nature Country Fair........................2 Twin Leaf Brewing Co............................16 Unity Healing Arts...................................71

Grow Your Food!

Know Your Food!

Locally Owned ... Locally Grown: 25 Years!

Fruit Trees Nut Trees Fruit Bushes Herbs & Vegetables Seeds Visit bbbarns.com 3377 Sweeten Creek Rd. Arden, N.C. 28704 828-650-7300

Sure Foot BuilderS design and Build Firm

Craftsmanship of Balance Modern or Traditional Custom, Spec or Remodel

Contact Info: www.surefootbuilders.com surefootbuilders@gmail.com 828-242-0925