Made in the High Country 2020

GOODNIGHT BROTHERS

AEV

SEXTON FARMS

INDUSTRY • CRAFTSMEN • INNOVATORS • ENTREPRENEURS

2020

A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF

CLASSIC STONE WORKS

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

2 - Mountain Times Publications

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Wine made in the High Country

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igh Country wineries have come a long way in a relatively short period of time, especially over the last decade and a half as the industry in North Carolina has grown exponentially.

In the autumn months, all three local wineries, Banner Elk Winery, Grandfather Vineyard and Winery and Linville Falls Winery, feature warm afternoons filled with live music and local wine lovers as well as tourists stopping in from around the world.

As with all industries, wineries have also had to deal with the realities of the continuing coronavirus pandemic, including limiting crowds, outdoor social distancing, healthy commerce and more. As the months go on, all of these things may change as state and local governments adapt to the progress made with coronavirus situation, so please call ahead for more information before you travel.

The wine making business in the Tar Heel State is catching up with other states and regions, and our local vineyards are producing worthy, award-winning wines every year.

To add to the quality of the local wine industry, Appalachian State University in Boone created the new Enology and Viticulture program a few years ago, which includes a Fermentation Science Degree as well as research and lab work geared specifically for the North Carolina winemaking industry. This has helped to provide quality workers and wine innovators into the state’s wine industry.

The aim of the ASU Enology and Viticulture program is as follows; “The wine industry in North Carolina is a significant tourism-based economic driver, centered on profitable agricultural value-added products. Small businesses account for the majority

PHOTO BY DEREK HALSEY In the autumn months, all three local wineries, Banner Elk Winery, Grandfather Vineyard, shown here, and Winery and Linville Falls Winery, feature warm afternoons filled with live music and local wine lovers as well as tourists stopping in from around the world.

of growth in the wine and brewing industries in the Southeast. The initiatives of the Enology and Viticulture program support rural development and agri-tourism by directly contributing to the sustainability of the wine industry in North Carolina.”

In the High Country, our wineries are uniquely positioned to take advantage of the beauty of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, which provide gorgeous spaces where tourists and locals can enjoy a tasty glass of fermented grapes, often augmented by live music in these fall months.

Banner Elk Winery and Villa was the first commercial winery built in Avery County back in 2005. Like most High Country wineries, they combine their own grapes with other varieties brought in from high-quality growers in nearby areas.

Located at 60 Deer Run Lane on the mountainous outskirts of the resort town of Banner Elk, the winery stays open all winter for tastings and purchases. The attached villa with its various luxury suites and event rooms are available to rent all year for weddings, business meetings, parties and more.

The Banner Elk Winery Tasting Room is open every day of the year. Some of the premium wines made by the winery include their Heirloom Blend, Banner Elk Merlot, Sangiovese Red, Banner Elk Red and Banner Elk White, Banner Elk blueberry, Seyval Blanc and more.

Banner Elk Winery wines have won multiple medals at the North Carolina State Fair and International Eastern Wine Competition in Sonoma County, California. More information can be found at www. bannerelkwinery.com and (828) 898-9090.

At the heart of Linville Falls Winery, located near Linville Falls and Linville Gorge, is local entrepreneur Jack Wiseman. Since he was a young man in the 1950s, Wiseman always had an interest and a talent for making wine and brandy.

After traveling the world and country, and spending time in Napa Valley of California in the 1960s befriending people who made high-quality wines, Wiseman came home to Avery County with ideas of creating a vineyard.

Once back in the High Country, Wiseman’s first

successful business venture was in the Christmas tree industry. He was the first to plant thousands of high altitude-growing Frasier Fir trees here in this section of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

That business continues today, but winemaking was still in his blood and he created Linville Falls Winery about seven years ago.

Linville Falls Winery is located in a gorgeous valley just a short drive from the Blue Ridge Parkway. As stated above, the winery is also a couple of miles from the beautiful Linville Falls and the magnificent Linville Gorge, which is the steepest gorge east of the Mississippi River. The winery itself is located on 9557 Linville Falls Highway (Rte. 221).

Wiseman had a vision of growing grapes that would thrive in the unique conditions found in this area. Unlike the desert environment that is the Napa Valley of California, a place that Wiseman spent time in as a young man, these mountainsides are best suited for fruits such as the Riesling grape. Linville Falls Winery has three fields of Riesling grapes growing at just about 3,200 feet. According to Wise-

man, growing the grapes just a hundred feet higher or lower on the mountains would change the flavor and characteristic of his grapes. This is something he has learned from what he calls the six-year process of planting the grapes, letting them grow to a certain age, making wine with the grapes and then aging the wine. One of his latest creations is called Elevation, made from grapes that specifically grown at 3,200 on the misty and cool High Country Mountains.

Other wines made by Linville Falls Winery include a unique blend called Trillium, a Dry Riesling and a standard Riesling, Red Barn Blend, Cascade North Carolina, Petit Verdot, Mountain White, Estate Grown Rose’, Bear Trap Blackberry Wine, Pink Lady Apple Wine, Stover Strawberry, Brandy barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon and the wineries signature Blueberry wine.

According to their calendar, Linville Falls Winery will be hosting live music until the end of October.

More information can be found at www.linvillefallswinery.com and (828) 765-1400.

Grandfather Vineyard and Winery is also situated in a beautiful place amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains at 225 Vineyards Lane located between Banner Elk and Boone. The winery has the Watauga River running through the middle of the grounds, which provides a wonderful space for folks to enjoy some vino as the water flows by just a couple of miles from the Eastern Continental Divide.

At all times, a magnificent view of Grandfather Mountain is seen from the winery grounds. Grandfather Mountain, after which the winery is named, is one of the most famous and distinctive-looking mountains in the eastern half of the United States, rising up to just 45 feet shy of 6,000 feet. If you view

Grandfather Mountains from the northeastern side, you can see the outline of the old man’s face as he lies on his back and looks up to the stars. It is this famous profile of Grandfather Mountain that you see every day from the winery grounds. Add to that the vibrant colors of fall foliage and you have a wonderful autumn experience in the High Country.

Owners Steve and Sally Tatum created this winery, which claims to be the first wine-producing winery in Watauga County. The couple met while working at one of the local ski resorts almost 40 years ago.

They created Grandfather Vineyard and Winery and made it a family business.

Their son Dylan Tatum is the chief winemaker having earned degrees in Enology and Viticulture from Surry Community College.

Their daughter-in-law, Nicole Tatum, is manager of the Tasting Room, and she was happy to see folks arrive at the winery during the opening Memorial Day Weekend. As of presstime, the tasting Room is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Yet, patrons are still able to do their own wine tasting with the special wine tree filled with multiple small glasses of different wines. Then, once situated in this beautiful natural environment, folks can choose the wine they like as they enjoy live music on the weekends. Check in with the winery as the social restrictions ease.

Nicole Tatum grew up in Florida yet visited the mountains of the High Country one week a year at her grandparent’s summer home. As she grew older, she decided to move to these Blue Ridge Mountains and four days after she arrived, she met Dylan Tatum and a wonderful new addition to this wine-making family was soon in the works.

SEE WINE ON PAGE 5

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

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Goodnight Brothers hams a staple of the High County

BY STEVE BEHR

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PHOTO COURTESY OF GOODNIGHT BROTHERS Goodnight Brothers offers several ham products.

hen diners want cured ham as part of their meals, chances are Goodnight Brothers Country Ham have had a hand in bringing it to their tables.

Goodnight Brothers is one of the leaders in the country ham field when it comes to bringing cured ham throughout the southeast. Located at 372 Industrial Park Drive in Boone, Gooodnight Brothers products are flavored in the High Country and shipped all over the country.

Goodnight’s products include country ham trimmings, ham slices and bacon. The company provides cured ham products to both to food distributors such as Piggly Wiggly, Food City, Ingles and Roses and to restaurants including Bojangles’, Hardee’s and Dan’l Boone Inn. Goodnight has been a family operation since it was founded in 1948.The company is currently run by cousins by Bill and Jim Goodnight, whose fathers are part of the group that founded the company. Goodnight Brothers started out as a family produce business that grew from selling its product on the side of the road to a company that currently employs 130 workers.

The employees are critical to the success of Goodnight Brothers, according to Bill Goodnight. Expanding into selling pork products allowed the company to keep its employees full time and allowed the company to grow.

“The country hams were usually cured climatically in a natural environment,” Goodnight said. “With country hams, we’d start and put the hams down in the winter time and go though the seasons of spring, fall and winter and fall they would be ready to serve

by Thanksgiving. That gave the employees year-round work.”

The company, which has mostly manufacturing jobs, is still involved with Appalachian State University Sustainable Department. The production of produce was ended towards the end of the 20th century when the business was moved from downtown Boone to its current location at Boone Industrial Park in 1994.

The company, which was founded by family brothers and has sustained through their chil-

dren, started to move away from the produce end of the business by 1970, according to Goodnight.

The increase in tourism steered the company away from produce to curing ham fulltime.

“When the county became less agriculturally oriented and more tourist oriented, the produce kind of dwindled and the country ham took off,” Goodnight said. “In 1970 we built the first ham house and we were curing about a load a week when we moved from downtown Boone to the Industrial Park. We were then able to cure six or seven loads per week.”

Operations manager Rod Farthing, who has been with the company since 1976, said the company started landing bigger clients, and the business started to grow.

“I think the biggest breaking point for the ham house was when we got big contract with Bojangles’,” Farthing said. “We supply all of the Bojangles’ and the Hardee’s with the ham or the ham biscuits.”

Farthing said the deal with Bojangles’ happened in 1978 and added Hardee’s as a full-time customer to their customer list in 2000.

Farthing meets with the USDA on a daily basis to ensue the meet meets federal guidelines. Goodnight’s is also BRC (British Retail Consortium) For Food Safety, which ensures retailers’ ability to guarantee the quality of the food they sell.

Goodnight Brothers dry cures 280,000 pounds of ham per week. It has environment rooms that can simulate spring, supper, autumn and winter conditions.

“Our suppliers want to see that before you can supply to their establishments,” Farthing said. “The USDA is here every 6:30 a.m. in the morning.”

Dakota Canter production manager, said the company averages 65 employees in processing. He said the employees are the key to the success of the company.

“It’s definitely the employees who bring this business together,” Canter, who has been at the company for 11 years, said. “Everyone’s role is important up here. Management plays a key role, but so does the average employee.

They are the backbone of the company.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNIGHTBROTHERS Workers cure ham products at Goodnight Brothers.

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

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Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Mountain Construction

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High Country staple since the mid 1980s, Mountain Construction believes that despite what you want for your mountain home, they can build it.

“We do anything anyone wants,” said Mark Kirkpatrick, founder and co-owner of Mountain Construction.

“If you ask us to do it, we can do it, and do a good job.”

Kirkpatrick’s companies Mountain Construction and Heathstone of Boone offers full-service building or remodeling experience, from concept to blue prints to hammers and nails and ending with the home of your dreams.

“We’ve done houses that are modest and conservative, and we’ve done houses that are absolutely spectacular,” Kirkpatrick said.

Specializing in heavy timber but offering much more, Mountain Construction has been involved in more than 200 projects in

High Country’s premier timber-frame builders the last 25 years from all over the region. Most of Kirkpatrick’s customers are second-home owners and sometimes the work can take months to get every last detail correct. However, that specialization is what Kirkpatrick says separates him from anyone else.

“I try to incorporate all the things we have,” Kirkpatrick said. “We like to provide contrast as a design tool, combining different elements combine together to create beautiful work.”

Currently with 10 employees, Kirkpatrick says that many of his customers are now friends and that he values those relationships.

Certified by the National Association of Home Builders as certified green professionals, Mountain Construction builds “Energy Star” and high-performance homes that require very little energy to heat and cool.

Kirkpatrick says he fell in love with the area in 1979

when hiking the Linville Gorge and never left, then meeting his wife and co-owner, Debbie Arnold, who is an artist and has sold paintings to Mountain Construction clients.

From antique wood finishes to classic mountain stone designs, Kirkpatrick can offer customers all the options they prefer to bring their soul to life.

“I love what I do and it’s just a very powerful feeling to me to contribute to the community,” Kirkpatrick said.

To learn more about Mountain Construction and Hearthstone of Boone, visit its website at www.mountainconstruction.com. For more information, visit its office at 1345 Poplar Grove Road South, Boone, N.C. call (828) 963-8090, Fax: (828) 963-8033 or send an email to info@mountainconstruction.com.

To learn more about Debbie Arnold’s art, visit arnoldfineart.com or email d@arnoldfineart.com.

PHOTO COURTESY MOUNTAIN CONSTRUCTION The exterior of a home in the Tynecastle region that was renovated by Mountain Construction of Boone.

Building and Remodeling Extraordinary Homes

WE HAVE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN CREATIVE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL TIMBER WORK. Please Visit Our Websites MountainConstruction.com | HearthstoneOfBoone.com PHOTO COURTESY MOUNTAIN CONSTRUCTION The interior of a home near Grandfather Mountain that was renovated by Mountain Construction of Boone.

1345 Poplar Grove Road, South | Boone, NC 28607

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

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WCC Ashe Campus enables students of all ages to build their education and future Community colleges are essential in providing every citizen with access to affordable, quality higher education, and the Ashe Campus of Wilkes Community College has continued to do just that for Ashe County since it was established decades years ago.

WCC began offering in Ashe County in the 1970s, which were primarily held at the three high schools.

At the time, these classes were held in response to returning veterans from the Vietnam War who had GI Bills and wanted to further their education.

According to Chris Robinson, vice president of the WCC Ashe Campus, many of these students were farmers, so the first classes held were agriculture or livestock-related programs.

Building onto these already established programs, WCC opened in 1976 with an office to manage the classes at the high school in the old hospital building in Jefferson.

The community later came together in the early 1980s to build their own campus.

According to Robinson, this effort was headed by a man named Richard Lemly who served as a county commissioner during that time and a group from the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce.

The group purchased the land where the WCC Ashe

WINE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

“Fortunately, we were able to sell to-go bottles of our wine during all of the lockdown, so we did get some business during that time, including with help of our 400-member wine club as well,” said Tatum.

“Now, all of our outdoor tables are open and six feet apart and we have put out more recycle bins so our

Campus now sits and the building opened for classes in 1984 with six classrooms, an office suite and a shop area.

In 1996, WCC Ashe Campus completed its second expansion which added 12 classrooms. This expansion project was funded by a bond fund and money from the county, Robinson said.

Now, 30 years since it was originally established, the campus is undergoing another expansion project.

The new facility which will consist of two buildings measuring a total of 36,000 square feet is expected to be completed in spring 2021 and open for instruction in August.

The two-story, 36,000-square-foot expan-

sion is expected to increase opportunities for students in Ashe County, featuring new computer labs, more classroom space, a healthcare simulation lab and other cutting-edge technology, according to WCC. The expansion will also include a separate cosmetology wing, an outdoor learning area and a 1,400-square-foot meeting space for the community to reserve.

In November 2018, the Ashe County Board of Commissioners committed as much as $8 million in county funding for the project, in addition to the $3 million being provided by bond money from WCC. “We think that is going to be a real boom to the

community and think that it just continues the service that we want to provide to our friends and neighbors,” Robinson said.

Currently, the WCC Ashe Campus is experiencing growth in their dual-enrollment program which is referred to as Career & College Promise. According to Robinson, they have about 200 students each year from the high school that take classes.

During the past three years, Robinson said they have had eight students who graduated from WCC before they graduated from high school. This not only saves their parents money but gives students who attend a four-year university the support they would

have as incoming Freshman but begin college as incoming Juniors.

In 2018, the Ashe Early College began operating out of the WCC Ashe Campus. According to Robinson, this year will be their first graduating class from AEC. “We are up to 130 students that attend high school on our campus,” Robinson said.

Located at 363 Campus Drive in West Jefferson, the WCC: Ashe Campus serves students of all ages in their pursuit of an associate’s degree. There are currently 29 total staff members at the Ashe Campus, including counselors, a part-time financial aid person and a bookstore.

“Essentially any service that you would expect to get at our Wilkes campus, you can receive at the Ashe Campus it may just be on a little bit smaller scale,” Robinson said.

According to Robinson, they will serve about nine to 10 percent of the overall population in Ashe County.

In 2019, through its continued education programs the WCC Ashe Campus served about 2,200 people in Ashe County.

In addition to the curriculum programs, firefighter training for volunteer fire departments in the county, in-service trainings for EMTS, law enforcement

staff doesn’t have to touch the bottles as much, and we have sanitizing stations on the grounds as well. We also increased our outdoor seating under our big tents.

Our tasting room is small, so instead we are selling what we call multi-glass Wine Flights, which is like doing a tasting, yet you can take it directly to your table. And, we are offering glasses of wine and bottles onsite as well.”

With indoor bars, clubs

and music venues being the last on the list for post-pandemic openings, wineries have been the first places in the High Country to bring the live music scene back to life in an outdoor setting. The sound of live music being played again is a welcome relief to those who have missed it.

Live music is scheduled at the winery through the first weekend in October.

“We are doing what we can to support our local

musicians while enabling our customers to enjoy our outdoor seating,” said Tatum. “Our food trucks are now open on the weekends for the fall.

While we have spread out and decreased our capacity, we still have a lot of seating outside. And, if people want to bring their own chairs, they can sit anywhere throughout the vineyard as long as they are practicing social distancing. Overall, we are back

to being seven days a week now.”

The folks at Grandfather Mountain Vineyard used the lockdown to create and bottle a lot of new wines and libations such as their Raspberry Cider, their popular Big Boulder Red and their Appalachian Red, which is a medium-bodied blend made from fruit that is all locally-grown here in the High Country. Another special treat that has made its debut is their Appa-

PHOTO SUBMITTED An architect’s rendering of what an aerial view of the completed Wilkes Community College Ashe Campus expansion building will look like.

training and nurse aide and real estate trainings are also completed at the WCC Ashe Campus.

Students can also attend WCC for their first two years to earn college credits before transferring to a state university or college and obtaining their bachelor’s degree. Whatever a student’s plan, the community college is an ideal place to take the first educational step beyond high school, according to Wilkes Community College President Jeff Cox. Currently, the Ashe Campus provides six full degree programs, including a college transfer curriculum that gives students a head start in earning their bachelor’s degree, as well as technical degrees in accounting, business administration, applied engineering technology, human services technology and associate degree nursing.

Students of Ashe County High School and Ashe Early College also make use of facilities at the Ashe Campus, enriching their learning environment and preparing them for the next step towards higher education.

For more information on the Ashe Campus of WCC, visit their webpage at www.wilkescc.edu/aboutus/locations/ashe-campus or call (336) 846-3900.

lachian Bubbles brand, which is a sparkling wine also made from fruit grown here in the region.

Some of the other wines that are offered for tasting and sale include Pinot Noir Rose’, Petit Sirah, Italian Barbera, Unsoaked Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Vermentino and many more vintages.

More information can be found at grandfathervineyards.com and (828) 963-2400.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2020

High Country craft breweries

uring the last decade, the craft brewery industry has taken off in the state of North Carolina and in Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties specifically.

Throughout the state of North Carolina, more than 10,000 jobs can now be credited to the burgeoning craft brew industry. In the beautiful section of the Blue Ridge Mountains, craft breweries have become a great source of locally brewed beer of superb quality and live entertainment when the conditions allow during this time of pandemic.

During the various government-mandated stages of the coronavirus lockdown, things have changed a bit for our area’s craft breweries. Many of the jobs associated with local beer establishments were furloughed earlier in the year as many estab-

THE FUTURE IS ON®

PHOTO BY DEREK HALSEY In the Blue Ridge Mountains, craft breweries have become a great source of locally brewed beer of superb quality and live entertainment.

lishments had to resort to carry out only sales. Slowly, society has opened up more as the different phases have been enacted by the state of North Carolina. As with all businesses, when

you read this article as the fall month’s progress, be sure and check in with this area’s breweries as to their current ways of doing business.

In Ashe County, there

is the Boondocks Brewing Company found at two locations in West Jefferson.

Founded by head brewer Gary Brown, Boondocks Brewing Company is a locally owned business that

is employee-owned and growing every year. Like a lot of future craft brewery owners, Brown began to make his own beer while in the armed services in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. That soon became a passion and eventually Brown moved forward with the idea of starting his own company in Rocky Mount.

Brown and his family often vacationed in Ashe County, however, and he found the mountain water there to be of high quality.

In 2012, Brown retired from his day job and set out to create Boondocks Brewing Company. As West Jefferson began to make the changes that would make it the happening small town that it is today, he saw an opportunity to locate his business there and catch the wave.

Now, Boondocks Brewing Company is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m.

to 8:30 p.m. and their Brew Haus restaurant and pub is open from Monday through Saturday.

More information on the Boondocks Brewing Company can be found at boondocksbeer.com or (336) 246-5222.

New River Brewing Company also hails from Ashe County, located at 108 South 3rd Avenue in West Jefferson. Created by Greg Hershner and Adam Hershner, a family doctor and an industrial engineer turned brewers respectively, they formed the New River Brewing Company in 2017 making them on of the new kids on the brewing block.

At their New River Taproom and Eatery, they brew craft beers such as the Old Caboose Golden Ale, Appalachian Full Moon Wheat, Gentlemen’s Agreement IPA, the North Fork SEE BREWERIES ON PAGE 10

THE FUTURE IS ON®

Our history of ingenuity: ŌĞƌ ŝŵŵŝŐƌĂƟŶŐ ĨƌŽŵ ZƵƐƐŝĂ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ hŶŝƚĞĚ ^ƚĂƚĞƐ͕ /ƐŝĚŽƌ >ĞǀŝƚŽŶ ŽƉĞŶĞĚ Ă ƐŵĂůů ƟŶƐŵŝƚŚŝŶŐ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŝŶ ϭϵϬϲ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞ ŚĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ŵĂŶƚůĞ ƟƉƐ ƵƐĞĚ ĨŽƌ ŐĂƐ ůŝŐŚƟŶŐ͘ tŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƌŝƐĞ ŽĨ ĚŝƐŽŶ͛Ɛ ůŝŐŚƚ ďƵůď͕ >ĞǀŝƚŽŶ ƐŚŝŌĞĚ ƚŽ ŵĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌĞ Ă ƐŝŶŐůĞ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĂů ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚ͗ ƚŚĞ ƉƵůůͲĐŚĂŝŶ ůĂŵƉŚŽůĚĞƌ͘ പ &ƌŽŵ ƚŚĂƚ ŽŶĞ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĂů ĚĞǀŝĐĞ͕ >ĞǀŝƚŽŶ ŚĂƐ ƉĂǀĞĚ ƚŚĞ ǁĂLJ ĨŽƌ ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ ƚŽ ůŝǀĞ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ ŐƌĞĂƚĞƌ ĞĂƐĞ ĂŶĚ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ͘

ŽŶƟŶƵĞĚ ŝŶŐĞŶƵŝƚLJ͗ tĞ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ ŵĞĞƚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ͛ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞƐ ŝŶ ƵŶŝƋƵĞ͕ ĐƌĞĂƟǀĞ ǁĂLJƐ ǁŝƚŚ ĞĐŽƌĂ ^ŵĂƌƚ™ ǁŝƌĞůĞƐƐ ůŝŐŚƟŶŐ ĐŽŶƚƌŽůƐ ŝŶ tŝͲ&ŝ͕ ͲtĂǀĞ͕ ,ŽŵĞ<ŝƚ͕ ĂŶĚ h^ Ͳ ŚĂƌŐĞƌ ĞǀŝĐĞƐ͘ DĞĞƟŶŐ ĐƵƌƌĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ŶĞĞĚƐ͕ >ĞǀŝƚŽŶ ŶŽǁ ŽīĞƌƐ ĂŶƟŵŝĐƌŽďŝĂů ƐǁŝƚĐŚĞƐ ĂŶĚ ǁĂůů ƉůĂƚĞƐ ĨŽƌ ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƟĂů ĂŶĚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͘ WƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĂƌĞ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌĞĚ ƚŽ ŝŵƉƌŽǀĞ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĂů ƐĂĨĞƚLJ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ ^ŵĂƌƚůŽĐŬWƌŽ KƵƚůĞƚ ƌĂŶĐŚ ŝƌĐƵŝƚ /ŶƚĞƌƌƵƉƚĞƌ ; & /Ϳ ƌĞĐĞƉƚĂĐůĞƐ͕ ^ŵĂƌƚůŽĐŬWƌŽ ^ĞůĨͲdĞƐƚ '& /Ɛ͕ ĂŶĚ dĂŵƉĞƌͲZĞƐŝƐƚĂŶƚ ZĞĐĞƉƚĂĐůĞƐ͘ പ ǀĞƌLJ ĚĂLJ͕ >ĞǀŝƚŽŶ ŝƐ ĞŶŐŝŶĞĞƌŝŶŐ ƉŽƐƐŝďŝůŝƟĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŵĂŬĞ ƚŚĞ ĨƵƚƵƌĞ ŚĂƉƉĞŶ͕ ŵĞĞƟŶŐ ƚŚĞ ŶĞĞĚƐ ŽĨ ƚŽĚĂLJ͛Ɛ ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƟĂů͕ ĐŽŵŵĞƌĐŝĂů͕ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌŝĂů ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ŐůŽďĂůůLJ͘ &ƌŽŵ ĞůĞĐƚƌŝĐĂů͕ ƚŽ ůŝŐŚƟŶŐ͕ ƚŽ ĚĂƚĂ ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ĞŶĞƌŐLJ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ >ĞǀŝƚŽŶ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉƐ ƚŚŽƵŐŚƞƵů ƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĞůƉ ŵĂŬĞ ŝƚƐ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐΖ ůŝǀĞƐ ĞĂƐŝĞƌ͕ ƐĂĨĞƌ͕ ŵŽƌĞ ĞĸĐŝĞŶƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀĞ͘ ƌŝǀĞŶ ďLJ ŝƚƐ ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚ ƚŽ ŝƚƐ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ͕ ƚŚĞ ŝŶŐĞŶƵŝƚLJ ŽĨ ŝƚƐ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƐĂĨĞƚLJ ĂŶĚ ƋƵĂůŝƚLJ ŽĨ ŝƚƐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ͘ പ ƚ >ĞǀŝƚŽŶ͕ ǁĞ ŬŶŽǁ ĚŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ŬĞLJ ƚŽ ƌĞĂů ŝŶŶŽǀĂƟŽŶ͘ /ƚ ŐŽĞƐ ďĞLJŽŶĚ ŐĞŶĚĞƌ͕ ĞƚŚŶŝĐŝƚLJ͕ Žƌ ŚŝƌŝŶŐ ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĂĐƟǀĞůLJ ǁŽƌŬƐ ƚŽ ŵĂŬĞ ƐƵƌĞ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ĨƌŽŵ Ă ǀĂƌŝĞƚLJ ŽĨ ďĂĐŬŐƌŽƵŶĚƐ ĂŶĚ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞƐ ĂƌĞ ŚĞĂƌĚ͘ tĞ ďĞůŝĞǀĞ Ă ƚƌƵůLJ ĚŝǀĞƌƐĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ ŝƐ ŽŶĞ ǁŚĞƌĞ ĞĂĐŚ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞ ŝƐ ƌĞĐŽŐŶŝnjĞĚ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŶƚƌŝďƵƟŶŐ ƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĂƉƉĞŶ ŝŶ Ă ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟǀĞ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ͘ ϲϭϴ ^͘ :ĞīĞƌƐŽŶ ǀĞ͘ tĞƐƚ :ĞīĞƌƐŽŶ͕ E͘ ͘ Ϯϴϲϵϰ ϯϯϲͲϴϰϲͲϯϮϰϲ ǁǁǁ͘ůĞǀŝƚŽŶ͘ĐŽŵ

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

Mountain Times Publications -

4th GENERATION FAMILY OWNED

CELEBRATING OUR 60TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY SERVING THE HIGH COUNTRY Our Family Tradition

Sexton Farms is a 4th generation family owned and operated farm that was established in 1960. We are located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Northwestern North Carolina, and Southwestern Virginia which has the ideal climate for growing Fraser fir Christmas trees as well as a full line of autumn products ranging from pumpkins to ornamental gourds.

Our Story

Byron Sexton, considered a pioneer in the Fraser fir Christmas tree industry, was known for his creative thoughts and eccentric ideas. In 1960, after observing trees in the wild being cut and taken home for a fresh, aromatic Christmas tree.

He decided to take a chance on setting Fraser fir trees hoping a market could be developed to underwrite a sustainable business. The story goes... upon talking to a local agriculture extension agent regarding his idea to set out Fraser fir Christmas trees, the recommended suggestion was to try "one acre" just to see how it goes.

He informed them that he just set eighty acres and was taking a chance that the Fraser fir Christmas tree just might have a really bright future! Byron Sexton was making his living as a tobacco farmer while taking a chance on the Fraser fir. He needed a partner to help with expenses being incurred. Who's better able to be your partner than your own son? Now its a Family Tradition.

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MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

8 - Mountain Times Publications

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Sexton Farms: Providing a family experience

BY BAILEY LITTLE

T

he High Country is home to the captivating Blue Ridge Mountains and plenty of seasonal attractions and opportunities for adventure. One of the most popular industries in the area is Christmas tree farming.

While traveling on many on both highways and backroads in the High Country, rows of Christmas trees can be seen lining the sprawling hills.

The Ashe County Christmas Tree Association is made up of family farmers in the NC Blue Ridge Mountains that specialize in growing Fraser fir trees.

According to the ACCTA, Ashe County is the largest Christmas tree producing county in the U.S. and has approximately 12,000 acres of Christmas trees in production.

The county’s Christmas tree farms help drive the local economy by providing 700 local jobs year round and over 2,000 jobs during the tree harvest season.

Trees and greenery contribute more than $85 million annually to the Ashe County economy, according to the ACCTA. Though the process can be difficult and time-consuming, Christmas tree growers agree that the return on investment is worth it when their tree becomes the centerpiece of a family’s home during the holidays, the NCCTA says.

Sexton Christmas Tree Farms is a fourth-generation family farm that was established in 1960 by Byron Sexton.

Greg Sexton along with his wife, Robin, and their sons, Andrew, Matthew and Thomas, now own and operate Sexton Farms.

The farm is a wholesale supplies of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees and greenery, growing and delivering trees, wreaths, and garland. They offer many sizes to choose from, as well as a vast selection of wreath and garland products to fit all Christmas needs. Each order is also customized.

The Sextons pride themselves on delivering fresh, high-quality products on time to their customers.

Their products are also harvested as needed, and they cut their trees and make handmade wreaths and garlands on schedule with customer needs.

According to Robin Sexton, one of the most rewarding aspects of their business is working with family and providing their goods to families.

“It is not just another product, it is a very special product that we are nurturing until it gets into the hands of another family,” Sexton said.

Andrew, Matthew and Thomas are fourth-generation Christmas tree farmers and have extended the family business with Frosty’s Choose and Cut located at 2152 Beaver Creek School Rd in West Jefferson.

At Frosty’s, both locals and visitors can have a fun and memorable trip to choose their own Christmas tree with hay rides, a bonfire and live music.

Not only does the Sexton family provide locals and visitors of the High Country with festive fun during Christmas time, but prior to transitioning into a winter wonderland, Frosty’s Choose and Cut is the site of a corn maze and pumpkin festival during autumn.

The Ashe County Corn Maze and Pumpkin Festival features an array of activities to delight visitors of all ages.

Fraser Fir Christmas Trees line up at the Sexton Farm in Ashe County.

The corn maze stretches five acres, and the festival offers food, drinks, inflatables, disc golf, knockerball, face painting, pick-yourown pumpkins, live music on Saturdays and Sundays, hayrides, a hay-bale maze for young children, a fire pit, cornhole and more. The newest additions include an addition to the barn located on the grounds, a one-acre pond and additional parking.

There is a fee for general admission, as well as an activity pass that allows access to most of the activities included at the festival.

Whether it’s an autumn celebration or a Christmas centerpiece for households across the state, Sexton Christmas Tree Farm provides an opportunity for experiences with family and friends to be made in the High Country.

A barn is dressed with wreaths at the Sexton Farm in Ashe County.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

Mountain Times Publications -

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Classic Stone Works: Rock solid service

BY LUKE BARBER

Classic Stone Works has been a cornerstone of the High Country community since Eric and Debbie Guinn first began installing tile themselves 25 years ago. The business grew rapidly as the area’s robust housing market provided the couple the opportunity to expand their services and include the selling and fabrication of stone to create their custom countertops.

Classic Stone Works focuses on providing the highest quality, hands-on experience that it can for its customers, who ultimately choose the natural patterns inherent in the stone to furnish their counter tops, cabinets, floors, bathroom walls and other household amenities. The business also sells tile, which come in the customary qualities of stone, ceramic and porcelain products.

“Granite is a natural stone that comes out of the earth in a million different colors. Here, you’re looking at a big piece of stone that the guys here are actually making that cabinet out of. It would be just like a potter forming a coffee cup. They’re making it into

something. This is really an artful and crafty job. There is a lot of ability that goes into it,” Lead Sales Associate Shannon Fannon said.

Classic Stone Works buys its slabs of stone from vendors who source it from destinations across the world. The stone makes its way from places such as Brazil, Italy and Spain to eventually end up in customers’ homes to provide them with the “mountain look” that is so desired throughout the region.

Each slab possesses its own unique patterns, colors and eccentricities that were formed during millions of years of tectonic activity.

Customers are welcome to visit Classic Stone Works at 1710 Linville Falls Highway in Newland, where they can see the slabs for themselves and tour its 15,000-squarefoot showroom.

“We do our very best to have the nicest looking product and result. We spend a lot of time making sure that you’re getting the best part of the stone into your counter tops. A lot of times clients will come back in and we’ll talk through the process. Ultimately, we lay those templates on the slabs, cut them out, fabri-

PHOTO BY LUKE BARBER Front office staff at Classic Stone Works stay ready to help customers who walk through their doors. Pictured from left are Peyton Hughes, Debbie Guinn, Shannon Fannon, Blake Vance and Peyton Hughes.

cate them and take it back to their home and install it,” Production Manager Clarann Vance said.

Classic Stone Works also prides itself in serving SEE STONE ON PAGE 9

PHOTO BY LUKE BARBER Classic Stone Works Production Manager Clarann Vance displays several stone slabs for customers to view.

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

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BREWERIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Porter and a host of other brews.

More information can be found at newriverbrewing.beer.

The Kettell Beerworks Company is located at 567 E. Main Street in the resort town of Banner Elk. They are a small batch brewery that relies on the fresh, high-quality Appalachian Mountain water found in the higher altitudes. Some of uniquely crafted brews that they make include Crabby Louie IPA, the Speak Easy Baltic Porter, Cherry Panda Stout, Supernova IPA, Velvet Panda Oatmeal Stout, Copper Elk Amber and more.

More information on the Kettell Beerworks Brewing Company can be found at kettellbeerworks.com or (828) 898-8677.

Beech Mountain Brewing Company is located literally at the Village of the Beech Mountain Resort ski slopes. In fact, it is the only brewery owned and operated by a ski resort in the state.

During the summer months, Beech Mountain Resort offers an array of activities for the public to enjoy including mountain biking, hiking, disc golf and ski lift rides up to the 5506’ Skybar. To help make the day fun, Beech Mountain Brewing Company is there to cure your thirst with innovative beers.

Some of the beers made by the Beech Mountain Brewing Company include Beech Blonde, 5506’ Pale Ale, Patroller Porter, Moun-

tain Town Amber and more. They will be open in the fall months until Oct. 3, and then reopen as ski season arrives. More information on the Beech Mountain Brewing Company can be found at www.beechmountainresort. com or (800) 438-2093.

The Blowing Rock Brewing Company is located at 152 Sunset Drive in beautiful Blowing Rock.

Opening in 2013, the brewery’s founders Jeff Walker and Todd Rice set out to take advantage of the fresh mountain water and ingredients found in the area.

The company’s creed is as follows; “The Blowing Rock Brewing Company is committed to providing you with handcrafted, mountain artisan beer. All of our beers are brewed using fresh, local ingredients. ‘Go To The Mountains’ can be found on our cans for a reason, and it is not just because we want you to visit.”

Some of the beers offered include the award-winning High Country Ale, Midnight Raspberry Wheat, Blowing Rock IPA, Big Chocolate Porter, Cloud Rise IPA and more.

More information on Blowing Rock Brewing Company can be found at blowingrockbrewing. com and (828) 414-9600.

Appalachian Mountain Brewery was the first craft brewery to open in Boone. Known fondly by locals and visitors alike as “AMB,” the company has created a fun place to drink beer at their establishment at 163 Boone Creek Drive.

Featuring live music on most

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families who may not have the resources to afford a vacation home or one inside of a gated community.

Classic Stone Works prides itself in being a “one-stop shop” and welcomes its customers to bring samples of existing cabinets or other hardware in their homes so they can match it with the granite of their choice. As a family-run business, CST is also dedicated to providing its services to customers in both high-end areas and working class communities.

“We run the gamut,” Fannon said.

“We do homes from the local yokel to Elk River. We do regular homes to million dollar homes.”

“We can accommodate (working) people who have been saving three years to put granite in their homes all the way up to homes that we installed

nights and a high-end food truck for your eating needs, AMB is a popular spot for beer and cider lovers of all ages and stripes.

AMB is also committed to the use of sustainable business practices and the support of local non-profit organizations. The company uses solar panels when possible, has helped to restore Boone and Hodges creeks and have constructed bike stations in town.

AMB’s beer is also bottled and sold regionally. Recently, they have branched out to make hard ciders as well. The brewery is perhaps best known for its Black Gold Porter. Other craft brews include the Boone Creek Blonde Ale, Long Leaf Indian Pale Ale, Mystic Dragon Cider, and a large array of other varieties on tap.

More information about Appalachian Mountain Brewery can be found at amb.beer or (828) 263-1111.

Lost Province Brewing Company was named after the name given to Ashe, Watauga and Allegheny Counties back in the early 1900s. Due to the ominous mountains, the three counties were often isolated from the rest of the Tar Heel State.

Lost Province Brewing Company features a brewery, wood-fired restaurant and live music venue all in one location at 130 N. Depot Street in Boone. Owned and operated by Andy and Lynne Mason, the brewery offers up a continuing array of beers due to the fact that the perfection and invention

granite in three years ago and they want to tear it out and do it again,” Vance said.

Classic Stone works employs 30 associates, all of who come from the local area. The positions include designers, sales associates, installers, fabricators and a specialist who works on the install templates. Most of the business’s employees are trained in-house. The main qualification Classic Stone Works looks for is simply someone who works hard and is willing to learn the business.

“For whatever it’s worth, we all have a story of how we ended up here. We all feel very blessed to have a job here, and we work real hard to help the business thrive so we can keep doing what we love,” Vance said. “We definitely put our heart and soul into every single one of our products.”

Classic Stone Works operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and can be contacted by calling (828) 7370040.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020 of new brews is what fascinates the staff and brew team.

Some of the brews now on tap include Kiss My Grits Lager, Bless Your Heart Blonde Ale, Hipster Juice IPA, Pink Velvet Raspberry Wheat, Passion Potion Tart Fruit Ale and many more with the variety and lineup changing often.

Lost Province Brewing Company is also committed to sustainable business practices as well as providing a venue for local musicians who are paid a good pay scale, which also applies to the employees they hire.

More information on the Lost Province Brewing Company can be found at lostprovince.com and (828) 265-3506.

Booneshine Brewing Company is one of the newer breweries to open up in Boone, NC. Founded by beer lovers Carson Coatney and Tim Herdklotz, the two home brewers met while fishing with mutual friends in the Outer Banks barrier islands of North Carolina.

Coatney is also the owner of the Stick Boy Bread Company while Tim came from the financial business to brew some fine beer. The brewery offers libations that include Tropicpale Ale, Booneshine IPA, East Boone Pilsner, Beacon Heights Hefeweizen, Molasses Porter, High Country Honey Red Ale and more.

Booneshine Brewing Company has a wonderful new home found at 465 Industrial Park Road in Boone.

“We are doing pretty well

during this (new phase) part of the lockdown,” said Alex Stutts, one of the front house managers at Booneshine. “Our indoor seating is spaced out at 50% capacity as well as on our patio.

We also have several picnic tables available outside. We have been doing good business and things are going good so far. Our brewmasters have been taking the proper precautions and the stores that we sell our beer at have stayed steady and our accounts are still active as there is always going to be a call for beer, even in a pandemic.”

While this pandemic plays out, the folks at Booneshine are continuing to create a new outdoor area for fun that hopefully will include live music.

“We are currently outfitting our lawn space and will be getting a food truck up and running soon,” said Stutts. “Hopefully, after the craziness is over, we will build an outdoor stage out there as well. Mainly, we are going to stay adaptable and take things one day at a time and give folks a safe place to enjoy a fresh brew.

More information on the Booneshine Brewing Company can be found at booneshine.beer and (828) 278-8006.

A tour of the High Country’s local craft breweries can make for a wonderful vacation or weekend getaway, especially considering the natural beauty of the mountains and gorges and rivers that surround every brewery in the area.

PHOTO BY LUKE BARBER Fabricators at Classic Stone Works prepare stone sections for an order. Pictured are DJ Hughes, Robert Pyatt and Brad Hughes.

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Mountain Times Publications -

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AEV: Creating jobs — and ambulances — for 29 years S ince 1991, American Emergency Vehicles has been producing quality emergency vehicles in Ashe County. Like many companies, AEV has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but director of sales Randy Barr says a good year is still on the books.

A go-to brand for manufacturers such as Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, International, Freightliner and Ram, Barr said the company expected roughly 1,260 orders between October 2019 and October 2020.

He added that the COVID-19 pandemic leads the company to believe they might end up around 100 orders short, but it would still be a good year, owing to big numbers in the months before the pandemic.

While years of hard work and good products have led AEV to become a leading manufacturer of ambulances in America, Barr said recent trends in the industry have made AEV-built ambulances account for 25 percent of the ambulances on the road in America.

The company operates two plants in Jefferson, the REV Remount Center on Gates Road and its headquarters on Don Walters Road. The 210,000-square-feet REV Remount Center focuses on remounting vehicles — putting an old “box” onto a new

chassis.

Barr said that the “box” of the ambulance will essentially last a lifetime, while the chassis will eventually have to be replaced due to natural wear and tear coming from being driven around.

The building cost $2 million to renovate and was mostly completed through the work of local contractors. A majority of the company’s employees come from Ashe County, with Barr saying the company currently employs 515 people.

Another aspect of AEV’s involvement in the community is an annual charity program, where employees can choose to donate any amount of their salary to a large pot, which is then matched by the company. The employees then vote to decide how the money is spread between chosen charities, mostly local ones. In 2019, the program led to $54,000 being donated to more than a dozen organizations.

The company is also one of only two in the county that is certified through the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Star Program. The program is designed to recognize employers and employees who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates that meet the criteria for participation.

PHOTO SUBMITTED AEV is committed to the highest quality and safety standards achievable.

PHOTO SUBMITTED American Emergency Vehicles, part of REV Ambulance Group, make their way to New York City from North Carolina as part of an 81-vehicle emergency order.

PHOTO BY IAN TAYLOR AEV employees including Dominick Gaetano and Randy Barr with representatives from Ashe County charities.

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VOTED BEST PLACE TO WORK 8 YEARS IN A ROW

MADE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

165 American Way - Jefferson, North Carolina 336-846-8010Â | aev.com