April is NC Beer Month! Lots of fabulous things happening around Haywood County with celebrations at our local microbreweries like Boojum Brewing Company, Frog Level Brewing Company & Tipping Point Tavern. Check individual websites for specifics!

One event that you don’t want to miss is Love the Locals at Frog Level Brewing Company: April 15. They will be serving local smoked pork with delicious sides and “fixins,” live music and of course their award winning microbrews! Visit FrogLevelBrewing.com

Come on out to Haywood County, North Carolina, and create your own adventure with Visit NC Smokies. There is plenty to see, do, explore, taste and enjoy—pure & simple!

THINK BIG & SHOP SMALL this holiday season and ENTER TO WIN our #ShopSmall Contest. The prize is a Seasonal Pantry FULL-YEAR Membership from our Uniquely Local-Artisan Produced partners at Copper Pot & Wooden Spoon.

Join our efforts and ‘purchase with a purpose’ by using your holiday shopping dollars to invest in the agricultural backbone of Haywood County. Support of local agripreneurs keeps farms viable and preserves access to local products while protecting farmland and the rural character of the region.

Want to #ShopSmall in Haywood but not sure how to get started? Support Buy Haywood’s Uniquely Local partners at area farms, markets, specialty retailers, farm-to-table restaurants, event venues, and Christmas tree farms. To get a list of our Uniquely Local partners, pick up one of our Find Your Adventure! 2015 Agritourism Guides or visit our web directory.

Enter the #ShopSmall Contest! Each time you shop small with one of our partners, leave a post on our Facebook page telling us the Uniquely Local partner you supported and automatically get entered to win! It is that simple… The more you shop, the more you post, the greater your chances of winning!

Want some #ShopSmall ideas? Visit our webpage where we list a few of the endless possibilities to help you get started.

Want to help us spread the word? Take our #ShopSmall Pledge and pass it on to others!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. If you are looking for a uniquely local present, visit one of our Uniquely Local partners for an unforgettable gift to remind Mom just how special she is!

Our plant nursery, farms and landscaping partners have an array of unforgettable gifts that keeps giving season after season. From mixed containers and spectacular hanging baskets to perennials, shrubs, trees, mixed herb pots for the culinary lover—and even locally made pottery and gift certificates. For gift giving inspiration, visit our Farm Fresh Blog to read about a love affair with peonies (CLICK HERE).

For the foodie in your life, May 10th typically marks the last spring frost date in Haywood County. This is a great time to plant your herb, vegetable and flower gardens. Vegetable and herb starts can be purchased at local nurseries, farmer and tailgate markets along with shrubs, flowers and perennials.

Our Uniquely Local-Artisan Produced partners, like Copper Pot & Wooden Spoon, offer individual jars of jams, jellies, savory spreads and artisan pickled products. Chef Jessica DeMarco has created a wonderful selection of gift boxes and even offers a Seasonal Pantry membership (half-year or year long) that can be picked up in person or shipped to your loved ones far away.

Buy Haywood specialty retail partners, like Mountain Favors, will create a beautifully packed gift box for you.  You walk in with an idea and leave with a spectacular surprise that is sure to WOW.  Bennington carefully curates the inventory at Mountain Favors to include only locally made items, for a sneak peak CLICK HERE to visit our Youtube Channel for a video tour if Mountain Favors.

Finally, let’s talk Mother’s Day dinner!  Get local and take the ladies in your life on a culinary adventure by dining with one of our farm-to-table partners.  For a list of “local flavors” in Haywood County, visit our website.

A listing of Buy Haywood partners can be found on our Online Directory or by picking up a printed “Find your Adventure! 2015 Agritourism Guide” available at area visitor centers and other locations.

“Subscribe” to Buy Haywood to receive notifications of new blog posts, local events, recipes and updates!

Happy Mother’s Day to all our Uniquely Local farm ladies, bee keepers, chefs, artisan producers, hops growers, microbrewers and specialty retail partners.  Buy Haywood celebrates you!

Buy Haywood is a project of the
Haywood Advancement Foundation.

Hybrid Hullabaloo

Guest Post
by:
Kathy Olsen, Adult Services Librarian
Curator of the Seed Library of Waynesville

I get asked the following questions on a regular basis, “Why do you accept only heirloom or open-pollinated seeds in the Seed Library of Waynesville? Haven’t farmers been creating hybrids for a long time now? Aren’t hybrid and GMO seeds the same thing?”

I know it can be confusing so let’s explore this issue keeping in mind that I am not a botany expert, I am a librarian that knows in order to learn about something, you read whatever you can get your hands on about the topic from the most reputable sources that you can. So first, let’s define some terms so we are all on the same page.

Heirlooms (aka open pollinated):

An heirloom seed is one that has been handed down for generations in a particular region or area; it is usually hand-selected by gardeners for a special trait. Heirloom vegetables are open-pollinated, which means they’re pollinated by insects or wind without human intervention. Open pollinated varieties or heirlooms are the best types to choose if you want to save seed.

Hybrids (aka F1):

A Hybrid (sometimes referred to as F1) seed results from the deliberate crossing of two different parent varieties from the same species. F1 refers to the “first generation of off-spring” from these two distinct parent varieties. If you plant seed saved from a hybrid variety, you will not get the same result as the parent plant (it will not be ‘true to type”). The off-spring will revert back to the different traits of the separate parent varieties. Natural hybridization is not the same as genetic modification on a cellular level.

GMO Seeds (genetically modified organism):

GMO seeds are different from hybrids as they are not created using natural methods. GMO seed varieties are created in a lab using high-tech and sophisticated techniques like gene-splicing. They are not a cross between related plants such as; when an acorn squash and a sweet dumpling are crossed to get a carnival squash. Instead, GMOs go far beyond the bounds of nature so that instead of crossing two different, but related varieties of a plant, different biological kingdoms are crossed. Here are two examples of this that you may have heard of;  corn crossed with DNA from soil bacteria that is naturally immune to the chemical Roundup (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/dna/pop_genetic_gallery/page2.htmland) and goats injected with spider genes to produce milk with proteins stronger than Kevlar for use in industrial products (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/CuttingEdge/spinning-tough-spider-silk-goat-milk/story?id=98095).

So you can see why it’s so important that we accept only open pollinated seeds into the Seed Library of Waynesville. We must maintain the assurance that a Hubbard Squash seed is going to produce a Hubbard Squash plant! Hybrid seeds are not necessarily a bad thing, it is just important to understand that they can be an inconvenience for a gardener as you cannot save seed from your plants to use the next season. And, for farmers this can be much more than an inconvenience as they are required to buy hybrid seeds every year, a cost that can be prohibitive for some.

Check out the Seed Library of Waynesville, we have an amazing array of seeds this year!

http://haywoodlibrary.libguides.com/seeds

Follow our Blog at www.seedylibrarian.com for updates on new seed additions and all things ‘seedy.’

Happy planting,

Kathy Olsen
Adult Services Librarian
Haywood County Public Library
828.356.2507

Haywood County Public Library’s Giving Garden:
Growing Together as a Community,
for the Community

Guest Post
by:
Mannie Dalton Crone, Canton Branch Library Manager

The Giving Garden is a community project that fosters environmental stewardship and empowers folks to grow fresh food using sustainable gardening techniques. The garden was established in 2014 behind Haywood County Public Library’s Canton branch, and featured two vegetable and herb raised beds, two potato boxes, and a vertical garden made using a pallet. All harvested produce was donated to The Community Kitchen in Canton, and there were nine educational gardening programs offered to the public. Continuing with the education-oriented mission of the garden, this year, in addition to vegetables and herbs, the Giving Garden will include a Monarch butterfly garden. Monarch numbers are in extreme decline, primarily because their main food source, milkweed, has diminished. We will be doing our part to help the Monarchs by planting milkweed and nectar plants.

A joint initiative of the Haywood County Public Library, Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center, and the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program, the Giving Garden is supported by the Haywood County Friends of the Library and the Haywood County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association. Seeds for the garden are donated by Sow True Seed in Asheville, and the garden is maintained by the work of volunteers.

The Giving Garden currently has a core group of six Master Gardener volunteers who oversee the construction of the garden, the planning and planting of the garden, and many of whom teach gardening classes at the Canton Library. Because the garden relies on volunteers to be successful, we are always looking for new volunteer members! Last year, volunteers included folks of all ages, from toddlers with their grandparents, to members of a Girl Scout troop, to frequent library patrons. Whether you’ve never gardened before or you’re a Master Gardener, we could use your help! If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Canton Library’s Branch Manager Mannie Dalton Crone at mcrone@haywoodnc.net for more information.

We have a wonderful, diverse lineup of gardening classes scheduled for this spring/summer, all taught by Master Gardeners or Extension Agents – and all free to attend (see below)! For more information on the Giving Garden and its programs, visit www.haywoodlibrary.org.

The Giving Garden has increased the library’s community partners, brought people to the Canton branch who had never been before, provided opportunities for people of all ages to come together to both learn and work on a project for the greater good of the community.

 Join us!

Upcoming Giving Garden Programs:

All events are at the Canton Branch Library
unless otherwise noted.

2015 Planting Days:

May 13, 4 p.m. – Kids Planting Day

May 18 & June 1, 10 a.m. – Community Planting Days

Everyone is invited to help plant the Giving Garden and learn from the Master Gardeners!

2015 Events:

Thursday, March 26, 5:30 p.m. Gardening the Earth Box Way
Learn about gardening the Earth Box way, a gardening method that requires minimal space and effort, with Master Gardener Joe Smiley.

Thursday, April 9, 5:30 p.m. Planting With the Seasons
Learn what to plant each season and how to extend your garden’s production through the seasons with Master Gardener Hughes Roberts.

Tuesday, April 21, 5:30 p.m.  Square-Foot Gardening
Learn how to get a great yield from a small amount of space using Mel Bartholomew’s square-foot gardening method with Master Gardener Hughes Roberts.

Tuesday, July 21, 5:30 p.m.  Composting 101
Learn how to use kitchen scraps, leaves, and lawn waste to create “Gardener’s Gold” that will enrich your garden’s soil at this composting class with Master Gardener Mary Decker.

Tuesday, Aug. 18, 9:30 a.m.  Food Preservation Class
Learn how to can and preserve your harvest with Extension Agent Julie Sawyer. Location TBA.

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 5:30 p.m.  Bring Back the Monarchs
Learn about the plight of Monarch butterflies with Master Gardener Jean White. Plus, Master Gardener Marcia Tate will give a tour of the Giving Garden’s Monarch butterfly garden. There will be milkweed door prizes (milkweed is the only plant Monarch caterpillars will eat). To learn more about how to save the Monarchs, visit www.monarchwatch.org.

Join us for Mélange of the Mountains

MARCH 26 – MARCH 29, 2015

Mélange of the Mountains is Haywood’s premier culinary event launching the spring tourism season.  It is a uniquely local epicurean partnership of innovative chefs, sustainable producers, crafty microbrewers and local farms.

Visitors, from near and far, will discover that Haywood County is a vibrant and diverse destination for foodies of all ages – well worth a gold star on the regional gastronomy map!

Mélange of the Mountains Culinary Weekend is the perfect invitation to explore Haywood County and the many farm-to-table partners who make our community so flavorful!

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Gala and Culinary Weekend opportunities!

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Here is a recipe for a traditional Italian cake that we have modified with a Southern twist by using local apples, Georgia pecans, garden fresh herbs and floral Haywood County honey then baked in a cast iron skillet for a rustic presentation.

Torta di Mele with Rosemary Pecans and Max Patch Clover Honey

(Recipe  courtesy of Tina Masciarelli, Buy Haywood Project Coordinator,
and her daughters)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cups unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz butter, softened
2 local eggs
3/4 cup Vanilla Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)
1-2 local apples, peeled and thinly sliced
**Adjust the amount of apple depending on size
of the fruit.  If the apples are large, use one.  If
small, use two.  I used NC Golden Delicious for this
recipe**
1 cup Georgia pecan pieces
Sugar in the Raw **To sprinke on top**
1 Tablespoon chopped garden fresh rosemary
Vanilla Ice Cream
Local Clover Honey **I used Clover Honey from Max
Patch, the floral notes added the exact flavor that I
wanted**

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop 1-2 Tablespoons of fresh rosemary and toss in a bowl of 1 cup Sugar in the Raw.  The rosemary will infuse the sugar.  Set aside.

Toast the pecan pieces for 5-8 minutes until done.  Add hot pecans to rosemary sugar and toss until well coated.  Let stand until ready to garnish dessert.

Butter a 9 inch baking dish of your choice.  I used my Grandmother’s cast iron skillet – sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and salt.  Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated after each egg.  Reduce the mixer speed to low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.  Careful not to overmix after each addition.  Add half the yogurt, mix just until incorporated.  Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, mix just until incorporated. Add the remaining yogurt, mix, and then the last portion of the flour mixture.  Let stand while you prepare the apples.

Peel and thinly slice the apple(s).  Add to the batter and mix on low until apples are incorporated, careful not to overmix or the apples will break apart and the torta will become tough.

Pour into prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle the top with Sugar in the Raw to lightly cover top and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Do not overbake.

GARNISH & SERVE