Category Archives: Mountains

Kudos to our two James Beard finalists!

Posted on March 21, 2011 by didaniel

North Carolina placed two of five chefs vying for Best Southeast chef award from the James Beard Foundation. For the second year in a row, the Triangle’s own Andrea Reusing made the cut with her Asian-tinged locally sourced fare at Lantern in Chapel … Continue reading →

Posted in Jackson County, Orange County | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nice ‘Farm Fresh’ article in Asheville paper today

Posted on March 11, 2011 by didaniel

Very nice article in the Asheville Citizen-Times today about “Farm Fresh” events and the book in general. Mars Hill College student and C-T intern Rachel Connor wrote it, and I was impressed by her level of questions and what ended … Continue reading →

Posted in Buncombe County, Farm Fresh book events, Farm Fresh events, Media | Tagged , | Leave a comment

‘Farm Fresh’ bounty in Asheville this weekend!

Posted on March 10, 2011 by didaniel

Come support farms, farmers, and food at “Farm Fresh North Carolina” events in Asheville this weekend, March 11 and 12. (Free food at first and third! Woo-hoo!) If you can’t make these events, I’ll be back in Asheville in June. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Buncombe County, Dining, Farm Fresh book events | Leave a comment

Read all about it in News & Observer

Posted on March 6, 2011 by didaniel

Nice story today by Elizabeth Shestak in her Morsel column in the Durham News and Chapel Hill News, the local sections of the News & Observer. I haven’t seen the Chapel Hill version, but the Durham one includes this photo of … Continue reading →

Posted in Clay County, Durham County, Media, Orange County | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Farm Fresh’ is coming to Asheville March 11-12

Posted on March 4, 2011 by didaniel

You won’t be surprised to hear that western NC has the book’s highest percentage of listings (430 total in book). I’ll kick off my western tour next weekend with, yes, yet another party! All events are in Asheville: FRIDAY, March … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Buncombe County | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Tap into fun at southernmost maple-syrup source

Posted on February 13, 2011 by didaniel

One of the very, very few farms in my book that I didn’t visit is Maple Creek Farm outside of Burnsville, which has the country’s southernmost commercial “sugar bush,” the name for a grove of sugar maple trees. (Long story … Continue reading →

Posted in Family travel, Yancey County | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Library Journal bestows kind words on ‘Farm Fresh’

Posted on February 5, 2011 by didaniel

I’m excited about my first official “Farm Fresh” book review. Not only is it accurate, it’s complimentary! Thank you, Library Journal! This appeared this week, written by Janet Ross.   “Rev up your transportation and head for the North Carolina countryside—this … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Goats, Henderson County, Madison County | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

100 wineries, Raffaldini’s birthday, Surry success

Posted on January 29, 2011 by didaniel

While many NC wineries take a break in January, it’s been a busy month for local-wine news. The biggest announcement came from the state: North Carolina is now home to 100 wineries (and even more vineyards)! The 100th is Cauble … Continue reading →

Posted in Rowan County, Surry County, Wilkes County, Wine, Yadkin County | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Let’s make Best Dish NC the best ever

Posted on January 17, 2011 by didaniel

A little competition is healthy! So, if you have a favorite restaurant that uses local ingredients, please encourage the owner/chef to enter The Best Dish in North Carolina contest, which this year has expanded by adding regional categories. The contest, run … Continue reading →

Posted in Charlotte area, Coastal Region-Sandhills, Dining, Food, Mountains, Triad, Triangle | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Farming his way from Maine to Oregon

Posted on December 19, 2010 by didaniel

“Farming Around the Country: An Organic Odyssey” makes a great gift for the farmer-to-be in your life. The just-published book, written by recent college grad and former high-school teacher Brian J. Bender, chronicles his 11 months of WWOOFing, i.e. doing volunteer … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Yancey County | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sharpen your ax for choose-and-cut Christmas trees

Posted on December 1, 2010 by didaniel

When I visited nearly every choose-and-cut tree farm in the NC mountains two years ago, I headed out on the first Saturday in December. Much to my delight, every other car had a Christmas tree strapped to its roof. That … Continue reading →

Posted in Alleghany County, Ashe County, Avery County, Chatham County, Christmas trees, Lincoln County, Watauga County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Their True Nature is down-home fun

Posted on September 23, 2010 by didaniel

2011 news flash: The fifth annual True Nature Country Fair will be held October 8 at Highland Lake in Flat Rock, North Carolina. The farmers, homebuilders, craftspeople, restaurateurs, social and political activists and alternative health care practitioners of the southern … Continue reading →

Posted in Buncombe County | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sunswept Farm hosts Rosenstein dinner

Posted on September 14, 2010 by didaniel

Slow Food Asheville just posted some great events, the highlight being the Terra Madre fundraiser at Sunswept Farm in Spring Creek, Madison County, on Sept. 18. Terra Madre is Slow Food International’s big confab in Italy, attended by local Slow … Continue reading →

Posted in Buncombe County, Food, Madison County, Mountains | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How much would you pay for a farm-to-fork dinner?

Posted on September 13, 2010 by didaniel

Tomorrow I’m writing about a farm dinner outside of Asheville to be held Saturday night. Cost: $45. A few days ago I stumbled upon info about two other farm dinners in North Carolina this weekend. One is in the Triangle … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Madison County, Orange County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Stay, play, and learn on a farm near you

Posted on September 9, 2010 by didaniel

Want to spend a night, a weekend, or longer on a farm? My book will give you more than two dozen options in NC. In the meantime, you can read about five of them in the September issue of Southern … Continue reading →

Posted in Buncombe County, Christmas trees, Family travel, Food, Haywood County, Madison County, Orange County, Perquimans County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fall crops, agritourism star on small screen Sept. 3

Posted on September 1, 2010 by didaniel

This just in from the marketing division of the NC Department of Agriculture. I can’t attest to the quality of the show, because I haven’t previewed it, nor did I see the spring segment, but here’s the skinny: “The second episode … Continue reading →

Posted in Chatham County, Christmas trees, Franklin County, Henderson County, Jackson County, Onslow County, Orange County | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eat your yard, or the nearby farm

Posted on April 27, 2010 by didaniel

Two North Carolina women I admire have recently come out with local-foods books I admire. Buy them! (please…) “Eat Your Yard!” by Nan K. Chase is uber-local. It’s about trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and flowers for your yard and your … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Food, Mountains, Triangle | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Christmas tree trivia: who earns top star?

Posted on December 16, 2008 by didaniel

So which US state do you think grows the most Christmas trees? That would be Oregon. But the red-ribbon winner might surprise you — my home state of North Carolina. Oregon harvests 7.5 million trees to our 5.5 million. Santa … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas trees, Family travel, Mountains, Triangle | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What in tarnation? It’s Reinbarnation

Posted on July 29, 2008 by didaniel

Wessel and I have been doing a lot of bicycling lately in rural areas of North Carolina. If you’re not from these parts, you’re probably thinking, isn’t that all there is? While if you live in an NC metro area among … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Bicycling, Chatham County, Mountains, Surry County, Tobacco, Wake County | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments