M R et cetera, LLC

WNC farmers featured in 2012 calendars

2011-12-07T13:22:00.003-05:00

Proceeds benefit program that aids mountain region's diversifying farmers

ASHEVILLE — The photographs and stories of more than fifty Western North Carolina farms are featured in a 2012 wall calendar that can be purchased at select Asheville stores and some N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers in the region.

Each year, WNC Agricultural Options produces a calendar highlighting grant recipients who received support from the program, which assists farmers who are diversifying or expanding their operations. The calendars celebrate the diversity of mountain farms, build a sense of pride among recipients and educate other farmers about potential ventures.

"The calendar has been a great tradition of ours, and we always receive such a nice response from just about every person who looks at one," said Project Manager Jen Ferre. "It gives people an inside look at interesting farm projects in beautiful, hidden-away areas of our region."

This year, WNC AgOptions leaders are distributing the calendar widely to the public for the first time as a way to expand the number of people reached, as well as capture much-needed funds in a tight budget year. To continue to offer educational materials such as the calendar, the program is raising funds for production costs.

The calendars are currently available at the French Broad Food Co-op, The Fresh Quarter Produce in the Grove Arcade, and Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe. Call (828) 649-2411 for a list of Cooperative Extension Centers that are carrying the calendars.

The 2012 calendar features such unique projects as microgreens, canned bamboo shoots, goats used to clear invasive vegetation, and Black Perigord and Burgundy truffles. It also celebrates the mountain region's long-time traditional products such as Christmas trees, milk, berries, honey and beef. One Cherokee Indian Reservation grower expanded her crawfish pools and sold canned and frozen wild greens, all traditional Cherokee foods.

"The calendar is an important reference in our changing agricultural economy," Ferre said. "We are delighted to have a practical and attractive way to share the stories of innovative, creative, hard-working farmers."

The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has exclusively funded WNC AgOptions since 2003. In partnership with the West District of N.C. Cooperative Extension, the RAFI-USA Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund managed the farmer grants in 2011. WNC Communities will administer the program in 2012.

For more information about the program and partners, see the following: WNC Agricultural Options: www.wncagoptions.org; N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers: www.ces.ncsu.edu; N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission: www.tobaccotrustfund.org; WNC Communities: www.wnccommunities.org; Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, RAFI-USA: www.ncfarmgrants.org.

Studio Zahiya: A business that changes lives

2011-12-05T14:02:00.005-05:00

Megan Riley, Owner of M R et cetera, shares her experience writing for dance instructor Lisa Zahiya.

Dancers can never really see themselves dance. Sure, they can look in the mirror or watch themselves on videotape. Some dancers can even feel energy exchanged between themselves and the audience so they are clued in to what the audience is feeling. But ultimately, dancers will never know what it's like to be in their own presence. A good dance performance involves a kinesthetic and emotional involvement that a videotape or a mirror cannot fully capture.

The same can be said for well-run mission-driven businesses. The owners are often standing too close to the mirror to be able to assess and articulate the multifold impacts they are making on the community. Furthermore, small business owners who are their own marketing directors can feel awkward bragging about themselves. Busy with the work of their businesses, they have limited time to fully articulate their contributions to people's lives.

I approached dance instructor and studio owner Lisa Zahiya to help her with her marketing, but not because she needed advertising assistance. She's a natural social networker with a circle of 2,000+ online followers and a talented graphic designer with beautiful promotional materials.

However, after a couple of years of taking Lisa's dance classes, I realized that so much more was happening in her classes than dance instruction. I recognized what a special person she is and what an impact she is making on many lives. As people become increasingly fed up with unscrupulous business practices, the base of customers who are attracted to such community-minded businesses is growing rapidly. I told her she might benefit by articulating the impacts of her business in her marketing materials.

Photo courtesy of A Portrait of You.

So she agreed to let me interview her dance students and write profiles about their experiences. The dancer's stories confirmed that Studio Zahiya is a mission-driven business with numerous positive impacts. Lisa's commitment to a non-competitive class environment, her excellent teaching abilities and her sense of humor and thoughtfulness supported many women through powerful transformations.

Therapeutic Benefits of Dance
Improvements in Body Image & Self Confidence
A Fun Education – in Dance and Culture
Community and Family Connections
Inspiration

Therapeutic Benefits of Dance

Dance helped Lisa's students through rough patches in their relationships, new motherhood, health scares, divorces and other upheavals and transitions. At some moments, Lisa was a life coach as much as she was a dance coach.

Kim O'Malley

“I went through a divorce at the same time I was working with her. Dance helped me identify areas of my life that didn’t nurture me. I figured out how to honor myself and create sacred space for myself through that transition. I found my voice as a woman and my persona as a dancer.”—Kim O'Malley

“Dance helps me get unburied from the roles that I play. It’s me expressing myself for me, and that translates to everyone else because I get joyful. I can be a good mom, a good therapist, a good partner, and still take that time for myself."—Meghan Doubraski

“When dancing, you are very aware. The concentration is liberating. Because you are freeing up the mind of activity, other ideas are available to you. If I fit dancing in, the rest of my life works much better.”—Holly O'Brien

Improvements in Body Image & Self Confidence

The safe environment of Studio Zahiya helps dancers appreciate their bodies in a society that demands thinness for women above all else. Lisa's sense of humor allows her students to not take themselves too seriously as they watch themselves bouncing to Indian music in the mirror. While some dance instructors expect dancers to fit a certain mold, Lisa appreciates all body types.

“I kind of switched from ‘Oh, I want to work out because I hate this about myself,’ to ‘I want to because I love my body, it’s the only one I have and I want to take care of it.’”—Amelia D'Angelo

“I’ve always struggled with body image because I was chubby when I was little. [In Lisa's class] the thought actually went through my head: ‘I want a little more junk in my trunk to shake it like she does.' That’s the first time that’s ever happened. It was a major shift.”—Meghan Doubraski

“When I started Lisa’s classes about two years ago, I was overweight, approaching 40, and my self-esteem was diminishing. Dance not only helped me lose weight, but it was also the spark that ignited a whole array of life changes. Since I started dancing again, I am happier, healthier and heartier than I have ever been in my life.”—Jen Ferre

A Fun Education – in Dance and Culture

According to her students, Lisa is not only an expert dancer, but also an expert teacher. They learn how to hold their bodies just so to mimic her movements. Meanwhile, they appreciate her respect for and knowledge of cultures around the world.

Lisa explains hip hop move to Amelia D'Angelo

“Lisa has a way of making it fun and telling you specifically what to do with your body. She’s really good at exactly explaining movements.”—Amelia D'Angelo

“You get the sense that she just wants to share something vital and fun. She teaches not only technique in class but also the cultural history of the dance. Her classes are fun, welcoming and non-competitive.”—Meredith Gottschalk

“She’s a really good teacher. She breaks things down very nicely, and there’s a nice flow to her classes. She makes the environment really friendly and easy-going, and incorporates humor into her teaching.”—Ashley Jacobs

“One of Lisa’s strengths is that she caters to anyone—those dancing professionally as well as those who just walked in. Someone in my hip hop class dances in the Ohm Girls [Lisa's professional-level troupe]. I don’t feel less than them. I don’t feel uncomfortable.”—Christina Romeo

Community and Family Connections

Students meet close friends and even colleagues in class. They strengthen their relationships with their families as they share what they learned in class at home. Lisa's students admire the work she does outside her dance studio, as she instructs children in lower income communities and women in correctional institutes so that all populations can experience the transformational art form.

"I loved learning choreographies and performing with the troupe. The energy of bhangra is so infectious there is an instant connection with the audience, and it was a great feeling to be part of a very close-knit group."—Michele Dohse

"I like working with other people on a long-term project that has a very tangible result…. It's like having a dance family. They know who you are, they know who you were, and they know who you're trying to be."—Lara Lustig

Inspiration

Lisa loves setting goals, and she encourages her students to do so, not only for dance, but also for their lives outside the studio. The confidence her students gain in class sparks them to try other new activities or take on projects that have been on the back burner.

Megan Riley in a solo performance

Lisa is a role model to many people, including myself. During the last year, I have been thinking, researching and formulating a plan on how I can best serve mission-driven businesses. In watching Lisa, I'm gaining an understanding of how a new generation of business owners turn their visions into plans and actions.

These emerging business owners are not just making a living. They are not just benefiting their communities. They are financially supporting themselves with their special skills that both make them happy and positively impact others. Because Lisa remains committed to her business' profitability, her community's needs and her own happiness, she has achieved this vision. In this sense, Lisa is not only a role model for dancers, but also for other business owners in Asheville.

------

Contact Megan at info(at)wncmretc(dot)com or 828.333.4151 to discuss how she can help you articulate your business' positive impact in the community. She especially enjoys projects that make use of her interest and knowledge in sustainable agriculture, green living, holistic medicine, alternative education, world cultures or therapeutic and artistic movement.

Applications available for 2012 WNC AgOptions farm diversification grants

2011-11-02T13:15:00.003-04:00

Intent to apply deadline November 16; Application deadline December 1

MARSHALL — WNC Agricultural Options will award a total of $150,000 to approximately 35 farm businesses and farmer-led groups in 2012. Funded exclusively by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, WNC AgOptions continues its eight-year history of advancing the mountain region's diverse agriculture system.

"Successful farming in today's environment requires taking on challenges," said Ross Young, Madison County Extension Director and WNC AgOptions steering committee leader. "New crops, new farming systems and new marketing strategies all increase the potential of a farm's success but also increases risk. The WNC AgOptions program helps this region's farmers balance that risk by providing financial assistance as well as hands-on guidance with a new venture. The goal of this program is to discover farming practices that are innovative and have the potential of helping other farmers in the future."

Grants of $3,000 and $6,000 will be awarded to individual farmers proposing diversification projects that boost economic viability of their businesses. Awards of $10,000 will go to three farmer-led groups working to solve processing, packaging, marketing and other distribution needs of the local agriculture system.

Applications for the two grant opportunities are available at www.wncagoptions.org and at the local Cooperative Extension Centers. Interested applicants must contact their local Extension Agents by November 16 to notify them that they intend to apply. The application postmark deadline is December 1.

Recent recipients of WNC AgOptions community grants created systems and undertook promotional campaigns to market produce and products directly to customers. Individual farm businesses responded to the growing demand for healthily raised poultry products, purchased equipment to receive Good Agricultural Practices certification, added crops to their vegetable operations to ensure steady income flow, built grade B inspected goat milk parlors, and expanded their vineyards and wineries. Several recipients used the grants to expand their businesses so they can become full-time farmers.

Read more at www.wncagoptions.org

Dance studio a positive force in community

2011-09-12T11:21:00.004-04:00

Free dance classes at Studio Zahiya's grand opening September 17

ASHEVILLE — Dance is for everyone. That is the message of Studio Zahiya, which recently moved to North Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville. The studio will have a grand opening celebration Saturday, September 17.

Photo courtesy of A Portrait of You.

"Everyone can get positive benefits from dance," said Lisa Zahiya, the owner of the studio. She has taught bellydance, Bollywood and hip hop in Asheville since 2008, and recently expanded her business from a small space on Carolina Lane. "Those benefits can be everything from, at the base level, the endorphins that you get from moving, to the positive feeling you have about your body and self."

Zahiya creates a safe, non-competitive atmosphere where students feel comfortable moving among others. They take the positive energy they feel at the studio and approach the rest of their lives more joyfully. "Having a joyful experience can change your day, and then change your life," Zahiya said.

Her philosophy is that dance evolves both self and community. Her students are encouraged after they first try something new, and then watch themselves transform, both physically and emotionally. That confidence boost transfers to the rest of their lives, and the students are motivated to try other life goals. "When their friends see that, they want to follow their lead," Zahiya said.

The instructors of Studio Zahiya will offer free classes at the grand opening at the new studio at 90 1/2 N. Lexington Ave. on September 17. In addition to touring the renovated 100-year old building, which has large windows overlooking Lexington Avenue, visitors are welcome to drop in on 30-minute sessions of yoga, pilates, and bhangra, a high-energy dance that originated in India.

The grand opening will culminate that evening at Dobra Tea, where dance students and professional bellydancers will perform and guests will be encouraged to join them.

Zahiya's team of teachers include: Mahsati Janan, Middle Eastern dance instructor; Alexis Miller, pilates instructor; Alex Moody, yoga instructor; Sparrow, bellydance instructor; and Leanna Joyner, Groove instructor. Groove is a group fitness class that draws on several dance styles to cater to a variety of body types and experience levels.

Photo courtesy of A Portrait of You.

Zahiya tailors hip hop, belly and Indian dance classes to match the level of her students, so both the experienced and the beginner can benefit. Her students praise her teaching skills just as much as her dancing, performing and choreographing abilities.

Dance has helped her students through relationship hardships, life changes and self-image issues. It has shaped their bodies, increased their creativity, and improved their strength, posture and rhythm.

Meghan O'Malley Doubraski, a therapist and mom of 2-year old, said she can't function properly without a minimum of an hour of dance each week. “When I’m dancing I feel at most home in my body and out of my head, which is very hard for me in my day-to-day activities,” Doubraski said. “It’s me expressing myself for me, and that translates to everyone else because I get joyful. I can be a good mom, a good therapist, a good partner, and still take that time for myself."

Doubraski especially appreciates Zahiya's teaching talent. “She’s very encouraging,” Doubraski said. “Lisa obviously wants you to be good at dance. She doesn’t want to stay the expert. There’s something about someone taking a special interest in you. It’s an empowering atmosphere.”

Jen Ferre of Oakley has taken bhangra classes from Zahiya for two years. “I have so much fun in every class,” Ferre said. “Lisa is very supportive in her teaching. She creates an open and welcoming environment with her joyful spirit and kind heart. She makes me feel good about myself, and I always leave class feeling like I accomplished something important. Plus she's just so funny!"

In addition to operating the studio, Zahiya serves as a Resident Artist with the Lake Eden Arts Festival, working with first to eighth grade students in public housing, and is a Guest Dance Instructor at the Buncombe County School System. She has taught at two eating disorder recovery centers, and instructs at the Swannanoa Correctional Facility for Women. Zahiya is an alumni of the University of Maryland dance team.

The studio's open house is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 90 1/2 N. Lexington Ave. The Dobra Tea celebration will be from 7:30 to 10 p.m. For more information about the grand opening, see http://www.lisazahiya.com and to view class schedules see http://studiozahiya.wordpress.com/

##

Media release written by Megan Riley, owner of M R et cetera, LLC, a resource for social entrepreneurs. Megan provides communication materials to help programs, organizations and mission-driven businesses grow to their full potential for the benefit of communities. See the Mountain Xpress article about the grand opening.

Area non-profit salutes employee's 20-year tenure

2011-09-02T10:01:00.002-04:00

ASHEVILLE — Twenty years in the same position at the same organization. That's something to celebrate in the non-profit field, or really any profession in the today's transitioning economy.

Graphic courtesy of SAHC.

Kristy Urquhart of Asheville has dedicated 20 years of her life to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, primarily serving as the associate director. Her colleagues threw a bash that echoes the positive energy that she gives to land conservation work at Highland Brewery Company on August 31.

SAHC's Executive Director Carl Silverstein said he feels privileged to have Urquhart as a colleague and friend. "She is one of the most insightful, intuitive people I have ever known," he said. "She has a sixth sense for what people need in order to move forward, and she is genuinely kind. Kristy cares unwaveringly about conserving the Southern Appalachians for future generations."

Attorney Lynn Cox, the organization's first executive director, remembers well the day she interviewed Urquhart and realized she was perfect for the job. "And I was right," Cox said. "I don't see how the Conservancy could be where it is without her. The best professional decision I ever made, and the one that had the most positive, long-lasting effect, was hiring Kristy to come to SAHC."

At that point, Cox was SAHC's sole full-time staff member and needed a jack-of-all-trades to perform a variety of duties. That is exactly what Urquhart did—creating a membership database, interacting with supporters of the organization, talking to government officials, writing grants, fundraising, training board members, planning events, mailing donor appeals, mastering financial software, creating filing systems, all among the minute details of running an organization, like moving chairs.

"Everything she did with great devotion," Cox said. "Twenty years shows her dedication to our mountains, to our natural heritage and to our cultural heritage."

Cox notes how rarely an employee remains with the same organization for two decades. "Non-profit work is challenging, and the financial rewards aren't as large as the private sector," Cox said. "Things are always changing, so the staff is continually learning new ways to present the organization's mission to the public."

Plus, constant fundraising is required. "It's something that has to be done year-end and year-out regardless of the state of the economy," Cox said.

Urquhart has not only responded to the challenges, but has also kept a contagious upbeat attitude, Cox said. "Kristy has an exuberance and zest for life," she said. "It was a joy to come to work and know I'd be working with Kristy."

Cox remembers how Urquhart would think of ideas that would evoke the participation of a diverse group of members at events. "Sometimes it's hard to encourage everyone to let their hair down and participate in free-form fun," Cox said. But Urquart found the perfect activity for one SAHC event: Karaoke. "Everyone joined in and loved it," Cox said.

Urquhart keeps this sense of fun as SAHC has evolved from a volunteer-run group to a professional organization completing complex land transactions and forming critical partnerships. Margaret Newbold, Associate Director of Conservation Trust for North Carolina, has known Kristy since the mid-1990's and interacted with her more closely in the past five years as 13 conservation organizations formed Blue Ridge Forever, a coalition dedicated to raising awareness and resources for land conservation.

"I go to Kristy when I want to talk about what may be going on with all the land trusts and get her read on it," Newbold said. "She gives me really good advice and feedback that is not a lot of fluff, but straight on. I value her opinion and her ability to think about the issues, balancing and respecting all the relationships involved."

Newbold points to Urquhart's institutional knowledge as a tremendous asset for the land trust community, as well as her tendency to always look for new opportunities. "She's not getting stuck in what happened 15 years ago," Newbold said. "She has that knowledge, and with her positive personality and sincere concern to protect land, she drives positive change."

Meanwhile, Urquhart's long-standing relationships with the community bolster the organization's reputation, Newbold said. "It speaks well for SAHC to keep someone as talented as Kristy for so long. She's really valuable to everyone—the community, the organization, and the coalition of groups too."

Article written by Megan Riley, owner of M R et cetera, LLC, a resource for social entrepreneurs. It was published on www.mountainx.com. Megan provides communication materials to help programs, organizations and mission-driven businesses grow to their full potential for the benefit of communities.

Slow Food USA President: FEAST program 'inspirational'

2011-05-31T12:18:00.008-04:00

FEAST program shares healthy food with families

Asheville, NC — The President of Slow Food USA made a special request during his recent trip to Western North Carolina. He wanted a glimpse of FEAST, an Asheville-based program that teaches families, many from low-income communities, how to cook with healthy, local food.

"It's so important that kids grow up knowing where food comes from, how to cook it, and how to experience it with others," said Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA since October 2008.


Viertel gives tips on homemade tortillas

He attended a FEAST class at Asheville Middle School in hopes he would glean ideas to use in national programming. "The best ideas come from volunteer leaders who work on the ground," Viertel said. "I find it inspirational."

About 20 sixth grade students in Sara Monson's Exploring Career Decisions class split up into teams and busily made hummus and baba ghanoush with fresh herbs from the school garden, tortillas, bruschetta, peach salsa, kale and salad with strawberries. Local growers supplied the greens and fruit.

Monson said that FEAST, which stands for Fresh, Easy, Affordable, Sustainable and Tasty, is always one of the students' favorite parts of her curriculum. "The parents I talk to say that the kids try things they learned in cooking class at home, and even correct them on the proper way to cook," Monson said. "It's a good change from the regular classroom – something different."

Replication at home is exactly the aim of the program, according to FEAST Director Kate Justen. "Children are likely to choose healthy food if they have helped prepare it," Justen said.

Learning how to read recipe.

After the completion of a series of classes, students should know how to follow a recipe, understand what foods are in season locally, and choose moderate portions. They figure out the types of food that are good fits for their bodies, which typically means they decrease their intake of sugar. As they cook, students put into practice kitchen safety rules as well as lessons learned in math, science, language arts and health classes.

Justen founded FEAST three years ago with Cathy Cleary, co-owner of West End Bakery, in conjunction with the local chapter of Slow Food. They realized quickly that the classes are as much about communication, problem-solving and compromise as they are about food. "In reality, it's a social justice program," Cleary said.

Cutting herbs from school garden.

Justen and Cleary work with volunteers to hold classes for both children and their parents in the Shiloh, Pisgah View and Burton Street communities, as well as the City of Asheville's 21^st Century Learning Center. When possible, they incorporate community gardens in their programming so the families can connect to their food before it leaves the ground.

"We were thrilled to share a FEAST experience with Josh," Justen said. "Support from the national Slow Food organization is essential as FEAST expands and is replicated in other areas of the country."

Greens from local grower.

Viertel was in Asheville to discuss strategies in national agricultural policy with leaders in food justice. His influential writing and other work to create a healthy food system has been recognized globally. Prior to Slow Food USA, Viertel co-founded and co-directed the Yale Sustainable Food Project, which brought local, organic food to Yale's dining halls, and established a working organic farm on campus. Viertel received his AB in Philosophy and Literature from Harvard University and previously farmed organically. He now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Berry donation from M R Gardens.

Slow Food USA is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions of North America. Organization leaders believe that pleasure and quality in everyday life can be achieved by slowing down, respecting the convivial traditions of the table and celebrating the diversity of the earth's bounty. For more information about the local chapter, see http://www.slowfoodasheville.org/.

Asheville Middle School class digs in!

The general public will have an opportunity to support FEAST in the fall. Asheville Affiliates is hosting a "Feasting for FEAST" fundraising event at The Venue on Market Street on September 22. For information about the event or opportunities to volunteer and donate to FEAST, contact Kate Justen at feast.avl@gmail.com.

Media release written by Megan Riley, owner of M R et cetera, LLC, a resource for social entrepreneurs. Megan provides communication materials to help programs, organizations and mission-driven businesses grow to their full potential for the benefit of communities. See the Mountain Xpress article about Josh's visit.

M R Gardens: Healthy plants, healthy communities

2011-04-14T13:57:00.013-04:00

Introducing M R Gardens, a division of M R et cetera, LLC

Note from Megan: Since entering the sustainable agriculture field in 2001, I have gained a great appreciation for all scales and methods of farming, including those of the backyard or apartment patio grower. It is in our backyards that we connect to our food and enjoy the taste of a fresh tomato with basil. It is here that we experience seasonality, life cycles and the natural pace of life. It is here that we connect to past generations and relearn our grandmothers' ways of food preparation.

We're at an important point in time when generations that did not grow up in the garden are regaining the extensive knowledge of growing food before older generations are gone. Plus, we're learning traditional methods of gardening pre-chemicals or even pre-tiller.

M R Gardens is my small contribution to this effort. M R Gardens' products and educational materials add to the reinvigoration of fresh eating that is fueling the small diverse farms in the WNC region. Meanwhile, all of us can have the experience of walking out our back doors and picking foods that were grown especially for us.

Read more.

Veils, fire, golden wings, oh my! A new flavor to non-profit fundraising.

2011-02-17T13:28:00.007-05:00

Event raised well over $15,000 for Caring for Children.

Asheville non-profit organizations are using creative fundraising techniques during this era's transition to a new economy, and what better way to be creative than to hire dance instructor and performer Lisa Zahiya to choreograph the entertainment.

On Valentines 2011 weekend, Caring for Children gave its supporters a taste of the exotic at the Crowne Plaza for a fundraising gala. Bollywood and belly dance performers skipped and shimmied on top a stage before a heart-shaped backdrop and a lit-up border of the words "Truth, Beauty, Freedom, Love." Veils, fire, golden wings, colorful costumes and energizing music entranced audience members, who wore their own bhindis, turbans and saris to participate in the gala's theme.

Caring for Children has provided shelter for 30 years for abused, abandoned, and neglected children in homes staffed by nurturing professionals who are trained to deal with the special needs of children in crisis. They help children and families deal with the present, put the past behind them, and look to the future.

"It is my mission to use dance to create positive change in the world," Zahiya said. "To be able to support an organization like Caring for Children, whose work creates immediate positive change for children here in Buncombe County, was a wonderful opportunity."

Zahiya also teaches dance to children in low-income or other challenged situations as well as to women in correctional institutes. She regularly performs for LEAF in Schools in Streets and recently formed a professional dance troupe, "The Ohm Girls," which will choreograph pieces with positive messages for the community.

Lauri Nichols, owner of Asheville Event Planning and Staffing, LLC, hired Zahiya for the Caring for Children gala to direct and choreograph 45 minutes of dance, which included two group performances by Bala! Bollywood and Bhangra.

"It was a pleasure working with Lisa from beginning to end," Nichols said. "She was professional and dedicated in making this event a huge success. Her troupe worked tirelessly on creative routines and with the other performers to come up with a truly amazing performance. I am impressed by all the positive feedback we have received from this event." The event raised well over $15,000 for the organization. Final numbers have not yet been calculated.

To learn how to book Lisa Zahiya to direct entertainment for events that benefit social causes and communities, click here.

2011 WNC AgOptions awardees announced

2011-02-04T11:09:00.002-05:00

Grants support diverse ventures, build local agriculture system

MARSHALL — The WNC Agricultural Options program recently awarded six community groups and 47 farmers grants totaling $326,000 to assist them in farm diversification and joint marketing and distribution efforts.

This year's community grant recipients are creating cohesion, infrastructure and marketing for local products. Individual recipients are improving such diverse operations as a 75-acre kale, turnips and collards farm in Cherokee County, a new dairy in Madison County, a micro-greens venture in Watauga County, and a canned bamboo shoots business in McDowell County.

Since 2003, N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has supported WNC AgOptions, a N.C. Cooperative Extension program that provides resources directly to farmers diversifying or expanding their operations. Read more.

What's next for M R et cetera?

2010-12-29T14:36:00.010-05:00

As of January 2011, Megan is moving to the sidelines of WNC AgOptions, performing grant reporting, marketing and miscellaneous communications work for the program, while Jen Ferre conducts administration, facilitation and field work duties. Megan had the pleasure of working with Jen to ensure a smooth transition between managers.

WNC AgOptions program leaders comment that the program has come a long way since Megan first stepped into the coordination/management role in January 2008. During those three years, Megan worked with the steering committee, primarily composed of N.C. Cooperative Extension Agents, to:

· Improve the scoring system and grant review process to better reflect the committee's intentions and the agricultural community's needs;

· Enter a successful, on-going partnership with RAFI-USA Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, which administered 2009-2011 WNC AgOptions grants;

· Accept and distribute an additional $100,000 from Governor Beverly Purdue's Family Farm Innovation Fund, so that the program awarded a third of a million dollars in 2011;

· Initiate a community grant program for groups of farmers to respond to the local agricultural system's needs for improved distribution, packaging, processing and marketing;

· Undertake a research project into past recipient projects, which identified key areas for bettering the region's agricultural educational resources;

· Evolve business planning training to best suit WNC AgOptions recipients' needs;

· Improve the program's promotional, evaluation and reporting materials.

Now that Megan will not have a full-time contract with WNC AgOptions, her colleagues and clients are asking her, "What's next for you?" She returns, "What's next for you? What are your needs as you improve current programs or develop new ones, and how can I help?" Her philosophy and skills in management, program development, marketing and reporting, which contributed to the success of WNC AgOptions, can translate to a wide range of small or large projects, such as:

· Marketing plans and materials for mission-driven businesses;

· Plans and proposals for projects to improve the diversified agricultural systems;

· Partnership development between private, public and non-profit entities.

Megan provides services not only in the fields of land conservation and sustainable agriculture but also alternative education, the arts, cultural dynamics and holistic medicine. She continues to create a network with other contractors so that she can partner with them to expand the scope of her services for her clients—and benefit her community to the best of her abilities.

Impressions of Clinton Global Initiative

2010-12-29T12:02:00.008-05:00

Megan shares lessons from The Clinton Global Initiative, New York City, 2010 in hopes to inspire those in WNC undertaking big community building projects. This article is a must-read for organizations and public agencies open to creative fundraising.

On September 22, 2010, I was extremely lucky (and very humbled!) to receive a complimentary day pass to an exclusive and influential event in Manhattan: The Clinton Global Initiative. I found myself in the same room with some of the most famous and elite politicians, actors and corporate leaders making big differences in the world.

From the first moment of the opening session, when CGI Founding Chairman and, of course, 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton walked on stage, my mind teemed with possibilities and opportunities. How could I impart this once-in-a-lifetime experience as well as the knowledge, energies and connections gained at this event to my home in the mountains of North Carolina? How can this experience help M R et cetera clients?

Clinton initiated CGI because he was tired of sitting in meetings and hearing great ideas but little action. The whole point of CGI is to facilitate action. Corporate sponsors partner with non-profit and governmental organizations to pull off community-building projects that address some of the world's most pressing issues – including energy efficiency, land conservation and sustainable agriculture. I especially enjoyed hearing actor Jim Carrey talk about his Better U Foundation's project to improve the techniques for growing rice in Africa – quadrupling the yield while lowering water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite this global scope, several of the commitments do involve North Carolina. Here's a few NC projects introduced at CGI this year. Participants commit to bring back big results to CGI in one year.

I have no doubt that land conservation, sustainable agriculture and local foods initiatives in Western North Carolina could be future CGI commitments. See this explanation of how to become a CGI member and apply for a commitment.

Don't have $20,000 to become a member? Does the membership process feel a little daunting? Well, we can still implement some of the lessons learned at CGI in our community – starting now.

Expanding scope and self-sufficiency through partnerships;
Undertaking community projects through existing public structures;
Taking risks, tapping into the potential of all financial levels, and changing the model of development;
Recognizing modern-day motivations in advocacy.

Expanding scope and self-sufficiency through partnerships

Thomas Friedman, Foreign Affairs Columnist, The New York Times, said during the Plenary Session "Strengthening Market-Based Solutions" that we are in the midst of a transition when government no longer has the financial capacity to support community-building projects. Now attention is turning to the private sector to fund these projects and trust non-profit and governmental organizations to implement them. Through these partnerships, community projects can grow to the scale required to meet modern day needs, and the initiatives can become self-sufficient to exist for the long-term.

Those of us who have facilitated partnerships and coalitions know that these relationships do not form overnight, and not without hard work and cooperation. But the needs and opportunities in front of us are so large, we have no choice but to form them. Jeffrey Swartz, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Timberland Company, said bluntly during the "Market-Based Solutions for Protecting the Environment" session: These partnerships require a subordination of ego. "The government has to sit at the table and actually un-puff, the private sector has to sit at the table and uncross its arms, and activists have to sit at the table and stop spitting," Swartz said.

In my personal experience, these hard-fought partnerships are very rewarding when all is said and done. Each partner brings valuable viewpoints, skill levels and experiences to the table. In understanding each others' perspectives, we all become better at what we do. Non-profits can further their goals at a quick pace if they tap into existing public structures and connections within the community. Often the framework is already in place to pull off tremendous projects. The missing piece is the funding, which the private sector can provide, as long as the corporate values are in line with the non-profit’s.

As we address social and environmental issues on a deep level, corporations that are funding these initiatives will also be changing their business practices to reflect their philanthropic missions. Swartz spoke to the difference between corporations "being and doing." Examples of "doing" are eliminating packaging and limiting transportation, both decreasing the impact on the Earth as well as increasing the bottom line. All very positive actions. But a step further is "being," when the entire corporate mission is devoted to bettering communities and the ecosystems in which we live – which often involves partnering with so-called "competitors" to improve industry standards.

"The only way we can build sustainable matrix into our business is by changing the way our industry operates," Swartz said. "It's beyond frustrating, it's darn near impossible, and we're hard at work." And the consumers are behind him.

Undertaking community projects through existing public structures

One example of a valuable public structure that can partner in community building activities is the Extension Agent model, typically funded through the land grant universities and local counties. Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, underscored the importance of Extension Agents in the session "Building Partnerships to Empower the World’s Smallholder Farmers." He pointed out that without the Extension Agent model that exists in the United States, agricultural projects overseas often fall short. Farmers may not trust a non-profit organization, a corporation or the government, but they will trust their neighbors. If they see their neighbors prospering, farmers are likely to adopt that practice, Vilsack said.

With my experience with WNC AgOptions, I could not agree more about the importance of Extension Agents, and the power of non-profits partnering with these local community contacts. Agents understand the local culture, the issues, the history and the dialect (which changes county-by-county in Western North Carolina). Their hearts are big, they commit large amounts of time, and they are eager to help the people in their communities.

Agents often grew up in the local area, left home to attend college, and then returned after graduation and a few years of work experience to impart knowledge and benefit communities. Farmers that the Agents assist in turn provide examples for other neighbors, who are smartly "must-see-it-to-believe-it" type folks.

As we form these new partnerships and funding is restructured, I see tremendous value in holding closely to the Extension Agent model, and increasing opportunities for non-profits to work with the Agents. While improvements can always be identified in bureaucracy and public employee policies, the model of on-the-grounds-assistance is not broken, and these positions often attract the highest caliber of folks. With the funding, efficiency and momentum of the business sector; the structure, knowledge and local connections of governmental and university entities; and the vision, passion and eagerness of non-profit organizations, projects can move forward with speed to address the enormity of issues of this millennium.

Taking risks, tapping into the potential of all financial levels, and changing the model of development

In the Plenary Session, "Strengthening Market-Based Solutions," Leila Janah, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Samasource, spoke to the importance of comfort with failure. Her company has been quite successful at expanding jobs to the far corners of the world. She pointed out that in venture capitalism only 20 percent of investments are typically big successes, and 40 percent are failures – and that is okay! "We need to get that comfortable with failure in the Aid space and in the social impact sector," Janah said.

I wish that we could rename failure to "lessons learned." Without stumbles, we could never learn how to do the task better the next time. In my work, I've realized the farmers who are the most successful are the ones who 1) are not afraid to try something new, and 2) will pull out and accept defeat when the idea is not working, and then try another avenue.

Which brings up another one of Janah's points – the importance of recognizing the abilities of those in poor, often rural communities. She spoke about "the tremendous untapped potential of the four billion people who live at the bottom of the economic pyramid," and how corporate sponsors and non-profit leaders should spend time living among their customers to understand their needs and concerns. "If you are extensively serving the poor, how can you serve them if you're not living among them and understanding what their challenges are?"

This idea was repeated at the "Market-Based Solutions for Protecting the Environment" session. M. Sanjayan, Lead Scientist with The Nature Conservancy, said the most effective way to implement conservation projects is to ask the locals about their needs. If they say "feeding cattle," then they will likely be supportive of protecting the water source of those cattle, including the forests that contain the headwater streams.

I've realized from my experience with WNC AgOptions that the most practical and creative ideas derive from those who are working the land day in and day out. One of the best aspects of WNC AgOptions is that farmers tell the funders what needs to be done rather than vice versa. Through the grant program, we put the money in the hands of the wise ones – the ones with the multi-generational knowledge of farming.

Those assisting with global community projects are finally realizing the importance of small-scale farming. President Clinton spoke about changing the model of development assistance during the session "Harnessing Human Potential." "It's not a bad thing to make a living farming," Clinton said, and "there are a few simple cost-effective things that can be done that would dramatically increase agricultural income and the stability of families." I whole-heartedly agree. That is the foundation of WNC AgOptions, and I hope our recipients will someday impart lessons to agricultural leaders throughout the world.

Recognizing modern-day motivations in advocacy

Consumers are tired of "inconvenient truths;" they want convenient truths, Swartz (of Timberland Company) said during "Market-Based Solutions for Protecting the Environment." If you harp on the wastefulness of modern lifestyles, "you get a tremendous blast back: do not talk to me about inconvenient truths…. I'm bombarded by the bombastic every minute of my day, being told that the world is coming to an end and it's my fault, with no clue about what I'm supposed to do about it except feel bad. If you have a proposition that is: a product that works with a value that's real and aesthetic that's compelling — and it's built and delivered in a responsible fashion — I'll give you a grudging man nod."

Swartz said that if you offer a product that benefits the community, "if you line up 100 consumers, you'd get 100 yeses, or the two nos didn't understand the question." It's easy for them to buy, say, a boot produced with the environment in mind, or a vitamin drink from which a portion of profits go to water conservation efforts.

Similarly, Sanjayan of The Nature Conservancy talked about how most modern people are motivated by seven days in the future, not seven generations. So environmental messages should concentrate on the "now:" "Save this stuff because it's important to your well-being right now."

"Scalability and self sustainability — those two things are going to come about if we can figure out how to…take market forces and incorporate that into what we're trying to do in the environmental movement," Sanjayan said. One of those market forces is abundance. Modern consumers are motivated by "more." And with proper design, they can have "more" and still protect the Earth's resources. (For some great examples of these designs, refer to William McDonough.) Do you want a 90-minute hot shower? That's fine, if that water is collected from the roof and heated in a solar tank (and no one else is waiting in line for a shower).

After ten years of sometimes struggling with myself and loved ones to change consumer habits and limit unnecessary resource use, I understand the need to tap into modern day values such as efficiency, abundance and luxury to make positive change. There's no reason why the "green movement" needs to be separate from these three values.

However, let's not discount those of us who are not enticed by consumerism, but choose to live a disciplined life, committed to values of sacrifice and simplicity, whether for economic or ecological reasons. Sacrifice for the collective good can be quite fulfilling, and in the end we realize we're not sacrificing anything but gaining everything. Only when we relearn our ways so that we are not just consumers but creators, invested in our communities and contributing our talents, do we truly step into abundance.

If we all pick something we love, whether that be growing our own food or riding our bikes to work, and go for it, we just might experience the happiness those activities bring to our lives. We just might be moved to tears, as was Wal-Mart's Senior Vice President of Marketing, during the close of the "Market-Based Solutions" session. "If it's really important to all of us, we've all got to do something different," he said. His company is moving toward providing transparency and information about the ecological and social impacts of their products. If Wal-Mart is doing something, then it's time for all of us to step up to the plate and do "something."

Sometimes tackling the small stuff is just easier – like how many bags brought home from Ingles – then the big stuff, like the amount of fuel used in our agricultural system. Both extremes should be tackled, and the micro is just as important as the macro. The actions of individuals are equally important as the business practices of corporations. In tandem, and only in tandem, will we realize the visions for the new Millennium.

CGI Projects in North Carolina

2010-12-29T11:32:00.007-05:00

Here's a few Clinton Global Initiative Projects in North Carolina.

Cherokee Investment Partners

Cherokee will convey best practices for addressing brownfield redevelopment and environmental issues, managing environmental risk, and leveraging environmental resources; will encourage others to consider redeveloping brownfield properties as an alternative to greenfield development; and will encourage project leaders' strong commitment to the environment. Cherokee also hopes to inspire other corporations to share their own best practices.

Shape NC: Healthy Starts for Young Children, 2010

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation commits to partner with the North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc. (NCPC) to address childhood obesity for North Carolina's youngest children, from birth to age five. With a focus on the child care setting, this project will improve the policies and practices around physical activity and nutrition, implement active outdoor learning environments, create a resource for ongoing technical assistance, and ultimately increase the number of young children starting school at a healthy weight.

Envision Charlotte, 2010

To respond to the global imperative of climate change, Duke Energy, one of the US's leading energy companies, and Cisco, a worldwide leader in networking technology, in partnership with uptown Charlotte's top business and public sector leaders, commit to develop the Envision Charlotte initiative which will combine smart grid technology and energy education to provide the uptown Charlotte community with a world-class, sustainable model to measure, manage and reduce energy use by 20% in five years. This innovative public-private partnership aims to be a replicable model of a community program that utilizes new technology, new partnerships, and new approaches to help address climate change and develop sustainable communities. See the Envision press conference.

Advancing Clean Energy and Businesses in the South, 2010

The Energy Foundation commits to launch a major effort to advance clean energy markets in the Southern U.S. Through this effort, the clean energy economy will grow a region that has lagged behind others in experiencing the economic and environmental benefits of the creation and deployment of new energy technologies. Building off of the Energy Foundation's previous successes, this commitment will strategically aggregate funds in order to promote the highest leverage energy-using sector policies and bring new voices to the clean energy discussion.

Democracy 2.0, 2010

Mobilize.org will engage and empower Millennials through its Democracy 2.0 model and will invest in this generation's current leadership potential to solve some of this country's greatest problems. In 2010 and 2011, Mobilize.org will convene 3 Democracy 2.0 Summits, each with 150 community college student leaders in attendance and many more participating online through live streaming hosted on www.Mobilize.org. Building off the strong local networks of Mobilize.org, these Summits will take place in Charlotte, NC, New York City, NY and Miami, FL, in partnership with Central Piedmont Community College, LaGuardia Community College and Miami-Dade Community College. In addition to these Summits, Mobilize.org will convene a President's Council of Community Colleges, chaired by Dr. Brian Murphy, President of DeAnza Community College in San Jose, CA, to build a sustainable infrastructure that supports the work innovation that will take place on their campuses and in their communities over the next two years.

Land donation ensures 100-acre working farm protected forever

2010-09-02T16:03:00.002-04:00

Property to be an educational resource for agricultural community

ALEXANDER — A 100-acre farm in Alexander is now permanently protected from development, thanks to a recent land donation to Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The property's rolling cattle pastures, stands of hardwood trees, and headwater streams, which are tributaries to the French Broad River, will continue to be a resource for future generations.

The land trust is drafting a conservation agreement for the property, and anticipates reselling it to a conservation-minded buyer. The intent is for it to remain productive farmland that offers educational opportunities to the agricultural community. The organization is exploring ways to enhance the quality of the streams and woodlands of the property.

"A donation of a tract of land is doubly beneficial," said Carl Silverstein, Executive Director of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. "We will place a conservation easement on the deed, which will guarantee the qualities of the property will be protected forever. Then, reselling the property will generate extra revenue for the organization, which we can recycle back into conservation work."
Silverstein and Associate Director Kristy Urquhart first started talking to the 97-year-old landowner 10 years ago. That was Silverstein's first year on the job as Executive Director as well as his first visit with a potential land donor.

“Seeing this farm permanently protected a decade after we first met the family is deeply rewarding,” said Silverstein.

The landowner, who wishes to remain anonymous, purchased the property in the 1950s and immediately started working with local Extension Agents, the Soil & Water Conservation District, and the N.C. Division of Forest Services to learn how to farm the land while conserving its natural systems. It was one of the first properties in Buncombe County to have a conservation plan.

While sitting in her Hendersonville retirement village, the landowner recently reminisced about the generous support she and her late husband received from the community. "Before I came to Asheville, I just thought a farm was a garden – everything was free," she said. She soon realized the hard work and emotional investment involved in maintaining a piece of property and a cattle herd of 58 head.

All of that help spurred her to want to do something with the land to benefit the community, which is when she contacted SAHC. "I like to be part of progress," she said.

That community assistance has come full circle, as SAHC is now reaching out to N.C. Cooperative Extension and the Soil & Water Conservation Districts to explore holding educational workshops for the agricultural community on the property.

"I think it's great that SAHC can continue the partnership that she started," Urquhart said.

In the meantime, the house on the property will provide housing for AmeriCorps members that volunteer for SAHC. Each year, the organization works with four AmeriCorps volunteers, who provide stewardship, public outreach and land transaction assistance.

“Living on this farm will give a local AmeriCorps Program member a real-life opportunity to experience a working mountain farm and to see the values of our work first hand,” Urquhart said.

##

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is a volunteer-based non-profit organization working to conserve the clean water, unique plant and animal habitat, farmland and scenic beauty of the mountains of NC and TN for the benefit of present and future generations. In the last three decades, the conservancy and its 1,500 members have protected close to 50,000 acres, including key sites adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Highlands of Roan. Its headquarters is in Asheville, NC and the field office is in Kingsport, TN. To learn more about SAHC, visit www.appalachian.org.

SAHC is a part of Blue Ridge Forever, a collective campaign led by local land trusts and national conservation organizations to engage the public and raise financial resources to safeguard land and water in the Southern Blue Ridge for present and future generations. For more information, see www.blueridgeforever.info.

For more information, contact: Carl Silverstein, SAHC Executive Director, (828) 253-0095 or carl@appalachian.org

WNC AgOptions year-end dinner presentation

2010-06-05T14:01:00.010-04:00

To wrap up each AgOptions grant cycle and growing season, the recipients join together at a mountain farm to hear the results of each other's projects and share a dinner, spotlighting food produced at the past and present AgOptions recipients' farms. At the November 2009 dinner, Megan started the night with a story and slide show of how the food traveled to everyone's plate. Here's a glimpse...

In coordinating this dinner, all of a sudden I found myself on the buyer's side. I was no longer helping farmers sell produce, but buying it for a 65-person dinner. Throughout the process, my computer screen became speckled with spreadsheets listing produce, poundages, pick-up times and costs.

You all in the audience know well the biggest part in this process: the production.

I'll skip that chapter in the story since you are so familiar with it. Instead I'll talk about the coordination of it all.

I started talking to many of you three months ago about the produce you would have available in November. Most of you had the timelines of your harvests down pat and predicted accurately the vegetables that would be available. That is key to making a buyer's life easy.

Jennifer Thomas, our chef, drafted a few menus, each time incorporating more vegetables that define November, such as turnips, collards and butternut squash. She calculated the exact quantities of produce that we would need to feed between 50 and 75 people and gave me the list to begin my hunt.

During the process of ordering, I was lucky enough to hear stories about your life: Stephanie and Scott of Stoney Hollow Farms, who made the kobocho pies and cornbread, were recently married. Somehow they found the time in the midst of building a value-added kitchen to plan a wedding.

A huge advantage to value-added products is that I was able to pick them up well before the dinner: At Cloud 9 Farm's Demonstration Day in October, I not only left with a full tummy of brownies and grass-fed beef chili, but also with a box of blueberry jam, now the centerpieces on our tables.

The list dictating my hunt for food was complete this past Saturday. I knew what I was picking up from each of you, which times, the quantities, and the costs. But the distribution — or perhaps I should say the fun — had just begun.

First stop, North Asheville Market to pick up Imladris Farm's assortment of jams.

Second stop, City Market in downtown Asheville to Spinning Spider Creamery, 2008 recipient. They supplied the cheeses.

Third stop, Hickory Nut Gap Farms in Fairview to pick up cider.

Monday was the main distribution day. I started at Amy Mostwill's Sweetheart Bakery in West Asheville. Amy is a local baker who often supplies baked goods for AgOptions workshops. She happened to be holding a meeting for the organizers of the downtown Asheville Christmas market. That's where I caught up with Anne Grier, who supplied our onions and beets.

Next on to Spruce Pine, where I met up with Barbara Aycock of Avery County in the Ingles parking lot. She handed me a bag of greens, garlic and frozen green beans while we chatted. She reminded me that her tomato crop got the blight. Despite that, the farm managed to end the year ahead of expenses, in large part thanks to the grant. In the midst of the blight, she learned how to make a delicious green tomato chutney with the fruits she was able to rescue.

Barbara was dressed up and smelling good — on the way to a party hosted by an owner of a business next door to her local farmer's market. After she left, I took a peek in the produce bag and realized the glitch of the day: the bag contained kale instead of collards, of which my cook had ordered a large quantity. "I'm sure something will work out," I thought to myself.

Next, I drove north to Bakersville, past the Roan Mountain tanning salon and several small vegetable stands and to the Cooperative Extension office. I parked my car in the used car lot, which doubles as public parking. Apparently, you can leave your keys in your car without worrying about it, just as Cynthia Sharpe of OakMoon Creamery can sell her gourmet goat cheeses on the honor system. Bakersville is that quaint and trusting.

I lugged potatoes, sweet sorghum syrup and beef across the busy street. Well, okay, there was just one car. But the potato bag was still attracting attention from onlookers. The Mitchell County Cooperative Extension worked with several farmers to purchase uniform potato bags through a N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission cost-share grant through Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.

The potatoes – from Brandon Birchfield. The molasses and grass-fed beef — from Harrell Hill Farms.

Now back on down to Yancey County, through the road construction on 19E. It's too bad many out-of-towners think of 19E — and the road engineers moving mountains — when they think of Yancey County. Like the Extension Agents repeatedly remind me, Yancey is a special place: home to the tallest and lowest points in the region, as well as the only place where two rivers start and end in the same county. It's here, at the Yancey Cooperative Extension, that I picked up Ryan Wiebe's butternut squash.

On to Marshall and Madison Farms. Now that driver's fatigue was starting to set in, Madison Farms was a beacon of light on the horizon. The big walk-in freezer and cooler, the cleanliness, and the convenient and efficient systems there all welcomed me. The manager Catherine handed me boxes from four different farms spread out over three counties — and I only had to go to one place to pick them up! Not only that, but she gave me a clean, neat copy of the invoice straight from the printer and promised another in the mail to our fiscal agent. Ah, a buyer's dream. To top it off – she happened to have a full box of collards, but was low on kale, perfectly offsetting the change of order with the Aycocks. Here I picked up Shannon Roberts' poultry and Fred Treadway's turnips. Fred had tracked me down on my cell phone earlier in the day. He wanted to tell me personally that his donated turnips were waiting for me.

By this time, my little Honda Civic Hybrid was packed to the peak and smelling nicely of turnip greens.

To avoid the rockslide traffic that has quadrupled the population of Madison County in the past month, I chose a scenic detour next to the French Broad River, and through the Grove Arcade area in Asheville. I followed a couple cars with "Local Foods" bumper stickers as I passed restaurants that buy from AgOptions recipients such as Laughing Seed. I sat at a traffic light behind another car with a "Keep the Earth Clean – It's Not Uranus!" And then on to Buncombe County Cooperative Extension, where I parked next to a truck with a "No Farms, No Food" Farmland Trust bumper sticker.

This was my final stop of the day. I picked up the fresh parsley and thyme from Blue Heron Farm that was waiting for me in the Extension refrigerator.

All of this was just Monday. On Tuesday, I braved the hurricane-influenced weather for sweet potatoes and carrots in Old Fort from Meredith McKissick of Crooked Creek Farms, then to Arden in the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center for more poultry from Robin Singleton of Reeves Homeplace. And finally on to Wilson Farms for poinsettias from Raynelle Ritchie.

I had no idea then that the fun had really just begun. On Wednesday I joined the cooks in prepping the produce. I basked in hearing the chefs exclaim how they enjoyed cooking with "real food," commenting on the beauty of the mushrooms, carrots, huge chickens and high quality beef.

It's funny — I have been touting direct marketing for several years now — "Avoid the middle-man so that more of the money goes in the deserving pockets of the farmer." But I have to admit halfway through the day on Monday in the traffic of 19E and on the curving roads of Madison County, I couldn't help but dream of "market managers" – businesses who make the ordering and delivery easy for both the farmers and the chefs.

My experiences reminded me of the lesson of this year's grant cycle: the importance of ease in distribution if we're going to establish new markets. It hit home when Skipper Russell was able to establish a relationship with Ingles in part because of his new refrigerated box truck. Simply delivering the lettuce to the store before it wilts is the key to that relationship. It also hit home while watching a presentation across the street at the Haywood Cooperative Extension. Ingles representatives encouraged local growers to sell to them through distribution centers such as Appalachian Sustainable Development's for-profit venture in Virginia. It's not entirely up to the buyer to get local foods in big box stores. It's also up to us to figure out ways to make the buyer's life easy. The challenge we in the agricultural industry still struggle with is how to make the details of the middle man work so that food remains affordable and farmers receive a fair price for their hard work.

Another lesson that hit home during my experience is how much relationships fuel the local food system. That is why this region — where these relationships are not only intact but growing — is experiencing a growth in its local food systems by leaps in bounds.

I had a blast this week, even with the days in the car. This meal is like Thanksgiving, and we get to share with each other our labors of love.

I'm just the lucky one in the middle of it all.

2010 WNC farm diversification projects

2010-03-04T15:42:00.004-05:00

The WNC Agricultural Options Program awarded 42 farmers seed grants totaling $225,000 last month to assist them in completing farm diversification projects. This year's grantees are selling Appalachian Grown meats at the WNC Farmers Market at Asheville; creating alternative markets for established strawberry, trout and edible landscaping enterprises; and introducing innovative crops to the region such as milkweed for sale to butterfly farmers and mosses for landscapers. Read more.

Project Facilitation

2010-02-10T09:46:00.007-05:00

Western North Carolina Agricultural Options had its own wheels when Megan stepped into the contract project manager/coordinator role in 2008. Several N.C. Extension county offices, the N.C. Department of Agriculture, and Handmade in America established the program in 2003 through a grant with the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. The aim of the program, which has provided 300+ small grants to farmers since 2004, is to provide financial incentive to producers who are diversifying their operations and offset the risk of crop transition. WNC AgOptions has attracted national attention and is a model for similar farm diversification programs.

A diverse bag of skills is needed to facilitate the program, including event coordination, meeting facilitation, and relationship-building. At the core of the program is the commitment of 18 N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers and their Agricultural Agents. As the main contact for the grant program from 2008-2010, Megan provided for the Agents information about grant requirements, outreach materials and impacts data so that they could lead the program in each of their counties.

Many of the Agents have expressed the importance of WNC AgOptions to their work and their clients' lives. "AgOptions has been one of the best programs that I have been associated with," says Jeremy DeLisle, Agricultural Agent, Mitchell County.

In the future, Megan foresees herself initiating community improvement programs, especially those involving mission-driven businesses. The facilitation skills gained during her term with WNC AgOptions will help her serve her community in a variety of arenas.

Marketing Materials

2010-02-10T09:32:00.009-05:00

M R et cetera produces brochures, rack cards and online advertising materials for organizations and mission-driven businesses. Megan has a history of working with programs when they are at a critical stage of growth. The programs are beyond the initial two-year formation stage, their messaging is fairly established, but they need the touch of a professional writer and designer to help raise their profiles. Such is the case with FEAST, a program of Slow Food Asheville, which provides hands-on cooking experiences with food that is fresh, easy, affordable, sustainable and tasty. Working with graphic designer Cindy Wheeler, Megan created promotional materials for this budding program to display at fundraising and outreach events.

WNC AgOptions also benefited from this increased exposure through professional marketing materials. The program produces a yearly calendar to educate the public about farm diversification projects completed with funding from N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. The calendar is a helpful tool in public relations for the programs' partners, and it aids in community-building and networking among farmers. Megan coordinated the production, drafted the text and took the photographs for this 2011 calendar featuring 2010 WNC AgOptions projects.

Prior to forming M R et cetera, Megan helped create Blue Ridge Forever's first case statement booklet that kicked off the campaign to protect 50,000 acres. As the coalition's first coordinator, she assisted the 13 partners to establish the coalition's messaging and initial marketing materials.

Media Relations

2009-12-29T14:53:00.007-05:00

Since Megan first started performing public relations for non-profit organizations in 2004 and small businesses in 2011, nearly all of the 75+ press releases she has drafted have been picked up by local, regional & state newspapers. She has also fed editorial boards information that led to the publication of editorials, which can influence public policy. What are the keys to this success rate?

1) Understanding the reporter. Megan knows what it's like to sift through a pile of press releases, drawing on her training at the Elkin Tribune, The Cary News, Greensboro's News & Record, and North American Congress on Latin America's Report on the Americas. She also has a B.A. in English, Writing & Editing from North Carolina State University.

2) Understanding the reader. Readers are drawn to stories involving local points of interest, familiar faces, and uplifting anecdotes. Megan is particularly familiar with the viewpoints, passions and concerns of those in the Western North Carolina mountains, as her work has taken her to the nooks and crannies of the region since 2000.

3) Understanding the background of the client. The non-profit sector is like all specializations: the ins-and-outs can be complicated, and jargon is prevalent. Megan's job is to pull out the critical pieces, translating the organization's work so that the public not only digests it, but also digs it. She draws from her internal "encyclopedia of sustainable agriculture and conservation," which she's developed since entering the field in 2001. She also has interest and knowledge in holistic medicine, alternative education and the arts, especially dance and other forms of movement.

Megan also submits articles to magazines, and directs youtube videos for her clients.

Philosophy on Partnerships

2009-12-28T16:17:00.006-05:00

Non-profit organizations and mission-driven businesses exist in a system, just like everything else in the world. At the center of the wheel are the community's needs: the reason to exist. The spokes of the wheel are staff, trustees, funders, members, and similar organizations and businesses.

We have a choice: We can view others who are working on similar projects as entities competing for limited resources. Or we can view them as partners who have strengths that can help to fulfill our needs, and vice versa.

Trust, open communication, commitment to a shared vision, and clearly identified roles go a long way in forming effective partnerships. Jumping in blindly into partnerships is certainly not advisable, but, with practice, they become second nature and a crucial part of fulfilling the mission of organizations.

Experience with Partnerships
WNC AgOptions is a unique partnership between N.C. State University and non-profit organizations such as Handmade in America, RAFI-USA and WNC Communities with the goal of building sustainable farming communities by providing resources for transitioning farmers. As the project manager 2008-2010, Megan worked closely with 18 Cooperative Extension Centers and a multi-partner steering committee, facilitating quarterly meetings alongside the committee leader.

Blue Ridge Forever is a collective campaign led by 13 land conservation organizations to engage the public and raise financial resources to safeguard land and water in the Southern Blue Ridge for present and future generations. As the coalition's first coordinator from 2005 to 2007, Megan assisted the partners in establishing the foundation of the partnership, including the initial marketing materials. Asheville Citizen-Times recognized the importance of Blue Ridge Forever's conservation vision, which Megan helped create, in a September 9, 2008 editorial.

At the core of Lesley University's Masters in Environmental Education program is collaboration. Students form collective decisions, resolve group conflicts and direct their own group learning experience. While completing her M.S. in Environmental Education, Megan learned a great deal about effective facilitation techniques and the value of partnerships.