Buncombe County Government, NC / Featured Videos

The Board of Commissioners established an Early Childhood Education and Development Committee to determine where $3.6 million in local funding will go annually to support community endeavors to support children and families during their first 2,000 days of life.

Farm Fresh Table's holiday episode; the one where we visit Gaining Ground Farm and stop by the River Arts District tailgate market.

Whether you have a bounty of fresh produce from your own garden, your local tailgate market or one of Buncombe County’s numerous farms; Farm Fresh Table is here with recipes and tips. Follow local chef and farm owner, Sebastiaan Zijp, as he talks to Buncombe County farmers about what’s fresh in the garden, then puts together a meal with all that goodness straight from the farm.

In this episode Sebastiaan prepares a cauliflower gratin and pan-seared brussels sprouts that would make great sides for any holiday meal and shows us how to make his showstopper Dutch apple pie.

Asheville School volunteers from the Energy Savers Network shared their story at our last regular Commissioners Meeting. You can find out more or get involved at energysaversnetwork.com

Episode 4; the one where we visit Patchwork Urban Farms.
Whether you have a bounty of fresh produce from your own garden, your local tailgate market or one of Buncombe County’s numerous farms; Farm Fresh Table is here with recipes and tips. Follow local chef and farm owner, Sebastiaan Zijp, as he talks to Buncombe County farmers about what’s fresh in the garden, then puts together a meal with all that goodness straight from the farm. In this episode Sebastiaan prepares a traditional ratatouille and a creamy butternut squash soup.

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is taking a bold step to combat the opioid crisis in our region becoming the first county in North Carolina to file a lawsuit to hold opioid manufacturers accountable.

At the November 7th, 2017 Board of Commissioners' Regular Meeting, Finance Director Tim Flora presented on Buncombe County's financial stability, our financial outlook, and issues that can occur on our horizon.

On Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017, the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office, Buncombe County Sheriff's Office and the Asheville Police Department held a joint press conference to present a new initiative in the battle to curtail trafficking in heroin and opioid related drugs.

Episode 3; the one where we visit Full Sun Farm, Sycamore Valley Farm Store and the Farm Heritage Trail.
Whether you have a bounty of fresh produce from your own garden, your local tailgate market or one of Buncombe County’s numerous farms; Farm Fresh Table is here with recipes and tips. Follow local chef and farm owner, Sebastiaan Zijp, as he talks to Buncombe County farmers about what’s fresh in the garden, then puts together a meal with all that goodness straight from the farm. In this episode Sebastiaan prepares corn chowder, a fresh sliced tomato salad topped with pickled red onions and sautees swiss chard with bacon and garlic.

I Remember Jim Crow: African-American Women Share Memories of the Era, was presented at the West Asheville Library on March 18, 2007. It featured four women who grew up during the Jim Crow Era in Buncombe County, sharing their stories of what life was like. In this video, you'll hear from Lucille Flack Ray, born in 1924.

The segregation and disenfranchisement laws known as "Jim Crow" represented a system of racial apartheid that dominated the American South for three quarters of a century beginning in the 1890s.

The laws affected almost every aspect of daily life, mandating segregation of schools, parks, libraries, drinking fountains, restrooms, buses, trains, and restaurants. "Whites Only" and "Colored" signs were constant reminders of the enforced racial order.

In 1896, the Supreme Court established the doctrine of separate but equal in Plessy v. Ferguson, after a black man in New Orleans attempted to sit in a whites-only railway car.

On May 17, 1954, at the stroke of noon, the nine Supreme Court Justices announced their unanimous decision in the four cases, now grouped as Brown v. Board of Education. They held that racial segregation of children in public schools, even in schools of equal quality, hurt minority children. “Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” The practice violated the Constitution’s 14th amendment and must stop.

Thurgood Marshall, NAACP Counsel and civil rights leader, coordinated several key victories before the Supreme Court that resulted in the dismantling of Jim Crow.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 finally ended the legal sanctions to Jim Crow.

However, the memories of life during the Jim Crow Era are still alive in Buncombe County.

The next Buncombe County Friends of Agriculture Breakfast on Tuesday, August 15th, features a complimentary local foods breakfast and a discussion on the growing potential for medicinal herbs in the WNC region.
The popularity of medicinal herbs continues to grow, but meeting the production and processing requirements for this market is not always straightforward. Join us in learning more about the market potential for fresh and dried herbs, from field and forest, as well as the opportunities and challenges of entering this niche market.

Our speaker will be Margaret Bloomquist of NCSU's Department of Horticultural Science who has spearheaded many efforts for building medicinal herb markets under the Alternative Crops research programs with Dr. Jeanine Davis.

When: Tuesday, August 15 beginning at 7am sharp! The educational program will end by 8am.

Where: Virginia Boone Building, WNC AgCenter, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732

Register: This event is free and open to the public

Episode 2; the one where we visit the Weaverville Tailgate Market.
Whether you have a bounty of fresh produce from your own garden, your local tailgate market or one of Buncombe County’s numerous farms; Farm Fresh Table is here with recipes and tips. Follow local chef and farm owner, Sebastiaan Zijp, as he talks to Buncombe County farmers about what’s fresh in the garden, then puts together a meal with all that goodness straight from the farm. In this episode Sebastiaan prepares a roasted beet salad, braised short ribs and green beans from Dillingham Family Farm and Ivy Creek Family Farm.

Whether you have a bounty of fresh produce from your own garden, your local tailgate market or one of Buncombe County’s numerous farms; Farm Fresh Table is here with recipes and tips. Follow local chef and farm owner, Sebastiaan Zijp, as he talks to Buncombe County farmers about what’s fresh in the garden, then puts together a meal with all that goodness straight from the farm.

Recently, the Council on Aging held their second annual Senior Breakfast of Champions, emceed by Mix 96.5’s Ken Ulmer with keynote speaker, award-winning novelist, Tommy Hays. The event recognized and celebrated the contributions of eight seniors nominated by the community and chosen by a panel of sponsors. These “Champions” spend their lives giving to others, they are:

~Becky Anderson, named by US News and World Report as a top 20 visionary for her community development initiatives.
~Julie Bantin, facing health issues herself, crochets for the homeless community.
~Dr. Mel Skiles mainstains the sanctity of the Appalachian Trail and other wild places.
~Roy Harris, a master storyteller, is dedicated to uplifting the underserved and marginalized.
~Dr. Robert Yearout, as a retired airborne Lieutenant Colonel has been inspiring and mentoring students since 1987.
~Janet Ledder, a licensed massage therapist volunteers her healing touch for Homeward Bound and Senior Opportunities.
~Louise Jones, at 87 remains extremely active in her church assisting with food programs and parents in need of child care services.
~And Dr. Julia Capps, leading the way in education, has served Buncombe County for over 50 years as an educator and school administrator.

Congratulations to all the nominated and recognized seniors on their tireless efforts to improve their community. The Asheville Social Security Administration Office, Moose Café and Land of Sky Area Agency on Aging were also honored for their contributions to area seniors. Proceeds from the event support Senior Dining and Wellness and Medicare Education and Counseling services.
To find out more or get involved with the Council on Aging of Buncombe County visit coabc.org or on Facebook.

In this episode of Buncombe Life, take a tour of the French Broad River and Swannanoa River with RiverLink. RiverLink is a non-profit river and environmental conservation here in Buncombe County whose efforts over the past 30 years have both cleaned up, revitalized, and changed the way we look at our waterways here. Join Kathy as she interviews founder, Karen Cragnolin about how RiverLink came to be what it is today and how it began. We'll also take a tour of the Wilma Dykeman waterway with Dave Russell.

Go on patrol with the Buncombe County COPS Team.

COPS is the Community Oriented Policing Service, and their teams are committed to building trust and mutual respect between law enforcement officers and communities.

COPS teams are critical to public safety, ensuring all stakeholders work together to address our nations crime challenges. When police and communities collaborate, they more effectively address underlying issues, change negative behavior patterns, and allocate results.

To see the results of the investigations and outreach from the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office COPS Team, or for updates on when and where they will focus next, visit buncombecounty.org/sheriff.

For more information about Cycle to Farm, please visit cycletofarm.org

For more information about Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District or Farmland Preservation, please visit buncombecounty.org/soil

To view the entire press conference, go to the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_EjURVde8A

If you're looking to add a new member to your family, look no further than the Asheville Humane Society's Adoption Center. They have many cats and dogs currently in need of a good home. Stop by the adoption center at 14 Forever Friend Lane. You can also check out their website to see all the animals currently ready for adoption by visiting ashevillehumane.org

Ten in Ten is part of our Buncombe Wellness campaign to encourage healthy eating and exercise. Using 10 or less ingredients in no more than 10 minutes, one of our County registered dietitians will show you how to make a healthy recipe. In this episode, Cathy Hohenstein with Cooperative Extension, shows us how to make smoothies with fruit and veggies.

For assistance call 211.

For women who need assistance call Helpmate at 828.254.0516

Learn more about the eNOugh campaign at https://www.buncombecounty.org/law-safety/family-justice-center/enough.aspx.

Normally when people think of animal abuse, they think of starving/neglected dogs and cats. But did you know that larger animals, like horses can also be victims? Learn how Buncombe County keeps these animals safe with their many programs in this production featuring County Commissioner Ellen Frost.