The spring season brings out the blooms on the UNCA campus and signals one of the university’s most celebrated annual traditions: Greenfest. This year’s activities will focus on food and sustainable agriculture, with the theme “Don’t Waste It, Just Taste It.”
Check out this year’s Greenfest lineup—and be sure to show up early; the first five people at each event get a free Greenfest t-shirt:
Wednesday, April 2
Seasonal Lunch
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Brown Dining Hall
Dining Services will bring seasonal items from North Carolina farms to the dining hall at this festive lunch, which will also offer diners an opportunity to learn about the importance of eating seasonally. The menu includes arugula from Farm Produce in Tryon, egg quiche made with cage free eggs are from Eggs America in Bethune, glazed sweet potatoes from Scott Farms in Lucama, sautéed mustard and turnip greens from Burch Farms in Faison and apple cider made with NC Mountain Apples in Hendersonville. The cost is $7.40 for all you care to eat; this lunch is co-sponsored by Chartwells.
Meeting of the Whole
6 – 8 p.m. Sherrill Center
The Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council (ABFPC) will celebrate progress made in the community over the past year working toward policies that support a “healthy food friendly” region. Participants will learn more about the council’s work and help set priorities for the next year. An orientation for new members will be held at 5:30 p.m. prior to the start of the meeting for those unfamiliar with the council. Please RSVP on the Facebook event page or contact [email protected].
Equinox Bonfire
8 – 10 p.m. Mullen Park
The vernal equinox has passed, but there’s still time to celebrate the coming of spring with a bonfire. Come enjoy vegan s’mores, kombucha and acoustic music.
Thursday, April 3
Taste of the Earth
noon – 3 p.m. Quad
Local food-based businesses will provide samples at this environmental fair and music performance. The campus Bike Shop will be on hand to showcase the latest rentals and provide tune-ups, and the Student Environmental Center will host a recycled art contest.
Saturday, April 5
North Asheville Tailgate Market Opening Day
8 a.m. – noon P28 parking lot
UNC Asheville’s campus hosts the weekly North Asheville Tailgate Market, Asheville’s oldest producer-only farmers’ market. More than 60 percent of the vendors earn their primary income from farming. The market begins its 32nd year of operation with more than 40 vendors selling locally produced products.
Greenfest Day of Service
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. 525 Broadway
Get some dirt under your fingernails! Join our Montford neighbors to plant trees and shrubs, add mulch along the Reed Creek Greenway and create a pollinator/edible garden. Please bring appropriate work clothes, boots, and if you have them, shovels and pitchforks. Lunch will be provided. The first 150 participants will receive a complimentary Greenfest 2014 t-shirt. Free shuttle service will be provided from Governors Hall to the work site through the day.
Saturday April 12
Joel Salatin
6 – 7:30 p.m. Humanities Lecture Hall
Joel Salatin is an author and third-generation organic farmer whose family owns and operates Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Salatin is the author of nine books, including his most recent publication, Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World (Center Street, 2011). The farm features prominently in Michael Pollan’s New York Times bestseller Omnivore’s Dilemma and the award-winning documentary, Food Inc. His lecture is part of Ashevillage Institute’s Permaculture Design Course, which is being held on UNC Asheville’s campus. The lecture begins at 6 p.m. in Humanities Lecture Hall, and is cosponsored by Ashevillage Institute and Mother Earth News Fair.