Hey y'all, 

I've been thinking a lot about local agriculture lately (yup, I'm dropping hints on the August issue 🤫). I've always entertained these dreams of returning to the land and tilling soil for a living, in part because I was born into it—my earliest memories are of tugging carrots from the ground and delicately lifting chicks from under heat lamps—but also in part because it sounds like such an escape from the monotony of modernity. 

But as I broaden my network both professionally, through stories like last year's Leisure & Libation on flower farming and personally (falling for someone who's passionate about agriculture and food economies), I'm realizing that farming is hard—like, really hard. Just check out the reports from the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and ASAP below.👇🏽 So while I might be scaling back on my own overall-and-dirty-nail dreams, I'm recommitting to supporting those of others and buying local whenever possible. Check out the CFSA's guide to buying local while social distancing if you want to, too. 

Until next week,

• Still Going Strong  💪🏽  Remember #AshevilleStrong? The movement, founded in March as a way for Buncombe County to support local businesses through COVID, is now a not-for-profit organization. The official designation will allow the org to better provide resources to local businesses and workers and raise funds for its newly formed small business crisis relief program, the Asheville Strong Fund; the micro-grant program is now open for donations. 

• Mixed Reviews 🥴 The Asheville Metro Economic Report for the first quarter of 2020 shows that March's economic drop offset growth in Jan. & Feb. Unemployment, for example, averaged 3.4% over the first quarter, with minor gains the first two months. But Buncombe Co.'s lodging sales reached just $65.4 million—10.2% below the first quarter of 2019, marking the first quarterly year-to-year decline in ten years. Learn more. 

• Dry Ground  👨🏻‍🌾  The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) surveyed farms in NC and SC to quantify the impacts of COVID. Weekly sales dropped for 3/4 of local farms, including 1/3 that lost more than $1K per week.  87% of farms with restaurant customers saw a decline in that sector, 79% of farms with agritourism saw that income drop, and 68% with farmers market income saw a decline there, too. Check out the report. 

• On the Other Hand  🤷🏻‍♂️  The 2019 Appalachian Grown Producer Survey Report had interesting insights into ag growth before COVID: 89% of farmers reported there were more or the same number of market outlets to sell their products in 2019 compared to 2018. 92% of these farmers sell some or all of their products to direct markets, while 64% sell some or all wholesale. Farmers markets are the most popular market outlet, followed by restaurants and farm stores. Check out the full report. 

JOBS

• Burial Beer Co. 🍻 is looking for a Human Resource Manager.

• Just Right Reader is looking for an Operations / Sales Manager.  📖

• Mother Earth Food  🥬  is looking for a Manager of Product. 

• Literacy Council of Buncombe County is looking for a Youth Literacy Director.  👩‍👧

• Pisgah Legal Services is looking for a Senior Accountant and a Legal Assistant.

• Organic Growers School 🌽 is looking for a Program & Marketing Associate.

• Haywood Pathways Center is looking for a Development Director.
• Eliada Homes is looking for a Lead Residential Education Specialist.  👨🏾‍🏫
• Asheville Middle School is looking for an Assistant Principal. 
• Earth Fare is looking for a Food Service Category Manager. 🍞

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• The National Independent Venue Association estimates 90% of its members—venues, festivals, and promoters— will close without support. 👨🏼‍🎤 Petition Congress to support the industry here, or sign up for the #SaveOurStages Golf Tournament on Aug. 30.

• The Grove Arcade has reopened the outdoor Makers Market on Page Avenue and has opened its artist application process to the community. Apply to be a vendor here. 

• Sand Hill Artists Collective (SHAC) is a new blog for and about West Asheville artists and art enthusiasts, educators, collectors, nonprofit managers, and art business owners.  🖼  Apply to be featured here.

• Asheville Tea Company's new packaging is 100% biodegradable (the boxes are recycled and the tea bags are made from cornstarch) and locally designed by graphic artist Snow in July Designs. 🍵  Check 'em out, including new flavors like Chocolate Habanero Chai and Lemon Ginger Yaupon.

• Artists Jenny Pickens, Joseph Pearson, and Marie T. Cochran will lead the design and implementation process for a Black Lives Matter street mural in Pack Square. Learn more and donate. 

• A report from Creative Vitality Suite shows that in 2018 creative jobs in Buncombe Co. were up to 9,752, 7,318 of those in Asheville. 👩🏻‍🎨. The top five jobs were photographers, writers & authors, musicians & singers, graphic designers, and fine artists. Learn more. 

• Sisters in Circles, an Asheville-based mask-making org, is becoming an official nonprofit. The home sewing team of artists, largely unemployed due to COVID, offer support to local orgs like MANNA and Ugandan nonprofits, too. Learn more. 

🍺  Back to Highland | Highland's Meadow will reopen July 10 as a family friendly space with social-distanced seating circles and picnic tables.

🌭  Home Run | Baseball may be cancelled, but game day treats aren't. McCormick Field has opened up a Summer Grill serving up ballpark classics in the infield Thu.–Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m.  

🎸 Livestreaming | Bands2Fans is continuing to livestream live music from Ambrose West. Upcoming performances include the Carolina Reapers tonight and Snake Oil Medicine Show on Fri. July 17.

☕️  Open for Biz | Leadership Asheville's Buzz Breakfast series returned with panelists like Katie Cornell of the Asheville Area Arts Council and Lucious Wilson of Wedge Brewing Company discussing reopening in their industry. 

🤝  Network & New Knowledge | Young Professionals of Asheville will host Professional Development: Five Leadership Traits of a High Potential Employee tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. 

🎓  Support Students | United Way of Asheville & Buncombe Co.'s annual School Supply Drive is all online this year. Make a donation.