Black Bear, Uno. Photo by Kate Frost
By Emma Castleberry
The WNC Nature Center and the WNC Farmers Market have partnered to create the Educational Farmers Market Garden, a new exhibit at the wildlife park that generates fresh produce for the animals at the Nature Center and demonstrates connectivity between wildlife and farming. “Agriculture and nature can have a sustainable relationship, and the more our community understands this relationship, the better we can find ways to conserve the place we call home,” says Kate Frost, director of development and marketing with the Friends of the WNC Nature Center.
The Educational Market Garden uses sustainable planting methods including rainwater collection, composting, soil restoration and companion plants. “Many of the practices we have implemented into this garden can be used in your garden at home to create a space that works in harmony with nature and provides food for your family,” says Ellerslie McCue, marketing coordinator for the WNC Farmers Market. The garden produces lettuce, carrots, squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, cherry tomatoes and acorn squash that are given to the animals for diet and enrichment. Farmers and vendors are also working with the WNC Farmers Market to grow enrichment items that can’t be grown on-site, like pumpkins, watermelons and trees. “This is like farm to table, or in our case, farm to habitat,” says Frost.
(Left to right) Dibe Duckett, Karen Babcock, Ellerslie McCue, Phil Jacobus, Kate Frost. Photo by Kelly Shotwell
The idea was born when Phil Jacobus, manager of the WNC Farmers Market, was spending a day with his family at the WNC Nature Center and saw the farming exhibit. “We wanted to get involved with their organization and work to educate their visitors about agriculture,” says McCue. “We were met by a very positive and excited response from the WNC Nature Center team. Both organizations have very similar missions and strive to be a positive force in the community so it was a perfect fit.”
A kiosk at the garden explains its origins and provides context about its purpose. “We hope the garden and kiosk will inspire people to grow their own gardens and connect with farmers and growers in their local community,” says McCue. “One of my favorite signs on the kiosk is ‘What I want to be when I grow up,’ that shows kids all of the opportunities available in agriculture whether on a farm, as a vet or in agriculture technology.”
Frost says that this new exhibit and partnership with the Farmers Market highlight the Nature Center as a cultural resource. “The WNC Nature Center is not just a wildlife park,” says Frost. “It creates opportunities to learn hands-on how what we do impacts the world we live in. And conservation is at the forefront of that conversation. Our mission is to connect people with the plants and animals of this region, and this addition of the garden creates another touchpoint to do just that.”
The WNC Nature Center is located at 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville. The Center is open 361 days a year from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the last entry at 3:30 p.m. To learn more, visit WildWNC.org/wncfarmersmarket.
