Situated on a 98-acre farm that’s cradled by the Blue Ridge Mountains, just outside the small town of Hot Springs in Madison County, the Rare Bird Farm has become a haven for nature lovers, artists and music fans alike. 

“We’re way out here [in the countryside] — it’s not a place you’re going to just stumble into,” chuckled Mitchell Davis, RBF business development director. “And we think music is a great connector to get people to come and check the [property] out.” 

What began as a welcoming gathering during the cold winter months has become something more. At “Stecoah Stories and Seeds,” local guests engage the group in stories of people, agriculture and traditions. Following the presentations, a free lunch is provided, offering time and space for Q&A and social connection.

Recent rainfall was not enough to offer relief from worsening drought conditions. According to the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council, extreme drought conditions have expanded across most of the Piedmont and in Western North Carolina, and one county is now considered to be in exceptional drought. 

According to the DMAC’s classification’s issued Thursday, Union County is in an exceptional drought, 61 counties are in extreme drought and most of the rest of the state is in severe drought. 

Drought conditions continue to increase in severity across North Carolina. Thirty counties are now experiencing extreme drought, and most counties are experiencing severe or moderate drought, according to the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council.

For counties in extreme drought, water systems are advised to follow their Water Shortage Response Plan and adhere to water use reduction measures.

A stretch of land along Ratcliff Cove Road — quiet, rural, long-defined by fields, creek-bottoms and generational ties — became the focal point of a larger question April 14, as Waynesville Town Council took up an annexation request that would determine not just what gets built there, but how the town chooses to grow. 

Fifth graders from Cullowhee Valley School and Scotts Creek School participated in conservation field days at East LaPorte Park Wednesday to learn more about natural resources and conservation.  

The message at the Haywood County Farm Bureau’s April 1 legislative breakfast was unmistakable — more than 18 months after Hurricane Helene, recovery is moving, but not at the pace or scale many farmers say is necessary to stabilize their operations. 

Held annually, the breakfast serves as a touchpoint between Haywood County’s agricultural community and the policymakers charged with supporting it.

Applications are now being accepted through April 13 for the N.C. Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative, which was created to fund and promote the establishment of value-added agricultural manufacturing and food processing facilities in North Carolina. The program includes $4.3 million in available funding to support eligible projects. 

High school seniors in Haywood County who have a degree of need coupled with a serious commitment to agriculture and community service are encouraged to apply for the Haywood County Farm Bureau’s scholarship program by April 15.

Students must have a GPA of at least 2.5, be residents of Haywood County, be currently enrolled in a Haywood County school or a two or four-year school, planning to enroll in an approved post-secondary program (technical/community, junior college, or a four-year institution.)

The 23rd annual Business of Farming Conference, presented by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 28, at A-B Tech Conference Center in Asheville. The conference offers beginning and established farmers financial, legal, operational and marketing tools to improve farm businesses and make professional connections.