Edneyville Business
Q. Is there any particular reason that most orchards are located east of Hendersonville and very few west, north or south of the city?
There are only three commercial orchards south of Hendersonville with Sky Top in Flat Rock being the largest. In the past, there might have been more but we all know that orchards have given way to houses.So why are apples grown on the east end of the county? “Apple trees need two things – good soils and good topography,” said Marvin Owings, Henderson County’s Cooperative Extension Director. The east side of the county has both. In the Mills River basin the soils are good but low lying, and fruit trees can’t tolerate moist ground, what Owings calls “wet feet.” Fortunately, that’s not a problem for tomatoes. Another reason there are fewer apple orchards on the west side of the county is because of cold air drainage. This condition occurs in the spring growing season when cooler air drops off the hills into the valleys. Apple trees grow better on the upper slopes or on flat mountaintops. Owings said that conceivably, one can grow apples on a steep mountain side if you have good soil, but then orchard maintenance becomes more difficult. It’s hard to operate equipment on steep slopes and tractors are essential for pruning, spraying, fertilizing and of course, picking.Another contributing factor to orchard location has nothing to do with soils or climate. Basically, orchards begat orchards. There are more orchards in Dana, Fruitland and Edneyville because of their proximity to local fertilizer businesses, packinghouses and storage units. Owings said that there are basically two kinds of storage facilities — cold storage and what is called controlled atmosphere storage. Three of Henderson County’s 20 apple warehouses have controlled atmosphere where the level of oxygen is reduced and carbon dioxide is increased. He calls this “putting the fruit to sleep.” A controlled storage facility can preserve an apple for 12 months or more. That’s why you can get crisp and delicious apples in December.
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Hendersonville Business
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Henderson County Business
Dr. Eric Byrd was honored as Pardee Hospital’s Physician of the Year and Bill and Dot Moyer were recognized as Philanthropists of the Year during the annual Pardee Hospital Foundation gala Saturday night at Blue Ridge Conference Hall at BRCC.
This is the fourth year that the Pardee Hospital Foundation has presented the Physician of the Year Award, which is given to a Pardee physician whose career has been defined by medical excellence, dedication to compassionate patient care, and a commitment to improving the lives of people throughout the community. Byrd, of Carolina Mountain Internal Medicine, was nominated by several patients as well as fellow Pardee doctors for exemplifying such characteristics.
Byrd completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Kentucky after graduating from medical school from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He worked at various medical centers in Kentucky before moving to Hendersonville in 2001. Byrd practices Internal Medicine at Carolina Mountain Internal Medicine and is a current part-time Pardee Hospitalist Physician. Byrd joins Ken Shelton, James Caserio and Stuart Glassman as winners of the physician of the year award.
Also recognized were husband and wife, William “Bill” and Dot Moyer as Philanthropists of the Year. This year marked the 13th annual Philanthropist of the Year award, which is given to members of the community who have made outstanding contributions to Pardee Hospital and the Pardee Hospital Foundation and toward the improvement of community health care.
Bill is a native of Pennsylvania and Dot was raised in Charlottesville, Va. The two married in 1984 and both worked as attorneys at prestigious law firms in Philadelphia before moving to Henderson County in 1990. Both Bill and Dot became active in community affairs serving on numerous civic and charitable boards including lending their time and talent to Pardee Hospital. Bill served 12 years on the Henderson County Board of Commissioners, eight years as chair, and currently serves on the Board of Pardee Hospital as well as the Asheville Regional Airport Authority. Dot currently serves as board chair for Four Seasons Compassion for Life, Vice President of the Foothills Equestrian Trails Association, and Board and Executive Committee Member of the Flat Rock Playhouse Board of Trustees.
“Dr. Byrd as well as Mr. and Mrs. Moyer are fantastic representatives of our community,” said Kimerly Hinkelman, Pardee Hospital Foundation Executive Director. “Pardee Hospital is a better place because of them and we would not be able to provide the care our community deserves without these individuals. We thank them for the dedication, time, and talent.”
The gala drew a record 400 attendees and brought in more than $100,000 to benefit the new Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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Dale Hamlin may have reached the end of the line when it comes to saving his Carriage Park development.
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FLAT ROCK — In a new effort to showcase history, Historic Flat Rock wants to create a museum on the ground floor of the old post office. But Ladies Aid Society members are upset that the historical society is evicting their charity-based bookstore to do it.
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Edneyville Business
Alan Ward stooped to point a finger at the lower part of a merlot grape vine.
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