There is something about living through a 100-year geological event that changes a person. On September 27th 2024, Tropical Storm Helene hit Western North Carolina and was just such an event. We’d seen terrible scenarios like this on the television before happening in other parts of the United States or happening in far away parts of the world, but we’d never experienced it here–not at our home! And we still didn’t experience it at our home per se because we are located on top of the mountain. We didn’t get a landslide. We had trees block the road, but didn’t have a tree fall on our house. We were Blessed! Robert and I came out of this relatively unscathed except for the fact that there was 8 – 10 feet of water covering all of our bottom land which parallels Cane Creek. Obviously, that much water is not good for tractors or any other farming infrastructure; but in addition to the water there was the shipping containers and vehicles and buildings and other debris that washed onto the land. Once again, we were Blessed because the Army Corps of Engineers via FEMA came to our rescue. The Army Corps of Engineers built a berm on this property in the 1960s which is what allowed us to farm this bottom-land along the creek. I suppose, but will never really know for sure, if this is why we were the location where the Corps began their clean up in the Fletcher/Fairview area of Buncombe County.
Robert I approached the 2025 harvest season with the same enthusiasm that we had in the past 30 years, but something was different. There were more ruts and rocks and sandbars in the soil. Still we found a good enough gardening site, but the weather in 2025 was not the best for a vegetable growing season. Of course, no year is ever perfect, but some years are much worse and this was one of them. Additionally, the deer who have been continually on our property got much more aggressive. They began tearing down our 8-foot deer fencing on a regular basis and eating whatever they chose including lettuce, romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cantaloupe. They have a wide and varied gourmet diet! It wasn’t until the early winter months of 2026 that we decided it was time to totally retire from the CSA farming business.
2026 has been a change with Robert growing a much smaller garden. It is still large by comparison to most home gardens, but small for him. He provided the family (plus) with a plentiful harvest. Next year’s garden will be even smaller as he adjusts. I have rather enjoyed retirement. It seems I have plenty to do with little time to sit around and read all of those books I’ve been buying and stacking over the years; perhaps this winter. I will say our flower garden has gotten much more attention this year. It has been beautiful with just enough rain at just the right times. The one thing I am unwilling to let go of at this time is my CaneCreekCSA.com website. Since we are no longer in the “Community Supported Agriculture” farming business, I will somewhat change directions. I am not totally sure what I am going to do with this site, so please check back in! If you are interested in staying in touch, the email will be the same; however, “CSA” will stand for something different eventually. I would love to hear from you if you are of the mind to communicate.
Blessings to all who experienced and followed the 100-year geological event of Tropical Storm Helene as we celebrate two years this September 27. Western North Carolina has come a long way since that fateful day. Part of this journey has been a “community seeking attention” from the State and the Federal Governments. And part of this journey has been the community coming together from the very first hours until this very minute with neighbor helping neighbor which is as it should be in a functional Society!
