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Plant for The Plateau
Issue: 2020/07 – July
When the founders of Highlands drew up their plans for this tiny corner of Western North Carolina, they envisioned that the fertile meadows of Horse Cove and the Flats, the temperate climate, and abundant rainfall would allow the community to develop as an important agricultural hub.
Well, Mssrs. Kelsey and Hutchinson may have been a little too ambitious in their vision, but you can see that their notions about good farming were on the money – just witness the groaning display tables at Highlands Marketplace and Locally Grown on the Green in Cashiers.
Fishes & Loaves Food Pantry, The Food Pantry of Highlands, and The Mountain’s Many Hand Peace Farm are asking locals and seasonal residents to consider this wealth of agricultural potential and Plant for the Plateau.
Planting fresh vegetables that’ll be donated to these food pantries will ensure that numerous families on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau will have enough to eat during this time of calamitous economic hardship.
In fact, doing so draws upon a tradition that goes back even further than the visions of Kelsey and Hutchinson.
According to George Powell of Highlands Aerial Park, the local tradition of sharing food with neighbors goes back to the early 18th century, when the Cherokee welcomed the first English settlers to the Plateau. It was their custom to give generously without question when there was a need.
“The Cherokee shared their bounty with the settlers, and they taught them about “The Three Sisters” – the planting together of Corn, Beans, and Squash,” says Powell. “This trio of plants would grow in harmony with each other and prevent the soil from losing its richness, and, this is critical, provide a family with enough food to survive the winter.”
The idea behind Plant for the Plateau is simple: Pledge and plant one or more of the following crops – tomatoes, squash, peppers, corn, onions, potatoes, carrots, and beans. Then email [email protected] with a list of the vegetables you pledge to grow, and whether you plan to donate to the food pantry in Highlands or Cashiers. Then, harvest and deliver your crops. It’s that easy.
To encourage community gardening, a Facebook Group named PLANT FOR THE PLATEAU is available, where local farmers and gardeners can share tips and tricks.
If you’d like to join the effort but don’t have room to plant a garden, the Many Hands Peace Farm has field space to plant. Contact the MHPF at (828) 526-5838.
