Plus, a living wage rate increase for 2024.
 
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51º | Clear | 0% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:40 a.m. | Sunset 5:36 p.m.
 

Food

Tracing marshmallow’s local roots
The owner of Kestrel Herb Farm with a marshmallow plant
These marshmallows come straight from the ground. | Photo via Darby Communications
Picture a chilly winter day (not unlike this one) — a little frost on the windows, a few clouds in the sky. Hot chocolate feels a little decadent, so you decide to warm up with a cup of tea in a flavor that’s the next best thing. It’s a blend of cacao nibs, peppermint, and marshmallow.

But you’re not going to look down and find white, pillowy confections floating in your mug. For Jessie Dean and Asheville Tea Company, this marshmallow comes straight from the ground — by way of Katie Grear + Mike Adams of Kestrel Herb Farm. So we sat down with these local purveyors of this particular herb to see how marshmallow takes root.

Let it grow

When they’re mass-produced these days, the marshmallows that we know and love around the campfire typically aren’t manufactured with the marshmallow plant. They used to be made with powdered marshmallow root, but now it’s generally gelatin in the recipe. The marshmallow plant, though, is still known for both culinary and gentle medicinal qualities (like helping with a sore throat or digestion).

“Marshmallow has always been on our grow list because it grows well here and it’s a popular herb,” says Grear. “I think that even any home gardener could pick up some plants. The bees really love it too; it’s been an amazing pollinator.”

Marshmallow roots at Kestrel Herb Farm

Like its name suggests, the plant prefers wetter climates.

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Photo via Darby Communications

Kestrel Herb Farm harvests marshmallow seeds to reuse each year and sells the roots, leaves, and even flowers to some extent. And if you’re thinking of the small herbs sitting in pots on your front porch, you’d be wrong. Marshmallow is actually quite a large plant — Adams says they grow around six or seven feet tall.

Once the plant is harvested — usually May or June for the leaves, through the summer for the flowers, and into mid-fall for the roots — Kestrel dries the herbs for distribution both to individual buyers and wholesale. Companies like Dean’s get big bags of the dried herbs that have been broken down into manageable sizes. Asheville Tea Company will then typically mill them further to more easily blend with the other ingredients and to work with the equipment for making the tea bags.
Take a sip
 
Events
Thursday, Jan. 11
  • Charcuterie Workshop | Thursday, Jan. 11 | 6:30-7:30 p.m. | Ginger’s Revenge, 829 Riverside Dr., Ste. 100, Asheville | $50 | Wow your dinner guests (or your Instagram feed) with some newfound cheeseboard skills.
  • Forbidden Brunch | Thursday, Jan. 11, Sunday, Jan. 14 | 7:30 p.m. | Fleetwood’s, 496 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $16 | Join the deliciously dramatic debauchery with Anam Cara Theatre Company’s experimental ensemble Accordion Time Machine.
  • Pisgah Legal Services’ Justice Matters Tour | Thursday, Jan. 11 | 12-1 p.m. | Pisgah Legal Services, 62 Charlotte St., Asheville | Free | Tour Pisgah Legal Services to learn about the programs, understand regional needs + see how civil legal aid can be an effective tool.*
Friday, Jan. 12
  • New Moon Circle | Friday, Jan. 12 | 7-9 p.m. | West Asheville Yoga Studio, 602 Haywood Rd., Asheville | $25-$35 | Return to nature with a conscious, intentional flow led by Sierra Hollister.
  • “Where Ya From?” Crowd Work Show | Friday, Jan. 12 | 9 p.m. | Catawba Brewing, 32 Banks Ave., Asheville | $15 | Get a chance to talk back to the comedians and hear their hilarious responses.
Saturday, Jan. 13
  • Find Your Familiar | Saturday, Jan. 13 | 12-5 p.m. | House of Black Cat Magic, 841 Haywood Rd., Asheville | Free with adoption pre-approval | Look for a fluffy little shadow at this special adoption event for black cats of all shapes, sizes, and ages.
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament | Saturday, Jan. 13 | 6-10 p.m. | The Nerd Dungeon, 505 New Leicester Hwy., Asheville | $5 | Whip out your cards for a chance at winning the pot — this is an official Konami Tournament Store.
Sunday, Jan. 14
  • Poetry Slam Night | Sunday, Jan. 14 | 6:30-9 p.m. | The Canopy at Art Garden AVL, 191 Lyman St., Asheville | $5-$10 | Take the stage to show off your poetry skills (and maybe win a cash prize), or support the artists from the audience.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Active

5 ways to up your workouts
A Hoka sneaker angled to the side.
Protect your feet during high-impact exercise with thoughtfully designed HOKA sneakers. | Photo via Amazon
Focused on movement this month? Increase comfort and results with beloved gym staples.
Shop health + fitness finds
News Notes
Civic
  • On Monday, Jan. 22 at A-B Tech Ferguson Auditorium, the County will host a special listening session to allow for public comment on proposed short-term rental (STR) text amendments, which are seeking to limit the use of existing and future residential development for STRs. Check out the amendments before you attend or join online.
Development
  • The City of Asheville is cutting ties with developer Shangri-La and nonprofit Step Up on the Ramada Inn conversion project, following a California lawsuit filed against the partners on Monday, Jan. 8. The $1.5 million project was intended to provide permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness. (Blue Ridge Public Radio)
Theater
  • Play to win. Different Strokes! Performing Arts Collective will host the inaugural ?They Said What? game show at Highland Brewing on Wednesday, Jan. 17. In the first of the monthly series, watch Montford Park Players and Asheville Community Theatre compete in exhilarating games to win half the ticket sales for their cause.
Job
  • Literacy Together is looking for a new Youth Literacy Program Director, following current Director Julie Taylor’s retirement after 35 years as an educator. The program offers specialized training to volunteer tutors to work with K-5th grade students who are behind grade level in reading. Join the team.
Arts
  • Interested in some arts insight? Explore Asheville will be at the ArtsAVL Town Hall to share the ways that it markets Asheville’s arts scene outside the city and how local artists can benefit from the resources. The free session on Friday, Feb. 9 will be held at the Center for Craft and feature a presentation as well as a Q+A.
Plan Ahead
  • This bee’s creating a buzz. Team registration is now open for the inaugural Smart Start Adult Spelling Bee, which will take place on Thursday, March 7. The fundraiser will support Smart Start’s work to educate and advocate strong foundations for children in the community. Register your team of four or purchase a spectator ticket.
Fun Fact
  • Did you know 53,000 of you welcome us into your inbox every morning? We’re asking you to take two minutes to tell us more about yourself so we can continue to write about things you find interesting. One lucky AVL survey participant will win $500. Take the survey.
Health
  • Anxiety can make every day a challenge. Connect with a therapist on BetterHelp + take the first step towards a calmer mind. Save 25% with BetterHelp’s New Year offer.*
 
Community

The local living wage rate went up for 2024

The living wage rate for Buncombe County has increased for 2026
Asheville skyline and mountains at sunset
The increase was due in large part to rising housing costs. | Photo by @ashevillepictures
Let’s look at the numbers. Asheville-based nonprofit Just Economics of WNC announced that Buncombe County’s Living Wage Rate rose from $20.10 per hour in 2023 to $22.10 per hour (with or without benefits) in 2024. Just Economics’ formula is based on a single worker being able to qualify for a one-bedroom apartment in Buncombe County, based on a four-year average of the Fair Market Rent released by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Just Economics sets this hourly living wage floor, but it also runs the largest voluntary living wage certification program in the country. More than 400 WNC employers have been Living Wage Certified since the program was launched in 2008. In 2023, the organization introduced the Pledged Living Wage certification, which sets a base hourly pay for the lowest paid employee and requires the employer to pledge to increase their rate of pay every year by 3% plus the cost of inflation. This year, this rate of pay is $19 an hour.

Interested in getting your business Living Wage Certified? Check out the criteria.
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The Wrap
 
Molly Wilson.jpeg

Today’s edition by:
Molly
From the editor
Need new reads but can’t justify adding to already overflowing bookshelves? (I’m speaking from experience here.) Well, The Whale is hosting a book swap on Sunday, Jan. 14 in honor of its nonprofit of the month, Literacy Together. Bring a book, take a book, then grab a glass of wine or beer to start diving into your new read.
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