The Dirt Blog

Photo courtesy of http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=28021&picture=clam-shells What could be better than sustainable, local produce? Celebrating it with music and art! That’s the mission of NC Fresh Catch, “a statewide concert series promoting the richness of North Carolina’s natural and creative resources,” and the subject of our newest installment of “Local Food and Farmers' Markets.” The festival includes […]

Photo courtesy of http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=6271&picture=pink-aster-blooms In a world where the sad and scary news stories vastly outnumber those that are optimistic, a unique partnership keeps a beautiful flower species, the Georgia aster, from going extinct. Unlike many other rare species, this flower is not being protected by the Endangered Species Act (ESA). “Instead,” writes John Platt […]

I couldn’t believe how many birds were singing. I had arrived at Horton Grove a little past 9 a.m., and I stood, camera in hand, scanning the field in front of me. The grass was green and waving slightly in the breeze, dotted here and there with fully leafed-out trees. A few clouds skirted the […]

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I pulled into the Hillsborough Farmers’ Market. Located at Hampton Point Boulevard in the outer parking lot of a Home Depot, I spotted the signature white tent stalls as I pulled into a space. While the market may be on pavement, I quickly forgot the box shop as […]

Photo courtesy of http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=3058 The Triangle now has its first solar farm! Strata Solar, based in Chapel Hill, finished its 43-acre solar panel farm in Rougement last week, which will create enough power for 750 homes. What is a solar farm? The idea is simple. Build a large array of solar panels and create energy […]

Welcome to TLC’s summer blog series, “Local Food and Farmers’ Markets!” Each week we will take a closer look at local farms, farmers’ markets, and innovative food systems around the Triangle. This week features the Durham Farmers’ Market. Located at 501 Foster Street, the Durham Farmers’ Market was founded in 1998 and has grown to […]

The Nature Conservancy has teamed up with Disney to disseminate a global survey to parents asking about the importance of nature to kids around the world. The results and the reality are surprising. What’s not surprising is the level of importance parents place on nature for their kids. 82% see “spending time in nature as […]

Right after I graduated from college, I moved to Washington, DC for a year. I lived in a great neighborhood with cool restaurants and easy metro access, but there was one problem. The closest grocery store was about two miles away, and it was nowhere near a metro. Like many Washington residents I had no […]

Picture a traditional city rooftop. Most of us would envision a gray, concrete, rather drab urban environment. Ben Flanner, head farmer and president of Brooklyn Grange, on the other hand, sees a farming opportunity. As part of a movement that has spread around the world, Flanner and his colleagues are taking the idea of a […]

Spend four hours in the Triangle with our newest recommended weekend itinerary! 10 a.m. Arrive at the Lower Haw River State Natural Area, 502-592 Bynum Rd, Pittsboro. With 1,022 acres on either side of the river itself, the natural area contains both hiking and paddling opportunities. With help from TLC, in 2001 this tract of […]