Category: Uncategorized

I never understood the power of a flower until we participated in the annual Olivette sunflower bomb. The activity was uplifting on its own. Gathering flowers with friends and family will put a smile on anyone’s face. Then we shared the flowers with the community at large, and the true power of the flower emerged.…

“Last Wednesday, this kid BIKED his way into the FOURTH grade! We hooked him up with an electric assist (installed later this day), and he is now equipped to handle any mountain road. I am feeling so incredibly grateful for our little school community this year. His class is outside, all weather, all year, with…

Our superheroes wear capes…. when we make them take a picture! Otherwise, they are usually cloaked in the dirt that grows sustainable organic food for the community…AND BEYOND! These modern day superheroes are known dearly to us as Joe and Daniel. Together they battle the heat, weeds, and their archnemesis, pests. These two are the…

We are very grateful for our neighbor Erlinda Doherty, who has organized virtual wine school classes during quarantine. Olivette’s Wine School has given Erlinda the opportunity to share her passion for wine while connecting our community during these distant times. In addition to educating us on the intricacies of wine, in June, she wrote an…

by Marshall Ayers Right now we are in the peak of the birthing season for many of the animals that also call Olivette home. Geese, turkeys, ducks, as well as many other species of birds, are building nests and laying eggs. Whether it be in a tree, bush, or on the ground if you see…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olivette Team is taking proactive steps to comply with the CDC’s guidelines for community gatherings and is canceling or rescheduling all community and public events until at least mid-April.  Our intent is to stay fluid in our decisions while carefully monitoring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” ~ The Lorax On a blustery early spring morning, Olivette residents gathered for the inaugural event of our Olivette Tree Committee, the Azalea Island Planting. Flash forward to late spring, we saw azaleas blossoming and showing the potential of what they will become.…

On the evening of October 3rd, the Olivette community joined together for our fall farm to table dinner to benefit for the NC Climate Solutions Coalition, a cause that is very dear to our hearts. The weather was sweet and the company was even sweeter.  Our farmer, Joe Evans, grows a beautiful variety of vegetables,…

The greenhouse is starting to fill back up again, with the first of the fall crops germinating nicely. From now until September we’ll be seeding successions in the greenhouse. August 15th-20th is pretty much the cut off for planting brassicas (kale, cabbage, collard, broccoli, cauliflower) into the field and having them mature in time in…

By: Elyse Umlauf-Garneau Set along a stretch of the French Broad River, the 350-acre Olivette is built around a 46-acre working farm that provides produce to local restaurants.Love, who grew up on a farm, said it’s always been her wish to return to and be close to the land and to help small non-factory farms…