Home Care In Zirconia, NC

FOOTHILLS–A coalition of nonprofits with plans to develop a 31-mile rail line into the Saluda Grade Trail has reached an agreement with Norfolk Southern to sell the portion of the railroad.

The coalition has a signed agreement with the Norfolk Southern establishing the price and other terms of the future purchase.

This coalition, consisting of Conserving Carolina, PAL (Play, Advocate, Live Well) and Upstate Forever, plans to repurpose the inactive rail line as a trail that will run through Tryon, Saluda and Landrum. The Saluda Grade Trail will begin at Inman and end in Zirconia, N.C.

In South Carolina, the coalition is advocating for an $11 million investment by the state this year.

The Saluda Grade Trail is expected to be a multi-use trail. Along its route, the trail will feature rural scenery and historic landmarks.

“We’re pleased to announce this exciting progress toward the goal of a rail trail that will serve as an economic engine for our communities, provide an abundance of recreational opportunities, and improve people’s health by encouraging exercise and time in nature,” says Kieran Roe, Executive Director of Conserving Carolina.

The coalition also has begun the process of an economic impact and feasibility study that will shed light on how the trail will shape local economies and how to move forward with the project. This summer, the coalition will be reaching out to landowners and stakeholders along the trail to seek their input on the opportunities and challenges presented by the trail and approaches that will best meet the needs of the community.

In addition, the coalition is preparing a website for the Saluda Grade Trail where the public will be able to find information and ways to get involved. The website is expected to launch this spring.

“In addition to being beloved community assets, trails energize economies,” said Andrea Cooper, Executive Director of Upstate Forever. “The Saluda Grade Trail will bring new jobs and money to the area, encourage safe outdoor recreation, and improve quality of life for residents.”

Laura Ringo, Executive Director of PAL, touted the economic boost and health benefits of the Saluda Grade Trail.

“The Saluda Grade Rail Trail will be a transformative project for the region,” said Ringo. “This rail-to-trail will be a destination and provide a boost to the Spartanburg County tourism economy, especially for the cities along the route like Landrum, Campobello and Inman. During the first year that the trail is open to the community, 125,000 visitors are expected.”

Conserving Carolina is leading efforts on the North Carolina side of the trail, while PAL and Upstate Forever are leading efforts in South Carolina. To learn more, visit conservingcarolina.org/saluda-grade, palspartanburg.org/saludagradetrail, or upstateforever.org/saluda-grade.

USA TODAY readers voted a North Carolina apple orchard as one of the best in the United States.

The annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards are determined by readers’ votes. Initial selections came from travel experts choosing the top 20 nominees in a number of categories, including best art museum, best farmers market, best outdoor water park and more.

As of Oct. 31, many 10Best categories are still pending, and results will be announced over the next few weeks.

All categories, winners and pending winners can be found at 10best.com/awards/travel.

•Sky Top Orchard won a top-10 readers’ choice award for the best apple orchard in the United States. The orchard is located in Zirconia, just south of Flat Rock, and open for apples through the end of November.

“Less than an hour south of Asheville, North Carolina, Sky Top Orchard offers its guests the chance to celebrate fall on the mountain with a roadside stand feel and nostalgia of yesterday,” USA TODAY 10Best said.

“The cool summer nights and warm days create perfect conditions for growing over 22 varieties of apples, with the U-Pick season lasting from August through the end of October. Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Red and Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Pink Lady are just a few available varieties.”

Sky Top Orchard came in seventh place on the list. The top spot went to Milburn Orchards in Elkton, Maryland.

Zirconia is about a four-and-a-half hour drive from Raleigh.

For more on Sky Top Orchard, visit skytoporchard.com.

• Beulaville: Mike’s Farm in Beulaville, North Carolina also came in ninth place for the best pumpkin patch in the United States.

Beulaville is under a two-hour drive from Raleigh. For more on Mike’s Farm, visit mikesfarmnc.com.

Have a question you’d like answered? Or maybe a tip or story idea you’d like to share? The News & Observer’s Service Journalism team wants to hear from you. For useful and practical information from our staff, reach us by submitting questions to our form or sending an email to [email protected].

This story was originally published October 31, 2022, 12:53 PM.

SALUDA, N.C. (WLOS) — A plan to turn a mountain railroad line into a recreational trail has received a big financial pledge.

Saluda Grade Trail in NC gets $250,000 pledge from Polk County Community Foundation

The Polk County Community Foundation has pledged a $250,000 grant toward the Saluda Grade Trail — the first major grant toward purchase of the rail corridor and trail development in North Carolina.

A coalition of three nonprofits — Conserving Carolina, PAL: Play, Advocate, Live Well and Upstate Forever — are in negotiations to purchase the historic Saluda Grade for a 31-mile rail trail.

While the South Carolina legislature has appropriated funding toward the trail in that state, this grant is the first major step toward funding land acquisition, trail development and related costs on the North Carolina side.

NONPROFITS SEEK TO TURN SALUDA GRADE RAILROAD LINE INTO 31-MILE RAILS-TO-TRAILS PROJECT

The Saluda Grade Trail would begin in Inman, South Carolina (north of Spartanburg), and pass through Campobello, Landrum, Tryon and Saluda before reaching Zirconia, North Carolina (south of Hendersonville.) The route features scenic rural landscapes, small towns, historic landmarks, unique nature preserves, lakes and waterfalls.

Like other popular rail trails such as the Virginia Creeper Trail and Swamp Rabbit Trail, the Saluda Grade Trail would be a dramatic win-win for local communities. Among its numerous benefits, it would strengthen the local economy, expand opportunities for outdoor recreation and improve public health.

VOLUNTEERS CLEAN UP VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL

“The mission of the Polk County Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life for all of our citizens, and we believe this project will do just that, for generations," foundation board chairman Sherry Carter said in a news release. "Our board voted unanimously to support the trail, which has game-changing potential for building a stronger, healthier, more connected community.”

Conserving Carolina’s executive director Kieran Roe said the foundation's financial contribution is a testament to the value the trail will provide the local community.

PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG PROPOSED ECUSTA TRAIL ARE PART OF LAWSUIT AGAINST FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The proposed route includes about 16 miles in South Carolina and 15 miles in North Carolina. Donations toward the North Carolina section of the trail can be made through Conserving Carolina.

More information about the trail can be found here.

It's a familiar sight, now even days before Thanksgiving: Vehicles going down the road with Christmas trees tied to their roofs.

With Thanksgiving here, it's easy to get into the Christmas mood, especially with Christmas parades coming up soon. People are already out shopping for Christmas trees, and there are plenty of pick-and-choose Christmas tree farms in Western North Carolina. But with WNC not having any significant rainfall in more than a month and with the area still under drought conditions, many are wondering how it's affecting the Christmas tree growing season.

Doyce Camp has owned Camp Tree Farm in Zirconia since 1980 and said the farm always opens the Saturday following Thanksgiving. As for the drought's effects, he won't be able to tell for sure until the trees are cut.

"They're still on the stump. They're drawing water out of the ground. Once they're cut, that's a different story. As dry as it's been, I can't tell how much of an effect it's had on them until they are cut," Camp said.

Camp said he's semi-retired and has turned the business over to his son-in-law. He said he still helps and that they have sold about 600 trees a year for three straight years.

"Since I had planned to retire, I didn't replant anymore," he said. "Now that we've replanted, we're just now getting 6- and 7-footers. We're having to buy trees ourselves from a different farm to keep our customers happy. We usually get 120 or so from the other farm, and we sold those in three days last year," he said.

Sandy Camp is also a co-owner of the farm and said business has been steady for several years.

"Business has been good. The trees grow anywhere from 13-24 inches a year, so there will be a few years of growth to be done on the smaller trees. We’ve had repeat customers for years and years," she said.

Camp Tree Farm, located at 301 Cabin Creek Road in Zirconia, will open on Nov. 25.

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the state has approximately 1,300 Christmas tree farmers, growing the Fraser fir on 40,000 acres. North Carolina is second in the nation among Christmas tree-growing states.

Ellerslie McCue, marketing and communications manager for Western Ag Programs, told the Times-News on Nov. 16 that the Christmas tree farms in North Carolina continue to thrive.

"North Carolina has a lot to be proud of in terms of Christmas trees. We're the second-largest grower in the country. I was in Fleetwood, North Carolina, yesterday. At the Cline Church Nursery (in Ashe County), the family won the honor of presenting the Christmas tree in the Blue Room at the White House this year. It's on the way to the White House now."

She said in Ashe County alone, the yearly value of Christmas tree sales is $154 million.

"People ask why you should buy a real tree instead of the artificial trees. The Christmas tree industry is a green industry. One acre of Christmas trees provides enough daily oxygen for 18 people per year," she said. "They are also grown on the side of a mountain. When they are cut down, they leave all the root systems in, so they're really great at fighting erosion."

She said the WNC Farmers Market gets Christmas trees from all across the region to sell each year.

"We are one of the largest Christmas tree markets on the East Coast. We'll have trees for sale up until the day before Christmas. I would encourage people to come early for the best selections. Our growers are bringing in the trees this week," she said.

According to Heather Overton, assistant director of public affairs at the N.C. Department of Agriculture, the top five Christmas tree-producing counties in the state are Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Watauga and Jackson.

"We have over 850 Christmas tree growers, with around 58 million trees growing on over 38,000 acres. We harvest over 4 million annually," she told the Times-News on Nov. 16. "In 2017, Christmas tree sales topped $87 million, not including value-added products like wreaths, roping and swags."

Overton said 2017 was the last time a census was conducted. She said one was done this year, but the statistics from that census aren't yet available.

Some Western North Carolina Christmas tree farms:

CAMPS Evergreens/Camp Tree Farm

Address: 301 Cabin Creek Road, Zirconia.

Website: www.facebook.com/camptreefarm.

Sandy Hollar Farms

Address: 63 Sandy Hollar Lane, Sandy Mush.

Website: www.sandyhollarfarms.com.

Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm

Address: 445 Boyd Farm Road, Waynesville.

Website: www.boydmountainchristmastreefarm.com.

Mehaffey Tree Farm

Address: 24 Corner Drive, Waynesville.

Website: www.mehaffeytreefarm.com.

Moss Tree Farm

Address: 1822 Norton Road, Cashiers.

Website: www.mosstreefarm.net.

Trinity Tree Company

Address: 615 Avery Lane, Plumtree.

Website: https://www.averychristmastrees.com/.

WNC Farmers Market

Address: 570 Brevard Road, Asheville.

Website: https://www.ncagr.gov/markets/facilities/markets/asheville/index.htm.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at [email protected]. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

The Saluda Grade Trail project, a 31-mile stretch between South Carolina and North Carolina, would be an “extraordinary recreational amenity” for the region, according to the executive director of Conserving Carolina, one of three nonprofits planning to purchase the inactive Saluda Grade railroad corridor.

The three nonprofits working together to purchase the rail corridor are Conserving Carolina, PAL: Play, Advocate, Live Well (PAL) and Upstate Forever. These nonprofit partners have made an offer to Norfolk Southern, which owns the rail corridor, according to a news release from Conserving Carolina. Negotiations are ongoing. The recently passed South Carolina budget contains a $5 million appropriation to support the purchase of the corridor.

“Saluda Grade Trail will be an extraordinary recreational amenity for the residents of our region and could become a hub for a burgeoning network of connecting parks, trails and greenways across several counties,” said Kieran Roe, executive director of Conserving Carolina. “The trail will also help preserve and promote awareness of the remarkable history of the Saluda Grade railroad, a 19th-century engineering marvel that was key to the growth and development of this part of the Carolinas.”

The Saluda Grade rail trail would run from Inman, South Carolina to Zirconia, North Carolina, with approximately 16 miles of the trail in South Carolina, and the other 15 miles located in North Carolina.

The route includes “dramatic scenery along the Blue Ridge Escarpment and passes through historic downtowns in Saluda, Tryon, Landrum, and Inman,” according to Conserving Carolina. When active from 1878 to 2001, the line was renowned as the steepest standard gauge mainline railroad ever built in the United States.

Conserving Carolina compared the trail to the popular Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail or Virginia Creeper Trail, and said the rail trail would “spur economic growth while providing new opportunities for outdoor recreation.”

Laura Ringo, executive director of PAL, told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal that the first step is to negotiate a purchase from Norfolk Southern. The rail company will then need to go through an abandonment process with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, she said.

After that, the nonprofits will work with engineers to plan the removal of old rails into construction of trails, according to the Herald-Journal. The construction phase will require fundraising and the project could be finished in roughly five years, Ringo said.