On the Blue Ridge

Leah Wong Ashburn is the president and CEO of Highland Brewing, Asheville’s first craft brewery since Prohibition.Highland was founded in 1994 by Leah’s father, Oscar Wong, who became known as the Godfather of Asheville Craft Beer. More than three decades later, the brewery remains family-owned, with Leah at the helm and her husband, Brock Ashburn, serving as vice president of operations.As Highland’s leader, Leah has helped guide the company through a changing craft beer industry, a pandemic, and Hurricane Helene, when the brewery became a hub for community relief efforts.Today, Highland is much more than a brewery. Its Asheville campus has become a gathering place for live music, volleyball, disc golf, food, and both private and community events. And it continues to evolve, with the addition of Oscar’s Pizza, a new on-site pizza kitchen named for Leah’s father.In this episode, Leah reflects on her relationship with her father, the winding road that brought her to Highland, and the challenges of leading a family business through extraordinary circumstances.She also discusses Cold Mountain, Highland’s beloved winter seasonal beer, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. What began as Asheville’s first seasonal beer release has become an annual tradition for people across the region, marking the arrival of the holiday season.Highland Brewinghighlandbrewing.comFollow Highland Brewing on Facebook and InstagramLearn more about Cold MountainTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.

Eric Scheffer is a chef and restaurateur who has been a pioneering figure in Asheville’s food scene for more than 25 years.Eric is the founder of the restaurant group behind Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian, Jettie Rae’s Oyster House, Gan Shan, and The Majestic, his newest restaurant, which opened this summer. He also helped establish the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, an organization dedicated to supporting the city's locally owned restaurants.Along the way, Eric has navigated some of the restaurant industry’s biggest challenges, including the Covid pandemic and Hurricane Helene.In this episode, Eric reflects on Asheville’s evolution into a nationally recognized food destination, the importance of tourism to the local economy, and what it takes to build and sustain a restaurant business through changing times.We also discuss the memories that inspire his restaurants, what makes the oysters at Jettie Rae’s so special, and some of his favorite dishes across the restaurant group.The Scheffer Groupthescheffergroup.comThe Majesticthemajesticavl.comFollow The Majestic on Facebook and InstagramVinnie’s Neighborhood Italianvinniesitalian.comFollow Vinnie’s on Facebook and InstagramJettie Rae’s Oyster Housejettieraes.comFollow Jettie Rae’s on Facebook and InstagramGan Shanganshanavl.comFollow Gan Shan on Facebook and InstagramTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.

Jessica Tomasin is the owner of Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville.Housed in a former church in downtown Asheville, Echo Mountain has been a fixture of the region's music scene for 20 years, welcoming everyone from local musicians to internationally known artists.Jessica has been part of Echo Mountain since the beginning, serving as its longtime studio manager. But in April 2025, Echo Mountain announced that it was closing. For a while, it looked like the end of an era.Then, last December, Jessica announced that she had acquired the studio and would reopen it.In this episode, Jessica shares her journey from longtime studio manager to owner of Echo Mountain Recording, what it took to bring the studio back after its announced closure, and why she felt it was worth saving. We also talk about memorable recording sessions, the importance of community in music, and her work with the Connect Beyond Festival.Echo Mountain Recordingechomountain.netFollow Echo Mountain on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTubeConnect Beyond Festivalconnectbeyondfestival.comImpractical Instrumentsimpracticalinstruments.comHeartbeat Sessionsartsforlifenc.org/heartbeat-sessions/Oakland Risingyoutube.com/watch?v=HUx_nPaa-VkTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.

For the first time in more than 80 years, the PGA Tour returned to the Asheville area for the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.Host Jon Page spends tournament week behind the scenes, exploring what it takes to bring a PGA Tour event to Western North Carolina, and what it means for a region still recovering from Hurricane Helene to have an international spotlight.Along the way, Jon rides along with the golf course superintendent, meets some of the more than 1,100 volunteers helping make the tournament run, and sees how organizers prepare for everything from thousands of spectators to unpredictable mountain weather. He also talks with PGA Tour players, tournament organizers, local business owners, nonprofit leaders, and visitors from across the country.This episode also explores the tournament’s impact beyond the course, from an expected multimillion-dollar boost to the local economy to more than $625,000 raised for charities across Western North Carolina.And, there’s a little golf. Western Carolina University graduate J.T. Poston makes a Sunday charge up the leaderboard, while Jacob Bridgeman, who grew up just across the state line in Upstate South Carolina, closes with a career-low round to become the tournament’s inaugural champion.It’s a story about golf, tourism, community, recovery, and the enormous amount of work happening behind the scenes when the PGA Tour comes to Asheville.Biltmore Championship Ashevillebiltmorechampionship.comThe Cliffscliffsliving.comBiltmore Estatebiltmore.comExplore Ashevilleexploreasheville.comTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.

Brent Martin is a conservationist and writer whose work has been deeply influenced by the 18th-century naturalist William Bartram.Brent lives in Macon County, where his work has long been rooted in the landscapes of Western North Carolina. Until recently, he served as executive director of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy, a nonprofit that maintains 112 miles of the Bartram Trail through North Carolina and Georgia.Bartram was a naturalist, writer and explorer who traveled extensively through the American Southeast in the 1770s, documenting its plants, wildlife, landscapes, and people. His observations became the basis for “Bartram’s Travels.” Published in 1791, it’s a detailed account of the natural and cultural world he encountered along the way.Brent’s latest book, “William Bartram and the Nature that Could Have Been,” draws directly from his longtime interest in Bartram. It’s due out this October from Mercer University Press.Brent is also the author of “The Changing Blue Ridge Mountains” and a hiking guide to the Bartram Trail. In 2022, his book “George Masa’s Wild Vision” won the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, and Brent has also served as the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet for the western region of North Carolina.Later this month, Brent is helping lead Spotfin, a two-day gathering that brings together writers, artists, naturalists and makers at the Cowee School Arts and Heritage Center, a former public school in Macon County that has been transformed into a home for arts, nature, and community.In this episode, Brent discusses his new book, including what it was like to write directly to Bartram and to wrestle with both the world he documented and the complicated legacy he left behind. We also talk about Spotfin, and what comes next for Brent now that he has retired from the Bartram Trail Conservancy and is preparing to wind down Alarka Expeditions, a nature-based touring company he has run with his wife, Angela-Faye Martin.“William Bartram and the Nature that Could Have Been”Buy the book via Mercer University PressCatch Brent at book release parties at Outdoor 76 in Franklin on Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. or at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva on Oct. 10 at 3 p.m.SpotfinLearn more at coweeschool.org/spotfin Theme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.

Josh Kelly is the Resilient Forests Program Director for MountainTrue, an Asheville-based nonprofit that champions resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities across the Southern Blue Ridge.MountainTrue and Josh are also strong advocates for keeping the Roadless Rule, a 25-year-old policy that protects some of our nation’s wildest public lands.Adopted by the Clinton administration, the Roadless Rule aimed to preserve relatively undeveloped forests by restricting road construction and timber harvesting across a wide swath of the National Forest System.This August, the Trump administration formally proposed repealing the rule, opening a public comment period that runs through Sept. 21. The administration argues that eliminating those restrictions would give local forest managers more flexibility to reduce wildfire risks and improve forest health.But environmental and conservation groups are sounding alarms, arguing that repealing the rule could actually increase wildfire risk. They also warn that repeal could lead to more logging and road construction that threaten landscapes, wildlife habitat, and important watersheds.Here in Western North Carolina, more than 150,000 acres of roadless land are protected in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. That includes forests around beloved places like Graveyard Fields, Craggy Mountain, and South Mills River, just to name a few.MountainTrue is urging people who oppose the repeal to take action and submit public comments on the proposal before the comment period closes.A native of Madison County and graduate of UNC Asheville, Josh has spent much of his career working on public lands and forest conservation in Western North Carolina.In this episode, Josh explains why he opposes repealing the Roadless Rule and walks us through some of the science around wildfire. We talk about the connection between roads and wildfire, as well as the challenges of building roads in undeveloped forests. We also discuss what Josh sees as a larger debate over the role of the Forest Service.Josh also discusses the National Park Service’s hazardous fuel debris removal project along the Blue Ridge Parkway; plans for the Craggy Mountain National Scenic Area; what a healthy Southern Appalachian forest actually looks like; and how growing up in Madison County helped shape his relationship with these mountains.MountainTrueSubmit a public comment about the Roadless Rulemountaintrue.orgFollow MountainTrue on Facebook and InstagramTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Jeffrey Kaplan is the Director of Venture Asheville and CEO of Optimist Ventures, where he works to help businesses grow here in Western North Carolina.Focused on growing the region’s startup community, Venture Asheville is an initiative of the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County and the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. Building on that work, Venture Asheville launched a new effort called Optimist Ventures in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The program is focused on helping Western North Carolina businesses recover and grow at a time when the region is still dealing with the storm’s economic fallout.Jeffrey joined Venture Asheville in 2018. He earned a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from the University of Florida and has worked with startups from several different angles—as a founder, educator and consultant.In this episode, Jeffrey shares what fascinates him about entrepreneurs and what he thinks separates the good ones from the rest. We also discuss how Hurricane Helene shaped Optimist Ventures, how an offer from Poppy Popcorn helped inspire its unique funding model, and why Jeffrey believes that model can benefit entrepreneurs, investors and the broader Western North Carolina economy.Venture Ashevilleventureasheville.comFollow Venture Asheville on Facebook and InstagramFollow Jeffrey Kaplan on LinkedInOptimist Venturesoptimistventures.co2026 Optimist Ventures RecipientsAsheville Wellness ToursDevil’s Foot Beverage Co.Evolve Early LearningThe Flying BikeFull Moon Tea Co.Ginger’s RevengeHabibi VillageHighlands Hydro CleanRockgeist Bikepack USASavage SupplySpice WitchThe Village Potters Clay CenterTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.

Steve Shand is the Golf Course Superintendent at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, where he’s spent more than a decade caring for its Jack Nicklaus Signature course. Jeff Tyrrell is Director of Operations at The Cliffs, helping oversee operations across the organization’s seven communities.This September, their work will take on a much bigger stage when The Cliffs at Walnut Cove hosts the Biltmore Championship Asheville, the first PGA Tour event in Asheville in 80 years.The tournament takes place Sept. 17-20, with Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville serving as co-title sponsors. Explore Asheville projects the event will generate $15 million to $30 million in direct spending at local businesses, along with more than $100,000 for area nonprofits.The Cliffs is a collection of seven private mountain and lake communities across the Carolinas, and The Cliffs at Walnut Cove sits in a valley just south of Asheville, bordered by Pisgah National Forest and the Blue Ridge Parkway.In this episode, Steve and Jeff take us behind the scenes of what it takes to transform Walnut Cove into a PGA Tour venue, from building grandstands and television compounds to preparing the course itself. We talk about the challenges of maintaining a championship golf course in the mountains (including the occasional bear that takes off with a flagstick), and what it means to showcase Western North Carolina to a national audience nearly two years after Hurricane Helene.Biltmore Championship Ashevillebiltmorechampionship.comFollow Biltmore Championship Asheville on Facebook and InstagramThe CliffsThe Cliffs at Walnut CoveFollow The Cliffs on Facebook and InstagramTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.

Anna Rawlins is the Chief Marketing Officer for Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO), an Asheville-based maker of hammocks and outdoor gear that inspires people to adventure anywhere, and relax everywhere.Thanks to a compact design and innovative straps that can wrap around trees, ENO helped redefine the hammock from something associated primarily with the backyard into portable, lightweight gear that’s equally at home on a mountain overlook, at a campsite, or just about anywhere.The company was founded in Florida in 1999 by the Pinholster brothers, who sold their products out of a van at music festivals and community gatherings across the Southeast. ENO later relocated to Asheville in the early 2000s, where it has remained ever since. Today, ENO products are sold by outdoor retailers around the globe. While hammocks remain at the heart of the company, the product line has expanded to include hammock accessories, stands, chairs, and other outdoor gear.In this episode, Anna explains how Western North Carolina helped shape ENO, why hammocks have become such an enduring part of the outdoor experience, and what goes into designing and testing ENO products. We also talk about smart and safe ways to hammock, what it takes to spend a comfortable night camping in a hammock, and how she plans to celebrate National Hammock Day on July 22.ENOenonation.comFollow ENO on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTokTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.

Marielle DeJong is the Donor Engagement Officer for The Pisgah Conservancy, the only nonprofit organization that is solely dedicated to supporting the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest.Pisgah National Forest is one of Western North Carolina’s most treasured public lands. Millions of people come here each year to hike, camp, fish, climb, bike, and chase waterfalls. But maintaining a forest this large, and keeping it healthy, is a massive undertaking that requires far more than the U.S. Forest Service can do alone.That’s where The Pisgah Conservancy comes in. Founded in 2015, the organization helps plan, fund, and carry out projects that protect and improve the forest for future generations.A Brevard native, Marielle has spent much of her career helping people connect with and care for public lands. After serving as Chief Operating and Development Officer for Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, she joined The Pisgah Conservancy in 2024.In this episode, Marielle explains how The Pisgah Conservancy works alongside the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service to care for one of the country’s busiest public lands. We discuss a years-long restoration of Graveyard Fields, including the construction of a new access trail, and explore some of the biggest challenges facing the region, from invasive species removal to habitat restoration. She also shares ways people can get involved, reflects on Hurricane Helene’s impact, and offers reasons for optimism about the future of Pisgah National Forest.The Pisgah Conservancypisgahconservancy.orgSuccess StoriesEventsVolunteerLicense PlatesTheme MusicThe song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.Learn more about On the Blue Ridge and sign up for updates at ontheblueridgepod.com.