From Hendersonville to Chimney Rock, businesses struggle without tourists after Hélène

EDNEYVILLE—During a normal fall, Henderson County’s pumpkin patches, apple orchards and produce stands would be teeming with tourists traveling U.S. 64, also known as Chimney Rock Road, the highway main connecting Hendersonville to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

However, this past November, more than a month after Tropical Storm Helene devastated Chimney Rock and Lake Lure on September 27, apples are piled under trees and pumpkins are rotting in the fields, covered in mud.

Lisa Rhodes, a representative for her family’s Coston Farm on Chimney Rock Road in Hendersonville, told the Times-News on Nov. 13 that the business had sold some of its early season produce to Gerber before the storm, but that about 60% of the fruit grown on his 100 acres was lost and fall sales at his retail store were down about 70%.

“You see, when (Governor Roy Cooper) told people not to come here, that really stopped all our business,” Rhodes said, referring to a statement Cooper made on Oct. 3 urging tourists not to come here. do not interfere with the trip. storm rescue and recovery efforts.

About 3 miles east of Coston Farm, a “Road Closed” sign discourages drivers from continuing on U.S. 64. That has created a challenge for businesses beyond the sign in Edneyville.

A flat area with a straight line “is the only passing area between here and Lake Lure,” said Doyle Williams, an HVAC technician and resident of nearby Dana, who on Nov. 12 was helping clear debris of the storm and the crushed trailers that littered the ground. area.

There, on a normal day, Reedypatch Creek, off U.S. 64, is just a few feet across, calm and nonthreatening. But during the storm of September 27, the water poured several times.

“These little streams turned into major floods,” said David Roland, who grows produce on the side of the highway and sells it at his stand, Maple Tree Produce, on November 8.

About 75% of its business comes from tourism and October is usually the busiest month of the year. Now the only products he has to sell are items like jellies and jams that he had in stock.

“The Lake Lure Inn bought my kale almost every week. Obviously they don’t do that anymore, and my kale was washed away,” Roland said.

The farmer lost all of his fall crops, including mustard, collard greens, radishes and beans. He cleared about three feet of silt and sand from his property and collected whatever tools he could find, hoping to replant in the spring.

“Without tourism and traffic, we will have no business,” he said. “It’s the only way for me and my wife to make a living. That’s it. That’s all we have.”

A concerned neighbor created a GoFundMe page to help.

Devastation extends beyond agriculture

Roland’s neighbor Stan Lancaster, a retiree, said he had lived in the area for 55 years and had never seen the creek overflow its banks. This time it covered the road and washed away the bridges. Lancaster’s house and several outbuildings were destroyed.

“We had a cup of coffee at 6 a.m.,” he said on November 8. “And by 8:30 a.m., everything was gone. And that’s how quickly it happened. In two and a half hours, it was gone.

Another neighbor, Richard Stokes, said Nov. 12 that the creek had risen 5 feet above neighboring homes. An electrician, he said business at his company, Precision Wiring, was down.

“Inspections (happen) one day a week for new construction, and everything else is just repair,” he said.

County Extension Director William Kelley said about 50,000 trees were lost in Henderson County. Producers were also losing money through agritourism activities such as hayrides and corn mazes. He estimated there was $150 million in agricultural losses in the county.

“Most of our growers have about 12 weeks to realize how much money they’re going to make for the year,” Kelley said.

His office pointed farmers to a federal Farm Service Agency program that provides funds to clean up and restore land, and to another program offered through WNC Communities that could provide a few thousand dollars per farmer.

Unfortunately, many area farmers did not have flood insurance and much of the help available to them came in the form of loans, Kelley said.

“If they take out a loan and just have to pay it back, even at a low interest rate, you know, that delays the pain a little bit.” Kelley said. He is working with state lawmakers in hopes of securing more grants.

State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, R-Henderson, said she grew up on her family farm, growing apples and raising livestock. The Legislature will reconvene Tuesday, and it is working to ensure that aid for farmers will be part of another disaster relief bill. The state has already passed two such bills securing more than $800 million for a wide range of needs.

Balkcom estimates that funds will continue to flow over the coming year as the damage becomes more evident.

“We’re still putting all the numbers together,” she said. “We will help our farmers. We will definitely help our farmers. I will fight tooth and nail to help our farmers.”

Meanwhile, Rhodes welcomed visitors to Coston Farms.

“The bakery is open. We have a picnic shed, a children’s play area and a photo-taking area,” she said.

Some varieties of apples – Romes, Arkansas Blacks and Cameos – are still available for pick-your-own.

More: The small town of Bat Cave, devastated by Helen, strives to rebuild its community

More: ‘We just need help’: Henderson County farmers hit hard by Helen

Deirdra Funcheon covers Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties for the Hendersonville Times-News. Do you have any advice? Email him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Henderson County agritourism struggles after Tropical Storm Helene