$40 for ASCI members
$50 for non-members
https://www.simpletix.com/e/fish-for-life-tickets-78773
Join Asheville Sister Cities Inc. (ASCI) for an evening of fun, food and global friendship! This reception includes a delicious Greek meal with Greek salad, chicken with tzatziki and pita, meatballs, and Peloponnesian pasta, all catered by Twisted Laurel. The appetizers bring in local flavor, featuring products from Sunburst Trout Farms, located in Haywood County, NC.
All ticket sales benefit Agonas Zois. The Karpenisi-founded organization is raising funds to restore an apartment building to provide rent-free housing for use during cancer treatment.
Western North Carolina and Karpenisi in Central Greece share beautiful mountainous landscapes and almost shared similar monikers. Karpenisi is known as the “Switzerland of Greece,” while her sister city, now known as the “Land of Sky,” had been touted as the “Switzerland of America” during the 1800’s. The regions also share similar climates as well as trout farms that produce sustainably grown fish for their local markets.
Why is the event called Fish for Life?
That is a great question!
“Fight for Life” is part of the goals and vision of the Agonas Zois association. It seeks to provide information on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment; offer psychological and emotional support of those directly and indirectly affected by cancer, develop research cooperation nationally and globally; and foster open dialogue and cultivate a stigma-free cancer community. You can learn more about them here.
As the saying goes, “wherever the trout are, it’s beautiful.”* Western North Carolina and Karpenisi in Central Greece share commonalities of beautiful mountainous landscapes and trout farms that produce sustainably grown fish for their local markets.
With “Fish for Life” we seek to highlight our global connectedness through food, fun, and education. The short presentations spotlight the trout farms in Western North Carolina and Karpenisi, and the how climate and aquaculture are linked.
What is aquaculture?
Aquaculture is a great way to bring sustainable food from farm to table! According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, fish and fish products are seen as some of the healthiest foods available with the least potential impact on the natural environment. The “art” of aquaculture is not new, but dates back to Egypt around 2500 B.C. North American aquaculture gained stride about 60 years ago, and now North Carolina produces around 140,000 pounds a year. However, like any other farm, trout facilities can be heavily impacted by climate and weather events.
Recently, the Sunburst Trout Farm in Cruso, NC was destroyed by Tropical Storm Fred. Climate-change induced heavy rains imperil many local industries and highlight the need for sustainable and climate-adaptive practices.
During its visit to Greece in 2016, the Asheville Delegation to Karpenisi was given a grand tour of the Fresko fish farm to learn about its methods of raising sustainable food, and more recently a smaller group visited Sunburst, a three-generation family venture that provides fish to many local restaurants catering to the increasingly food-centered tourists of the Asheville region.
About the presenter
Veronica Crane-Lindsey is a student at Lenoir-Rhyne University (LRU) finishing a Master of Science in Sustainability Studies. Her master’s thesis focus is aquaculture, with research on how it relates to sustainability and climate change, as well as potential benefits and impacts on local economies and the natural environment.
Attendees will be required to follow the Covid protocols in place at the time of the event.
*Arnold Gringrich
Join us for international films, performances, travel opportunities, food and wine tastings, and a chance to promote peace through global friendship. Asheville Sister Cities is a member of Sister Cities International. Click here to learn more about Sister Cities International.
Asheville Sister Cities, Inc.
PO Box 2214
Asheville, NC 28802
If you are interested in supporting the ASCI Robert Burns Night Supper either as a volunteer or donor, please leave your name, contact information, and comments below. We will only use this to contact you and for no other purpose.
