Why
Western North
Carolina?
Velma's Breeder's Roundtable Presentation
at the 1994 National Meeting
When Russ and
Velma Haag started their search for their retirement home, they targeted the
mountainous region of Western North Carolina (regionally
referred to as “WNC”) because of the abundant rainfall, temperate climate,
low cost-of-living and diversity of attractions. They
also considered the mountains of eastern Tennessee, but decided that
the native population of WNC was more attractive for their needs and
interests.
Western-most
North Carolina is formed by the southern end of the Appalachian Mountain
chain. It is these mountains that contribute to the wonderful climate.
Weather systems moving up across Georgia from the Gulf of Mexico or in
across South Carolina from the South Atlantic are generally diverted by
a precipitous, 2000-foot elevation change along the southern edge of the
Appalachians (see
a photo taken from South Carolina side of a headwall about 5 miles south
of the Haag’s property). Weather coming
in from the west over Tennessee loses a lot of its punch as it hits
the western edge of the Appalachians, which is also the Tennessee/North
Carolina border (see
a topographical map).
As they looked
at different pieces of property in this region, the Haags took their
auger with them, allowing them to "pull up" soil samples. They did not
want to buy property and find out that the soil was all red clay. They
hit the "soil jackpot" just south of Brevard,
NC, where they found a 176 acre property at the 3000-foot
elevation level comprised mostly of a mountainside forest with streams,
a 2-acre lake and meadow, and with rich, brown organic soil that drains
well and crumbles nicely in the hand (unlike clay).
They
were also looking for a mountainside with a northern exposure which
this property has. Such a cooler exposure keeps the rhododendrons from
blooming as early as they would in other exposures, thus helping to
avoid damage from late spring frosts.
With
the Haags planning to have many seeding beds that would need regular
irrigation during any unusually dry periods, a reliable source of surface
water was also a requirement. This region has numerous spring-fed streams
and is locally referred to as “The Land of Waterfalls” by
the Chamber of Commerce. Russ irrigated the seedling beds bringing fresh
water down about 100 yards through a one-and-a-half inch, black, plastic
line that draws from a pool of water just below a 20-foot waterfall.
Today
most of the acreage remains unspoiled in its natural, forested state.
Numerous tree species include lots of majestic, very old growth hardwoods
(several varieties of oak, walnut, maple and chestnut), sweet gum,
willow, beech, locust, sourwood, poplar, splendid 20-foot tall holly
trees, magnolia and flowering dogwood
as well as many conifers including hemlock, cedar, spruce and spectacular,
100-foot tall
pines (both white and yellow). To complement this array
of flora, there is also an abundance of fauna. Lots of deer and wild
turkeys, chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits give their 3 Golden Retrievers a whole
lot of excitement. The bird feeders are pretty crowded year-round, especially
with colorful Cardinals in the winter and Gold Finches in the summer.
Down by the lake from time to time we’ll have Canada Geese, several
species of ducks, a Blue Heron, sometimes a visiting beaver and the lake’s
full of Largemouth Bass and Blue Gills (locally referred to as Bream).
We hope you’ll
enjoy these photos taken from around the property.
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