Located along Clear Creek just six miles east of downtown Hendersonville, Milkweed Meadows is a 5th generation family farm. Its grassy "bottoms" once nourished cows that produced milk sold to Biltmore Dairy Farms in Asheville. Today, the meadows are yielding milk of a different kind — milkweed plants to help sustain monarch butterflies!
THE FARM AND THE FARMER
An avid wildlife habitat gardener and environmental educator for over 25 years, farmer Kim Bailey has a true passion for pollinators. Over the past years, she has been expanding the farm's natural habitats for native milkweed species and planting additional host plants for other butterflies.
Living tunnels of passionvines, pipevines, climbing milkweeds, and hops vines benefit a diversity of species while an orchard of over 100 pawpaw trees specifically nurture zebra swallowtail larvae.
Milkweed Meadows Farm currently produces native wildflower seeds, open-pollinated heirloom vegetable seeds, pollinator-friendly potted plants, cut flowers, and specialty fruits. Educational programs and/or farm tours for groups are also periodically scheduled onsite.
2023 PLANT SALES & PRESENTATIONS
+ 2024 MEXICO TRIP
Find Milkweed Meadows Farm selling pollinator-friendly potted plants and/or teaching at these local events:
Now until Friday, October 20
Symbolic Monarch Migration: Henderson County
Groups of Henderson County youth are invited to participate in the 28th annual Symbolic Monarch Migration education program! Milkweed Meadows Farm volunteers to coordinate this program on behalf of Bullington Gardens and, along with other local sponsors, helps provide funding for classrooms/groups to participate at no cost. Milkweed sales at upcoming plant sales will also help fund next season's program!
Friday, August 25, 6 PM
Pollinator Masterclass & Dinner
Harvey's at The Henderson, 201 3rd Ave. W., Hendersonville, NC
Saturday, September 9, 9 AM – 3 PM
Fall Plant Sale
Botanical Gardens at Asheville, 151 W.T. Weaver Blvd, Asheville, NC
Saturday, September 16, 8 AM - 1 PM
Hendersonville Farmers Market
Visit the Milkweed Meadows Farm tent to see live monarchs in different life cycle stages, make a paper butterfly to send on a journey to Mexico and back as part of the Symbolic Monarch Migration program, and/or purchase native milkweeds and other pollinator friendly plants.
Historic Train Depot, 650 Maple St., Hendersonville, NC
Monday, September 18, 7 PM – 9 PM
Best Native Plants for Pollinators presentation by Kim Bailey, Milkweed Meadows Farm at
Henderson County Beekeepers Association Monthly Meeting (Open to the Public)
Henderson County Cooperative Extension Center, 100 Jackson Park Rd, Hendersonville, NC
Friday, September 22, 4 PM - 7 PM
Gardening For Life Project Native Plant Sale
N Trade St., Downtown Tryon, NC
Saturday, September 23, 11 AM - 3 PM
Mountain Monarch Festival (FREE!)
Gorges State Park, 976 Grassy Ridge Road, Sapphire, NC
Friday, September 29 & Saturday, September 30, 10 AM - 3 PM
Fall Plant Sale & Vendor Market + Monarch Butterfly Day (September 30)
The North Carolina Arboretum ($20 parking fee for non-members), 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC
Monday, October 9, 2023 (Trip Registration Deadline!)
Migration of the Monarch Butterflies in Mexico, Sunday, February 11 - Saturday, February 17, 2024
Morelia, Angangueo, & Macheros, Mexico
(Sierra Chincua, El Rosario, and Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserves)
Wednesday, October 18, 5 PM - 7PM
Seed Saving 101 Class
Sow True Seed, 243 Haywood Street, Asheville
CONTACT US TO...
- Make an appointment to purchase potted plants or buckets of fresh-cut flowers at the farm (typically available May - October).
- Schedule a farm tour and/or onsite educational program for your garden club, classroom, or other group ($10 per person, $100 minimum). Kim may also be available to give presentations or teach classes/workshops on monarch butterfly ecology, gardening for pollinators, etc. at your location.
- Contract for “grow to order” pollinator-friendly plants available in 5” deep 38-plug flats or quart containers (8-12 weeks’ notice needed, depending on species) or bulk seed production.
- Request butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalides (as naturally available April - September) for your classroom, public garden/arboretum, or other educational organization. Butterflies are always free. Host plants (to feed caterpillars) are available for purchase.
- Purchase native passionfruit (AKA maypop) or pawpaw fruits (typically available starting in September) for fresh eating, brewing/fermentation, or restaurant/culinary use.
Individual packets of milkweed seeds and certain open-pollinated heirloom vegetable seeds grown at Milkweed Meadows Farm are available from Sow True Seed.