Summary and
Impressions
of the Macrobiotic Community:Tom and Debbie Athos
started macrobiotics in Asheville. Since then they created a mail order
house for natural products called "Natural Lifestyle Center".Michael Rossoff, Lino Stanchich, and Warren Wepman moved to
Asheville in the mid 1990's.
Asheville is a
unique community considering its relatively small size, and its support by
four senior macrobiotic counselors: Michael Rossoff, Lino Stanchich,
Warren and Marquita Wepman. Jane Quincannon, Heather Webb, Warren
& Marquita Wepman are the resident cooks in the
area. Asheville is also blessed with
three restaurants--Jae, Haiwa, and Laughing Seed--where a macrobiotic
menu, organic vegetables, and / or a macro dish can be found. There is a strong attraction of macrobiotic people to the New Age
atmosphere of Asheville, Black Mountain and other surrounding communities.
Macrobiotic practitioners are likely to continue to find an ambience
conducive to the macrobiotic lifestyle.
Paid
or Potluck Dinners:No.There is a potluck meal on the last Sunday of each month attended by 15 to 50 people.
Education
Centers: None
Seminars:None.
Newsletter:Warren and Marquita
Wepman produced a monthly newsletter until recently.There is no other newsletter of macrobiotic events in Asheville.Posted events may be found at Earthfare or at the food
co-op.
Support Groups:The potluck is the only
source of community support for macrobiotic people.
Visiting
Counselors and Cooking Teachers:None.
Resident
Counselors:Lino Stanchich
and Jane Quincannon:
Tel: (828) 299-8657; Michael Rossoff: Tel: (828) 258-1883; Warren and Marquita
Wepman: (828) 626-3782.
Resident
Cooking Teachers:Warren and Marquita
Wepman; Jane Quincannon; Heather Webb.
Professional
Cooks or Caterers:Heather and Rodney Webb cater, and cook for sick people.They do one on one cooking classes in other people's homes.
Work
Study Programs:No.
Other
Counselor Interests:Michael Rossoff does
acupuncture; Warren Wepman writes and until recently, operated a bed and
breakfast.Jane Quincannon
teaches macrobiotics in local colleges, and is a consultant for the Ritz
Carlton Hotels' macrobiotic dining menu.
Promotional
Activities:None.
Publications,
Books, Cassettes:At Earthfare, and the
French Broad Food Co-Op.
Cottage
Industries:Great Eastern Sun; Grain and Salt Society- manufactures very strong salt
imported from France.
Macrobiotic
Restaurants:Jae-Vegan; certified organic
restaurant- expensive; Haiwa-Japanese; the owner is macrobiotic and there
are good choices of macro food.Laughing
Seed Cafe-a macrobiotic plate is always available.The China Palace, on the last Wednesday of each month, has good
quality macrobiotic food.The
Beauford House, a bed and breakfast, offers macrobiotic meals for those
who order it in advance.Brenda
Gignac studied cooking at the Kushi Institute (KI).3
other restaurants, and 2 Earthfare whole foods supermarkets, with vegan
options.
Natural
Food Chain Stores:
Earthfare (5 stores in
SC, NC and GA)
.
Independent
Natural Food Stores:None.
Natural
Food Co-Ops:French Broad Food
Co-Op
Mail
Order Buying Clubs:No buying club
Macrobiotic
Community Assessment: Abundant Services:
4 senior counselors & 4 cooking teachers. Healthy Activities:
monthly potlucks; 3 macro restaurants; exceptional New Age population
attracts disproportionate attraction to unconventional movements such as
macrobiotics. Note that all the senior counselors came to Asheville in the
past 10 years.
Area Description:Asheville is the
economic and cultural center of 18 counties in western North Carolina.
It is located in the midst of recreational areas covering more than 1
million acres. The eastern end of Great Smoky Mountains National
Park is nearby. The metropolitan area population is 191,800.
Municipalities with Macrobiotic services or community activities:
Asheville, Bernardsville, Black Mountain, Hendersonville, Marshall,
Rutherfordton.
Summary and
Impressions
of the Macrobiotic Community:Libby and Michel
Matsuda ran the macrobiotic center from 1990 to 1995.The interest in macrobiotics generated during the years that
Michel Matsuda and Libby Prim were together did not sustain itself
after they separated and stopped their community service.Macrobiotic resources continue to be available at several retail
outlets, but the less than complete line of organic produce at Talley's
Green Grocer, the main whole foods supermarket in Charlotte, is indicative
of the low level of macrobiotic interest.
Macrobiotic
Restaurants:No macrobiotic restaurants.
8 restaurants excluding health food stores, with vegan options.
Natural
Food Chain Stores:
None.
Independent
Natural Food Stores:Talley's Green Grocer;
Berrybrook Farm Natural Foods, Home Economist
Natural
Food Co-Ops:None
Mail
Order Buying Clubs:None
Macrobiotic
Community Assessment:Moderate Services: 1 part time cooking teacher; no counselors.Dormant Activities: no organized activities; active macro services
and activities from 1990 – 1995 only.
Area Description:The largest city in North
Carolina ranks as a major financial, transportation and wholesaling center
in the Southeast.It lies
about 15 miles north of the South Carolina border.Its metropolitan area population is 1,162,100.
Municipalities with Macrobiotic services or community activities:Charlotte only
Paid
or Potluck Dinners:There
are monthly potluck dinners; about 12 - 15 people attend.It is coordinated by a rotating host who is responsible for soup
and tea.There is also a potluck on the Friday night when a guest speaker is
scheduled to appear.
Macrobiotic
Restaurants:
No macrobiotic restaurants; 2 restaurants with vegan options, in
addition to Whole Foods
Natural
Food Chain Stores:
Wellsprings, a subsidiary of Whole Foods is located in Durham, Chapel Hill
and Raleigh.
Independent
Natural Food Stores:None. Krogers carries a
line of organic vegetables
Natural
Food Co-Ops:Weaver Street Co-Op,
Durham Co-Op
Mail
Order Buying Clubs:None
Macrobiotic
Community Assessment:Moderate Services:No
resident counselors & 1 part time cooking teacher, Visiting counselors
twice a year.Macro cooking
started in 1980’s but not as a center.Moderate Activities:Monthly
potlucks, newsletter.
Area Description:Durham, Chapel Hill and
Raleigh lie in the northeastern part of the state.Durham is a regional center for the health care industry.It is the home of Duke University. Raleigh
is the state capital and an educational, research and trade center.The metropolitan area including the three cities is 855, 500.
Municipalities with Macrobiotic services or community activities: Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham,Henderson, Hillsboro, Raleigh.
This
work was supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number U48/CCU409664-09
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are
solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent
the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Macrobiotics
Research Project:
A
2-year grant sponsored by Centers of Disease Control; October 2000 to September
2002
University
of South Carolina, Prevention Research Center-Special Interest Project, School
of Public Health