About Olivette
Allison Smith
Byline BIO: Farm-to-table living expert Allison Smith is a founding partner at Olivette Riverside Community and Farm near Asheville, N.C. The region’s first “agrihood,” Olivette is built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com.
Broadcast BIO: Asheville, N.C. has long been a destination for people seeking nature-based health, wellness, and recreation in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Today, it’s also home to the region’s first “agrihood.” Olivette Riverside Community and Farm is built around a four-season organic farm, and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com. With us today is farm-to-table living expert Allison Smith, a founding partner at Olivette. Welcome, Allison. What is farm-to-table living all about?
Full BIO: Farm-to-table living expert Allison Smith is a founding partner at Olivette Riverside Community and Farm near Asheville, N.C. The region’s first “agrihood,” Olivette is built around a four-season organic farm, and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Born and raised in Savannah, Ga., Allison moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina to attend UNC-Asheville and never left. At Olivette, Allison enjoys collaborating with her team on everything including branding and design, community development, and planning future neighborhoods. A published author and designer, Allison is a contributing designer to 24 Lark Books on an array of topics ranging from home décor to general crafting to children’s titles. While not currently seeing clients, she is also a NC Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and enjoys partnering with community members to provide coordinated supportive services for children and families that foster social, emotional, educational, and cultural growth. An active supporter of social justice, animal welfare and environmental causes, Allison lives in Asheville and is mom to four amazing daughters. She has been a NC licensed Real Estate Broker since 2005. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com.
Scott Austin
Byline BIO: Sustainable development expert Scott Austin is a founding partner and “honorary mayor” at Olivette Riverside Community and Farm near Asheville, N.C. The region’s first “agrihood,” Olivette is built around a four-season organic farm, and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com.
Broadcast BIO: Asheville, N.C. has long been a destination for people seeking nature-based health, wellness, and recreation in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Today, it’s also home to the region’s first “agrihood.” Olivette Riverside Community and Farm is built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com. With us today is sustainable development expert Scott Austin, founding partner and “honorary mayor” at Olivette. Welcome, Scott. What is farm-to-table living all about?
Full BIO: Sustainable development expert Scott Austin is a founding partner and “honorary mayor” at Olivette Riverside Community and Farm near Asheville, N.C. The region’s first “agrihood,” Olivette is built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Scott has been in the development industry for 20 years. He owns Austin Development with his brother Stephen and focuses primarily on hospitality, multifamily and single-family residential construction throughout the Southeast. Their home office is in the first and only building their father built for his insurance company, where their brother Jeffery heads Construction Finance. Scott is a finance and economics graduate of Appalachian State University and lives in Asheville. He is an avid outdoor enthusiast, mediocre (at best) guitar player, incredibly proud father of three beautiful children, and super lucky husband. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com.
William “Tama” Dickerson
Byline BIO: Land stewardship expert William “Tama” Dickerson is a founding partner who serves as “park ranger and chief Lorax” at Olivette Riverside Community and Farm near Asheville, N.C. The region’s first “agrihood,” Olivette is built around a four-season organic farm, and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com.
Broadcast BIO: Asheville, N.C. has long been a destination for people seeking nature-based health, wellness, and recreation in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Today, it’s also home to the region’s first “agrihood.” Olivette Riverside Community and Farm is built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com. With us today is land stewardship expert William “Tama” (pronounced like “mama”) Dickerson, a founding partner of Olivette who serves as “park ranger and chief Lorax” for the community. Welcome, Tama. What is farm-to-table living all about?
Full BIO: Land stewardship expert William “Tama” Dickerson is a founding partner who serves as “park ranger and chief Lorax” at Olivette Riverside Community and Farm near Asheville, N.C. The region’s first “agrihood,” Olivette is built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Tama was born and raised in Nashville, Tenn., but fell in love with the mountains of North Carolina in 1979. He put down roots in Cherokee, spending three years off the grid as a caretaker in a log cabin, living in harmony with the land around him. This early experience has influenced his career ever since; he’s always been a caretaker and shaper of the earth, living with nature in a respectful, interactive way. He describes his role at Olivette Riverside Community as being entrusted with the care and development of “everything horizontal.” Specifically, Tama decides which areas of the 411-acre property will be wildlife corridors and what’s going to be protected. The land plan he oversees is designed to ensure that the development honors the land long term, including designating natural spaces that encourage residents to interact with the water, forest, and land, as well as with the other inhabitants that live there. His vision can be seen in such projects as the labyrinth, a private river island, several miles of hiking trails, and the 7-acre riverfront park. Tama was also instrumental in bringing the agrihood concept to Olivette. He is introducing permaculture to the development in the form of edible landscapes throughout the property. According to Tama, “Olivette Riverside Community and Farm is a culmination of every aspect of what’s important to me in one place — sustainability, community, spirituality, gardening, diversity, creativity, and shaping and honoring the land.” He is also founder of Paint Rock Farm in Hot Springs, NC, developing and designing all aspects of the accommodation of this property, which offers glamping, retreats, and a wedding venue. Tama has developed several other vacation retreats and developments in the region, always going out of his way to lightly develop the land and leave plenty of wide-open spaces. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com.
Arica Haro
Byline BIO: Arica Haro is Chief Lifestyle Director at Olivette Riverside Community and Farm near Asheville, N.C. The region’s first “agrihood,” Olivette is built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com.
Broadcast BIO: Asheville, N.C. has long been a destination for people seeking nature-based health, wellness, and recreation in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Today, it’s also home to the region’s first “agrihood.” Olivette Riverside Community and Farm is built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com. With us today is Arica Haro, Olivette’s Chief Lifestyle Director. Welcome, Arica. What is farm-to-table living all about?
Full BIO: Arica Haro is Chief Lifestyle Director at Olivette Riverside Community and Farm near Asheville, N.C. The region’s first “agrihood,” Olivette is built around a four-season organic farm and designed to connect people with nature, community, and their food. Arica cultivates community through intentional event planning that brings people together to create memories. She started a recreation based company: Asheville Plays and the Haunted Trail. Previously, Arica served as Recreation Director at Salamander Hospitality. There she created the recreation program at Innisbrook Golf Resort in Tampa, Fla. She also served on the Salamander task force team to develop two five-diamond resorts in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Before Salamander Hospitality, she held the Recreation Manager position at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Charleston, S.C. Arica earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in recreation management and her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Spanish from Appalachian State University. Arica’s true passion is creating opportunities for people to have fun and memorable experiences together. Learn more at www.olivettenc.com.