CFWNC supports major expansion of ASAP’s Appalachian Grown program

Press release
from The Community Foundation of WNC

(February 14, 2013) A $35,000 grant from The Community Foundation’s Food and Farming Focus Area will support a major expansion of Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s (ASAP) Appalachian Grown regional food branding and certification program. Appalachian Grown labels and promotes locally-grown farm products in the marketplace to enable consumers to easily identify and act on their desire to support local food and farmers.

ASAP launched the Local Food Campaign in 2000 to build markets for locally-grown food. With increasing demand in 2006, ASAP launched the Appalachian Grown program to engage larger-scale markets in the region and increase distribution and availability. In 2012, sales of Appalachian Grown certified products exceeded $100 million.

“The Appalachian Grown effort addresses sustainability and economic development across our region,” said Senior Program Officer Tim Richards. “The expansion of this proven program will contribute to the revitalization of our food system and maximize opportunities for local farmers and food entrepreneurs.”

The plan for growth includes a campaign to increase the visibility of the logo and drive consumers to markets that stock local produce and products. These and other efforts, including consumer education and a bulk purchasing program for cooperative marketing materials, will be conducted in tandem with branding for farms and cooperative farm groups.

The program ties sales of local foods to the region’s farms, protecting the integrity of the market and providing consumers with a trusted brand. Since 2007, the first full year of the effort, participation has increased by more than 60 percent. In 2012, 560 farms are certified and 300 individual businesses are participating.

In 2011, The Community Foundation adopted a new strategic plan that focuses discretionary resources on People in Need, Early Childhood Development, Food and Farming and Preserving Natural and Cultural Resources.

The Community Foundation is a nonprofit serving eighteen counties in Western North Carolina. The Foundation is a permanent regional resource that facilitates more than $11 million in charitable giving annually. CFWNC inspires philanthropy and mobilizes resources to enrich lives and communities in Western North Carolina.

More information can be found at www.cfwnc.org.

SHARE
About Margaret Williams
Editor Margaret Williams first wrote for Xpress in 1994. An Alabama native, she has lived in Western North Carolina since 1987 and completed her Masters of Liberal Arts & Sciences from UNC-Asheville in 2016. Follow me @mvwilliams

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.