Eat local, ASAP

How is it that WNC is blessed with such a thriving food scene? Great local agriculture, supported by ASAP helps. Photo by Aaron Zebrook Photography

How is it that Western North Carolina is blessed with such a thriving food scene? Great local agriculture helps. That’s where the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project comes in. ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive by linking farmers to markets and supporters and building healthy communities through connections to local food.

“ASAP’s work over the last decade has focused on helping make sure farms can continue farming and that everyone has access to local foods,” says Charlie Jackson, ASAP’s director. “Our approach has been to create supportive environments in which farms, businesses and consumers can innovate and try new things.”

ASAP offers marketing assistance and training to area farmers. The group also connects chefs and foodservice buyers at schools and hospitals with the farmers who best suit their needs. And ASAP’s decade-long Local Food Campaign helps all of us reconnect with our food. As part of the campaign, ASAP publishes the Local Food Guide, a free print and online directory of the area’s family farms, tailgate markets and businesses that use local agricultural products.

ASAP’s Growing Minds Program works with area schools to foster the next generation of local farm supporters. The program provides training to farmers, teachers, chefs, school nutrition staff, parents and other community members, as well as resources like seeds, farm field-trip mini-grants and lesson plans to provide the education that helps children know where their food comes from. That helps them develop lifelong healthy eating habits. Part of that hands-on work includes cooking demonstrations to introduce children to the wonders of locally grown foods — more than 700 children have already been served through ASAP’s Farm to School Cooking Program this year.

ASAP also organizes the Asheville City Market and coordinates the Mountain Tailgate Market Association, a network of 22 tailgate markets in counties throughout WNC to provide locations for farmers to sell their products. What does that mean for you? A chance to meet and engage with growers. See the ASAP-provided list of tailgate markets elsewhere in the guide.

And every summer, ASAP hosts the Family Farm Tour — a weekend where WNC farms open to visitors and offer enriching on-farm experiences.

That approach seems to be working. “There are more farms doing more things than ever before in our area, and more per capita than just about any place in the country,” says Jackson. “Businesses are opening to feature local ingredients. Farms are expanding and new farms starting. Farmers are trying new things.”

And that benefits the entire food community, whether farmer, chef, shopper or diner.

To learn more about ASAP’s work in the region, visit asapconnections.org or call 236-1282. Search our online Local Food Guide at buyappalachian.org.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

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.