Garden Journal

Get you some: If you’re wild about local food, it’s time to turn your thoughts to the Mountain Farm & Garden Tour, which returns for its 13th year on Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29.

Billed as “an opportunity to reconnect with where food comes from and with the farmers who grow it,” the event is both an opportunity to witness WNC’s vibrant small-farm landscape and a chance to stock up on specialty produce and artisan-produced foods. In fact, participants are encouraged to bring a cooler with them for fruits, vegetables, specialty cheeses and free-range meat and eggs. 

The tour is a joint effort of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Mountain Tailgate Market Association, Organic Growers School, and Slow Food Asheville. Greenlife Grocery is the major sponsor, with nearly a dozen other area restaurants and businesses lending their support.

Participants can choose from nearly 30 farms and gardens. The event runs from 1 to 6 p.m. both days, with a $25 fee per car to visit all the participating farms, or $10 per car to visit an individual farm. Early birds can purchase a tour button now for $20 plus $2 shipping and handling by visiting www.mountainfarmtour.org.

Apply yourself: The Santa Cruz, Calif., based nonprofit Organic Farming Research Foundation has issued a Request for Proposals for organic research and education projects for the fall 2008 grant-making cycle.

Interested? You’d better move fast: Proposals for the awards (up to $15,000 per year and $20,000 for fruit projects) are due to the foundation on or before July 15. Find details at www.ofrf.org/grants/apply.html.

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