Local food guide now available

Looking for a u-pick farm, a tailgate market or restaurants that feature local food? Check out the 2009 Local Food Guide, published by the regional nonprofit Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.

The new guide lists almost 300 local farms, as well as tailgate markets, wineries, grocers, restaurants, caterers and bakers, farm stores and stands, farms to visit, B&Bs and farm lodging, apple farms, u-pick farms, CSAs and distributors. “ASAP’s Local Food Guide puts access to hundreds and hundreds of local sources of fresher, better-tasting food in consumers’ hands,” says Charlie Jackson, the nonprofit’s executive director.

Now in its eighth year, the guide is one of the largest and most comprehensive guides of its kind anywhere in the United States: 90,000 copies will be offered this year. The Local Food Guide features farms and businesses located in mountain counties within 100 miles of Asheville, along with some farms and markets in the neighboring mountain counties of Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia.

Free copies are available at more than 400 area locations, including grocers, bookstores, libraries, welcome centers, tailgate markets, doctor’s offices and various newsstands throughout the region. There’s also an online searchable guide with additional information.

The USDA Risk Management Agency and local sponsors provide funding for the guide.

— Margaret Williams, contributing editor