Local residents, farmers, chefs help feed Occupy Asheville

Saturday, Oct. 29: It’s noon at the North Asheville Tailgate Market. After a chilly morning, the farmers and sellers are packing up their stuff and looking forward to hot beverages and the ride home. Most of the customers have gone.

But Sherry Vaughan and John Swaret, known as Zendawg from his days hiking on the Appalachian Trail, are looking for free stuff — for a cause. They gather surplus from the tailgate markets around town and get the produce to cooks who are making food for the Occupy Asheville campers. So far, Rosetta Star and her restaurant staff at Rosetta’s Kitchen have been making most of the meals. David Annarelli (of Discordian Society fame) will be helping her with the cooking duties.

Bags and boxes of vegetables from at least 10 local farms fill the back of Vaughan’s car, a VW convertible. The smell of swiss chard fills the air. Occupiers see her and wave.

Kevin Toomey of Ten Mile Farm in Candler is glad to give the food to the movement, saying “I would just take it home and compost it, which is cool, but I would sure rather have people eat it.”

Toomey… “I only do retail. No wholesale, so if it sits out all day, I don’t want to have to take it home, I consider it seconds.”

You can find more of Bill Rhodes’ work at West Asheville Watch and ImageAsheville.

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3 thoughts on “Local residents, farmers, chefs help feed Occupy Asheville

  1. Kevin Toomey

    Message for Bill. You completely made up the sentence, “Especially people who are putting themselves on the line for all of us.” I never said that and I am not donating to them because of some political support. Although it is obvious, that is the slant you were looking for. I simply donate to them because I don’t want to see the food go to waste. We also donate to Society of St. Andrew every Saturday after market for the same reason.

    I don’t appreciate your grossly inaccurate reporting.

    Kevin Toomey
    Ten Mile Farm

    • bill smith

      Interesting, Kevin. Thanks for taking the time to point that out. I’m curious about Mr. Rhodes reply to such an accusation.

      -the guy with the blue truck

    • Margaret Williams

      Kevin:We have checked Bill’s notes; the remark appears to be accurate.

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