The car door slams and Kim Knoppel starts the engine. She’s a program coordinator for the Growing Minds program with ASAP, and today she’s going to Burke County, North Carolina for a farm to school road trip. “We’re heading out to Hillcrest Elementary School, which is in Burke County and part of Burke County Public … Read more
From time to time, we feature stories about beginning farmers on our radio series and podcast Growing Local. We encourage farmers to share the hurdles they face, their strategies for overcoming challenges, and their motivations to start farming. Many new and beginning farmers attended ASAP’s Business of Farming conference this month, including Nicole Coston of … Read more
Starting a new farm from scratch is a big undertaking. Deciding what to grow, where to sell it, and tackling the unpredictability of farming can be a challenge. Yet many new and beginning farmers are finding their way in Western North Carolina. Henry Payne of Five Pine Farm in Yancey County started his farm just … Read more
It’s a rainy Saturday morning outside Asheville City Market. Buses and cars splash water on the curb, but for one local chef, this dreary February day brings plenty of inspiration. “Hey, my name is Graham House. I’m the chef at Sovereign Remedies in downtown Asheville. I’m coming to pick out some produce. We change the … Read more
If you want to make local food a bigger part of your life, winter is a good time to start. Chilly winter days are ideal for building new skills and connections, like shopping for fresh greens at the farmers market or planning ahead for a new garden project. “More people are turning towards wanting to … Read more
When the temperature dips, it’s tempting to dream about the fruits of summer. Strawberries and blueberries seem like distant memories, unless you open up a bottle of local beer. Many breweries in Western North Carolina rely on farmers to provide fresh summer fruits. Some of those beers take a year or more to age, so … Read more
The foods we eat as children often bring back the strongest memories. Even the humblest meals can be touchstones of culture and community. Sometimes these memories are even stronger for immigrants, for whom food is a powerful connection to the places they grew up. Suzy Phillips has a deep relationship with the food she ate … Read more
Have you ever wished that a box of vegetables would appear in your kitchen each week? A CSA – or Community Supported Agriculture – lets you bring home fresh, seasonal ingredients for a week’s worth of local meals. Many farmers save their best produce for their CSA members. They go out in the fields to … Read more
During the depths of winter, it can feel invigorating to think about the abundance of fruits and vegetables to come. Spring lettuce is on its way soon, and tomato seeds are glimmers of hope that summer will arrive again. CSAs bring that bounty to from the farm the kitchen each week. A CSA, or Community … Read more
A few months ago, ASAP hosted an event called the Local Food Experience. There were tons of fresh food and local farmers, and we set up a storybooth outside. It started to rain toward the end of the night, and the sound of the rain on the tent made these interviews with community members even … Read more