Berries are a highlight of summer in the Southern Appalachians. Market shoppers and chefs alike rush to their kitchens when strawberries and blueberries burst onto the scene. During peak berry season at The Hop Ice Creamery in West Asheville, raspberries and blackberries are piled high on prep tables, ready to be turned into ice cream. … Read more
Summer is the perfect time to explore farm to table food. There’s something for everyone—from elegant dinners at local farms to summer treats made by artisans who are inspired by the towers of produce at area farmers markets. If you’re looking for a literal farm to table feast, Root Bottom Farm‘s annual farm dinner on … Read more
The distribution center at Ingles Markets is massive—1.6 million square feet. We’re in a motorized cart, whizzing past towers of food and grocery items. Ingles employee Elizabeth Harris is at the wheel, taking us through a refrigerated produce section filled with pallets of lettuce and tomatoes. The warehouse is like a grocery store on steroids, … Read more
Jason Roehrig of Tumbling Shoals Farm in Wilkes County, North Carolina grew up in the Appalachian mountains of Pennsylvania, but it wasn’t until he went to Madagascar that he realized he wanted to be a farmer. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 2000s, helping villages embrace sustainable eucalyptus production. His future wife … Read more
Seasonal eating is one of the joys of living in the Southern Appalachians. Community Supported Agriculture, also known as a CSA, lets you celebrate the arrival of each fruit and vegetable. There are CSAs for produce, meat, and even flowers. For produce CSAs, members sign up at the beginning of the season and receive a … Read more
Nothing says summer like a Sunday drive, or Saturday drive for that matter. Now add food, farms, and animals and you’ve got ASAP’s Farm Tour – a self-guided journey through the mountains to see Western North Carolina farms in action. This weekend – June 24th and 25th – over 20 farms will invite visitors to … Read more
Growing up on a farm isn’t always idyllic, but the three women who run Cane Creek Creamery in Fletcher, North Carolina say they wouldn’t have wanted their childhoods any other way. Sisters Mollie Hembree and Alma Nesbitt are cheesemakers at the creamery. Their other sister, Amanda Sizemore, directs marketing and sales of their European-style cow’s … Read more
For Donna Gains of High Mountain Meadows Farm and Creamery, all it took was one agricultural project with her granddaughter to change her way of life. Before she became a farmer, Donna was a nurse for 30 years. “When I retired, my granddaughter came to live with me and she wanted to do a 4-H … Read more
Big, beautiful poppies waver in the breeze at Flourish Flower Farm in Candler, North Carolina. Their peach, orange, and off-white petals are just beginning to unfurl. “As you can see on this one, the bud is just starting to crack. That’s perfect harvest time, but I’d have to be here round the clock to get … Read more
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is boosting markets for local farmers and food businesses at its taproom in Mills River, North Carolina. While the ingredients for beer are not prevalent in our region, Sierra Nevada is showing its commitment to local through its taproom restaurant. It reports spending nearly one million dollars on locally and regionally … Read more