Thanksgiving is just a few days away and it’s time to set the table. First off, the veggies. Start the meal with a salad of local lettuce and goat cheese from a nearby dairy or creamery. Serve alongside bread from the farmers market for the beginnings of a beautiful meal. Root vegetables reign supreme, with … Read more
Rebecca Collins is passionate about local food. She’s a graduate student at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Asheville where she’s pursuing a degree in Sustainable Studies. When she’s not learning about food, she works at the farmers market in Waynesville where she spreads the gospel of eating local. We caught up with her at ASAP’s Local Food … Read more
Did you hear that sound? It’s preschoolers chomping down on fall’s crispiest fruit: the apple. Kids from Florida to Kentucky participated in National Farm-to-School Month with the Southeast Crunch, a celebration orchestrated by ASAP and the Southeast state leads. Over 600,000 students took took a big bite of a fall fruit or veggie at noon … Read more
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that provides low-income people with a monthly benefit for food. It’s similar to what was once known as food stamps, but the funds are distributed through electronic cards. Many farmers markets now accept SNAP, but research shows that participation is low. Of the nearly $2.5 … Read more
As the summer growing season slips away, farmers are looking ahead. Even when pumpkin vines wither in the field and farmers pull out the last of their tomato plants, the growing season is never truly over. One of the last jobs before winter frost is to plant cover crops. Some farmers who grow during the … Read more
Holt Orchards in Flat Rock, North Carolina has a legacy worth saving. A brother and sister team, Todd Kirmss and Tracy Cavagnaro, left their jobs in 2009 to come back to the family orchard full-time. The orchard was originally their stepfather’s dream. Markie Holt planted 15 acres of apple trees in the early 1980s when … Read more
It’s a warm afternoon at the River Arts District farmers market in Asheville North Carolina. Cars whizz past on the busy road as farmers set up their tents. Summer produce is everywhere, but it’s definitely fall at this booth. It’s apple season in the Southern Appalachians and Dawn Creasman, co-owner of Creasman Farms, has about … Read more
Pumpkins, apples, and corn mazes are the hallmarks of fall. Local orchards are full of families picking apples and eating cider doughnuts. Kids dart through corn mazes, and in just a few weeks, crowds will descend on pumpkin patches to pick out the perfect jack-o-lantern. Small family farms make these autumn adventures possible. Getting ready … Read more
Summer is making a swift exit. Crisp autumn mornings mean tomato season is on the way out, and though there are still some beautiful peppers to be found, late September marks a shift in the growing season. One of the best ways to see this transition is at farmers markets. Summer squash and zucchini have … Read more
School is back in session. Kare learning new lessons, and so are their teachers. This month, educators from throughout the Southeast will converge at ASAP’s Southeast Farm to School Conference in Greenville, South Carolina. They’ll learn how to bring farm to school lessons back to their classrooms and preschools with workshops on how to start … Read more