Tou Lee stands in the middle of a rice field at Lee’s One Fortune Farm in Marion, North Carolina. He pulls on a glove, runs his hand up the stalk and over the tassel, and shakes individual grains of rice into a bucket. Tou and his wife Chue Lee planted this field of rice in … Read more
Tou Lee walks through the rice field at Lee One’s Fortune Farm in Marion, North Carolina. There was a big storm last night and the bottom of the rice plants are submerged in water and mud. “Be careful where you walk,” he calls out. “It won’t go up to your knees, but it might get … Read more
The daily work of a farmer often involves a lot of physical labor, but farmers also do plenty of analyzing and strategizing. “We are constantly talking about, thinking about, planning, asking ourselves, ‘How do we market better? How do we sell this better? How do we grow this differently? What is the market wanting? What … Read more
Earlier this summer, ASAP invited members of the community to come to our storybooth to talk about how local food is part of their lives. George Ivey from Hendersonville, North Carolina stepped right up with his 15-month-old son. His baby is just starting to eat solid foods and is loving the abundance of fruit this … Read more
Living healthy requires effort. And some workplaces are taking the lead in encouraging people to live the healthiest lives they can. Workplace wellness programs have emerged as an option for employers to help workers adopt healthy habits. Larger workplaces often have incentives for employees to exercise regularly and choose nutritious foods. Some workplaces have embraced … Read more
Each week on Growing Local, we share the sounds of local food in action. We visit farms, talk to chefs, go to farmers markets and schools to talk to people about their role in the food system. Once a year we invite community members to pick up the microphone at ASAP’s story booth. Each year, … Read more
It’s a misty morning in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Rain dances on the tin roof of a 1940s barn at Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider. Owner Alan Ward gives us a tour of the historic space he’s turned into a tasting room. “In this barn, every piece of wood you see was cut off of this … Read more
Mike and Rita Stepp are standing in their 70-acre farm and apple orchard in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The apples are almost ripe and soon people will come to pick them right off the trees. Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard is celebrating its 50th year as a u-pick farm and will kick off the season with popular varieties … 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
It’s a glorious morning at the North Asheville Tailgate Market. A jazz band serenades shoppers as sunlight filters through the trees. People wander through the tents, picking up fresh produce, cheese, and bread. The mood is languid and relaxed, but not for these farmers. “Market day is like an adrenaline rush,” says Krista Fayette, who … Read more