Why I Support Local Food: Debra and Nelson

Knowing where their food comes from is “vitally important” to Deborah and Nelson Copp. They moved to East Asheville from San Diego five years ago and have embraced the local food movement since making the Southern Appalachians their full-time home.

Deborah is a retired nurse with a focus on holistic nutrition and Nelson is retired from the computer industry. Now they volunteer with a number of organizations, including ASAP.

They were volunteers at ASAP’s Local Food Experience, an evening of local food tastings with farmers, chefs, and artisan food producers.They took some time to talk about why they support local farms, like Spinning Spider Creamery in Madison County where they volunteered during ASAP’s Farm Tour. Nelson has felt a connection to the farm ever since.

“We got to talk to the people working there and see the goats,” he says. “It’s a great interaction to meet the local farmers. You can tell they love what they do. They don’t have a lot of time to show people, but they still do because it’s very important.”

Debra adds that she enjoys living in a region where people are engaged with local food. “If you want to have good food, this whole Western North Carolina culture really has a focus on growing good food,” she says.

There are many ways to support local food and farms, from volunteering to shopping at farmers markets. Find more ideas for connecting with local food at www.asapconnections.org

Aired 8/29/16

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