Growing Local Radio Series

Every farmer has a story, and so do the foods they produce. When you see strawberries at the farmers market or local cheese on a menu, it’s worth thinking about the people who spent months and sometimes years producing your […]Read More ▶▶

Elementary students rush into the cafeteria at North Buncombe Elementary School in Asheville, North Carolina. Kirk Fiore, a chef from the Biltmore, is here with kale pesto for the kids to taste. The kale was grown at the estate and […]Read More ▶▶

Deep in the mountains of Western North Carolina, there’s a plant that’s been prized for hundreds of years. Ginseng is a slow-growing perennial with valuable roots that can be exported to Asia where it’s sought after for its medicinal properties. […]Read More ▶▶

Kids and gardening go hand-in-hand, especially in springtime. Planting seeds, harvesting vegetables, and learning how to enjoy food you grew yourself are just some of the benefits of school gardens. Math and science lessons come alive in the garden, and […]Read More ▶▶

It’s officially spring in the mountains and farmers are hard at work. In between preparing fields, planting seeds, and welcoming baby animals onto the farm, many farmers are also getting spring produce ready for market. Several outdoor markets start up […]Read More ▶▶

Highlands Family Farm sits on 125-acres of beautiful farmland in Burke County, North Carolina. Farmer Daniel Wall and his business partner Jon Mercer come from decidedly different backgrounds, but together with their young families they’ve started a farm that promotes […]Read More ▶▶

Running a farm goes beyond planting and harvesting. It also takes a tremendous amount of business knowledge. Crafting and sticking to a budget, planning what and when to plant, and strengthening a year-long farm business plan are essential to having […]Read More ▶▶

Winter farmers markets are becoming more commonplace now, but not too long ago it was tough to find local greens, root veggies, and winter squash direct from farmers during the coldest months of the year. ASAP’s Local Food Guide began […]Read More ▶▶

Picture one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey. That’s what one honeybee produces in her lifetime. Now picture a field full of spring flowers. A hive of bees has to tap two million of these flowers to make a pound […]Read More ▶▶

If you stepped onto JB Farm five years ago, you would have seen 56,000 chickens in their poultry houses. Farmers Paula and Dale Boles raised chickens in Caldwell County, North Carolina for one of the biggest poultry companies in the […]Read More ▶▶