Spring is a pivotal time for farmers and food producers who rely on direct sales. While each season comes with challenges and opportunities, spring can feel like a leap of faith. Farmers start new crops, artisan food producers plan production […]Read More ▶▶
Growing Local Radio Series
Growing Local is a radio series on WNCW on Mondays during Morning Edition at 8:45 am. Stories on Growing Local come from ASAP’s Local Food Research Center and feature local food and farms in the Southern Appalachians. Find past episodes archived below.
100% Local Food Challenge
There are lots of ways to eat locally, and it’s entirely possible to eat only local food for an entire day. Here are a few ways to take the 100% Local Challenge. Start the day with farm fresh eggs and […]Read More ▶▶
50 Years of U-Pick Apples
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 […]Read More ▶▶
A Deep Dive into the Business of Farming
Have you ever wondered what farmers do all winter? Even when the soil is too cold or muddy to be worked or the animals slow down production, there is still plenty of work to be done. In fact much of […]Read More ▶▶
A Farm Tour Audio Adventure
More than 1,000 people visited local farms on ASAP’s Farm Tour in June, and the sounds of farms at work were heard throughout Western North Carolina on this audio adventure. Come along for an audio tour as we meet an […]Read More ▶▶
A Farmer at your Front Door
Western North Carolina is on the cusp of spring. The redbud trees are bursting with color and daffodils line the streets of the West Asheville neighborhood. The seasons are changing, which means outdoor farmers markets are right around the corner. […]Read More ▶▶
A Lifelong Farming Dream Made Real
From time to time, we feature stories about beginning farmers on our radio series and podcast Growing Local. We encourage farmers to share the hurdles they face, their strategies for overcoming challenges, and their motivations to start farming. Many new […]Read More ▶▶
A Sip of Summer – Local Beer
When the temperature dips, it’s tempting to dream about the fruits of summer. Strawberries and blueberries seem like distant memories, unless you open up a bottle of local beer. Many breweries in Western North Carolina rely on farmers to provide […]Read More ▶▶
A Sweet Toast to Spring Markets
Outdoor markets are finally here, and farmers will load up their vans with spring produce, meat, and more for the opening day of Asheville City Market on Saturday, April 7, 2018. Summer veggies are still seedlings, growing inch by inch […]Read More ▶▶
Agritourism – Behind the Scenes
Farmers throughout the region are getting ready for farm tour season, and dozens of farms in the Southern Appalachians will open their gates to the public this month. At many farms, the community can walk through the fields, hear about […]Read More ▶▶
Alan Ward Innovates Apple Country
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 […]Read More ▶▶
