Growing Local Radio Series

The holiday season is in full swing here in Western North Carolina, and farmers markets are bustling with locals and visitors looking for holiday gifts. We ran into two customers at Asheville City Market who agreed to let us follow […]Read More ▶▶

It’s a stunning late autumn day in Franklin, North Carolina. The sun is setting over the hillsides at Winding Stair Farm, and while the mountains are in shadow, the pasture glows in the afternoon light. I’m walking down the gravel […]Read More ▶▶

As we start the countdown to Thanksgiving, families throughout the region are planning their holiday feasts—and so are local chefs. We asked two Asheville-based chefs to share their Thanksgiving traditions and offer some tips for making a holiday meal with […]Read More ▶▶

There’s so much to discover in Western North Carolina, especially for someone who’s recently moved to the region. One way to become part of a new community is to explore the area through local food. “It’s just so great to […]Read More ▶▶

It takes farms of all sizes to create a thriving food system. Here in Western North Carolina, some farms sell directly to customers through farmers markets and community supported agriculture. There are also larger-scale local farms that use food distributors […]Read More ▶▶

It’s a busy Wednesday afternoon and Shannon Barrett, human resource manager for the City of Asheville, is standing in the lobby of Asheville City Hall. Employees and visitors are rushing to appointments upstairs, but Shannon has a reason to slow […]Read More ▶▶

Sometimes a handful of soil can spark a family’s interest in sustainability. Vincent and Colleen Sicca came to ASAP’s community storybooth to share how their family gained a greater understanding of how food is grown. Vincent and Colleen wanted to […]Read More ▶▶

Of all the jobs in the world, why would someone choose farming? For some people, it’s a desire to keep a multi-generational farm up and running. For others, it’s a childhood passion that became a career. For Sara Jane Davis, […]Read More ▶▶

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 […]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 […]Read More ▶▶