Growing Local Radio Series

I’m hunting the ghost of tobacco farming with Taylor Barnhill from the Appalachian Barn Alliance. As we drive around the tight curves and steep hillsides of Madison County, we see dozens of old barns teetering on the edge of the […]Read More ▶▶

If you drive through the hills and along the river in Madison County, North Carolina, you’ll see a community in transition. Some fields are fallow, others are filled with hay, and around the bend, farmers are growing fruits and vegetables […]Read More ▶▶

It’s a busy morning at Mountain Food Products. Employees are answering phones, rifling through paper invoices, and getting deliveries ready for the day. Boxes of tomatoes and peaches are packed up and wheeled out to trucks, which will deliver produce […]Read More ▶▶

When Aaron and Nicole Bradley of Colfax Creek Farm decided to start their own farming operation, they had decades of knowledge to draw from. Nicole’s great-grandfather raised hogs in upstate New York. Aaron’s family has been farming in Western North […]Read More ▶▶

The farm to school movement is thriving. Across the country, teachers, parents, volunteers, and dietitians are teaching children where their food comes from and how to connect with agriculture and healthy eating. Here in Western North Carolina, ASAP’s Growing Minds […]Read More ▶▶

Sometimes a thoughtful gift can cause a chain reaction. A curiosity becomes a hobby that turns into a family business and eventually becomes a cornerstone of a community. When Aron and Jessica Wehr first moved from Pennsylvania to Robbinsville, North […]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 […]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 ▶▶

Joe Deal and his family are gathered in front of a pile of straw bales at Deal Family Farm in Franklin, North Carolina. Joe’s wife, Devon, and their five kids jostle into a semi-circle for a group photo. Anyone with […]Read More ▶▶

The sun is setting behind New Belgium Brewing as ASAP’s Local Food Experience comes to a close. The event celebrated food grown and raised in the Southern Appalachian mountains, and featured collaborations between local farmers and chefs. Inside the brewery, […]Read More ▶▶