Growing Local Radio Series

Everyone’s comfort food is different. For some people it’s a big salad filled with farmers market veggies. For others it’s a bowl of chicken and dumplings or a peach pie that reminds you of summer afternoons with family. “You kind […]Read More ▶▶

Relationships between farmers and customers are at the crux of the local food system. When people get to know their farmers, they can ask questions about how their food is produced. Talking to farmers is also a way to learn […]Read More ▶▶

Jason Roehrig of Tumbling Shoals Farm in Wilkes County, North Carolina grew up in the Appalachian mountains of Pennsylvania, but it wasn’t until he went to Madagascar that he realized he wanted to be a farmer. He was a Peace […]Read More ▶▶

The car door slams and Kim Knoppel starts the engine. She’s a program coordinator for the Growing Minds program with ASAP, and today she’s going to Burke County, North Carolina for a farm to school road trip. “We’re heading out […]Read More ▶▶

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 ▶▶

Starting a new farm from scratch is a big undertaking. Deciding what to grow, where to sell it, and tackling the unpredictability of farming can be a challenge. Yet many new and beginning farmers are finding their way in Western […]Read More ▶▶

It’s a rainy Saturday morning outside Asheville City Market. Buses and cars splash water on the curb, but for one local chef, this dreary February day brings plenty of inspiration. “Hey, my name is Graham House. I’m the chef at […]Read More ▶▶

If you want to make local food a bigger part of your life, winter is a good time to start. Chilly winter days are ideal for building new skills and connections, like shopping for fresh greens at the farmers market […]Read More ▶▶

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 ▶▶

The foods we eat as children often bring back the strongest memories. Even the humblest meals can be touchstones of culture and community. Sometimes these memories are even stronger for immigrants, for whom food is a powerful connection to the […]Read More ▶▶