Growing Local Radio Series

New farmers sometimes spend months debating what to name their farm, but Jon and Brittany Kimstra knew that TK Family Farm was right for them when they were in the maternity wing with their daughter and newborn twins. “The doctor […]Read More ▶▶

When the pandemic began in March, many people wondered where they would get their food. Public health experts encouraged people to be cautious at grocery stores and avoid touching products that had been handled by employees and other customers as […]Read More ▶▶

During a typical year, farmers markets offer a dizzying array of activities. From cooking demos and tomato tastings, to jam festivals and morning yoga, farmers markets are a place to have fun while celebrating local food and healthy living. Most […]Read More ▶▶

The food pantry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Marion, North Carolina has been a busy place since it was founded 40 years ago. The pantry grew from a small closet of non-perishable items to a weekly hub where community […]Read More ▶▶

Wes Eason balances on a wooden walk board near the base of Lake Logan Dam, where 6,000 gallons of water per minute rush into raceways filled with rainbow trout. As the third generation of his family to farm and process […]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 ▶▶

Walk into a grocery store during the height of summer and you’re bound to see a tower of tomatoes. If you are lucky, these tomatoes didn’t travel far. But even knowing the name of the local farm does not capture […]Read More ▶▶

When Andrea Vangunst from Grassroots Farm and Dairy was a child, she was eager to help her father raise cattle near their home in Virginia.  “My dad also worked full time so his farming hours were the shoulder times of […]Read More ▶▶

Going apple picking is a hallmark of fall. Plucking apples from a tree and drinking a cup of cider is a way to experience local agriculture and reconnect with nature as cool weather approaches. Although many autumn activities are on […]Read More ▶▶

Back-to-school season is usually a time when kids from Western North Carolina go on farm field trips and meet farmers in the classroom as part of ASAP’s Growing Minds program. This year, distanced learning has put many of these activities […]Read More ▶▶