Growing Local Radio Series

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 ▶▶

The daily work of a farmer often involves a lot of physical labor, but farmers also do plenty of analyzing and strategizing. “We are constantly talking about, thinking about, planning, asking ourselves, ‘How do we market better? How do we […]Read More ▶▶

Earlier this summer, ASAP invited members of the community to come to our storybooth to talk about how local food is part of their lives.  George Ivey from Hendersonville, North Carolina stepped right up with his 15-month-old son. His baby […]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 ▶▶