Hurricane Helene Response
As part of ASAP’s response to Hurricane Helene, we have reestablished Appalachian Farms Feeding Families, a dual-benefit program designed to support both farmers and the community. The program gets fresh, locally grown food to people impacted by the storm, while at the same time providing cash flow for farms that are in the process of rebuilding or have lost market outlets.
The storm recovery iteration of Appalachian Farms Feeding Families is supporting farms and community members through two programs, focused on early care and education (ECE) sites and restaurants.
Appalachian Farms Feeding Families – Early Care and Education (ECE)
ASAP is pairing ECE sites with farms in their community. Grant funding will go directly to farms this spring, in advance of their harvest. Farms will work with ECE sites to plan and provide CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares for the families of the children at the center, or offer custom orders to be used for meal preparation at the site. Grants are between $500 and $1500, depending on the number of students served. This is an opportunity to help support farms in a time of need, build relationships with the local farming community, cultivate a stronger awareness of where food comes from in the students, and support a more sustainable food system.
If you are part of an early care and education center in the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina, and are interested in this program, please complete the application below by April 30. The information you provide here will help ASAP pair you with a local farm and will be shared with the farm to assist them in understanding your specific product needs and requirements. Please contact us at growingminds@asapconnections.org with any questions.
Appalachian Farms Feeding Families – Restaurants
Made possible through a grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, this dual-benefit program is designed to support Appalachian Grown farms and partner restaurants in recovery, providing early season investment in farms and fortifying relationships with partner restaurants during this difficult time.
This program, serving Western North Carolina restaurants with a commitment to supporting local farms, will offer grants (up to $2,500 per restaurant) to invest in local purchasing for their restaurant or as a staff benefit. Funds can be used to either: 1) supplement the restaurant’s local purchasing budget, or 2) purchase CSA shares/local food for their staff. For both options, payments will be made up in advance directly to the respective Appalachian Grown farm partner. Awarded restaurant applicants will facilitate ordering and delivery/pickup from their farm partner over the course of the season. Please contact David Smiley, david@asapconnections.org, with any questions.
Program Impact
ASAP first launched Appalachian Farms Feeding Families at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. ASAP worked with food access sites—including food banks, meal preparation sites, early care and education centers, and senior living centers—to pair them directly with a farm. ASAP paid the farm directly to provide food for the site, based on community needs. In 2020, more than $100,000 in local food was distributed through the Appalachian Farms Feeding Families program. In 2021, that amount was nearly tripled. Over two years, the program partnered with with 55 farms and 72 feeding sites, working in 23 WNC counties and the Qualla Boundary.
“They were just so happy. There were some older folks talking about how they hadn’t seen this since they were able to pick something out of their grandmother’s garden, things like that that we were hearing. It matters to people. It matters to people on a core level. They know it’s fresh; they know the difference.
Our mission at The Community Table has always been to deal with the immediate needs of the people who are hungry in front of us. But we are trying to look at ways through grants, through partnerships, that we can take what we do and impact the food system and make it more sustainable for the farmers and those involved in the food system at the base level.” (Hear the full story.)
—Page Christie, executive director of The Community Table in Jackson County
Support for Appalachian Farms Feeding Families is provided by:
Green River Foundation
As well as many generous individuals who have supported ASAP’s Helene recovery efforts.