Growing Local

It takes an entire community to change the food system. Join the local food movement today by supporting our nonprofit organization: www.asapconnections.org

Cold weather doesn’t mean local food is in hibernation. Discover indoor farmers markets that offer winter veggies — plus meat, cheese, and other year-round delicacies. Find winter markets throughout the Southern Appalachians: asapconnections.org/winter-farmers-markets

When you see the word "local" at restaurants or grocery stores, sometimes it's hard to tell exactly where the food comes from. ASAP aims to add transparency to the local food system with the Appalachian Grown program, which certifies farms, restaurants, and producers within 100 miles of Asheville, NC. Look for the Appalachian Grown logo at farmers markets, restaurants, and wherever you buy your food. Find Appalachian Grown farms and partners in ASAP's Local Food Guide: www.appalachiangrown.org

What’s it like to raise kids on a farm while working two other jobs? That was daily life for Anna Littman of Ivy Creek Family Farm until she and her husband Paul partnered with local restaurants. It gave them the stability they needed to work full-time on the farm with their children by their sides. Hear baby Abe eat veggies fresh from the field and find out how working with restaurants has impacted their farm and family.

Give local this holiday season with gifts made by farmers, including onion jam from The Farmers Hands and loose leaf teas made by Asheville Tea Company. Find more gifts at www.appalachiangrown.org

Ideas and tips for a local Thanksgiving. Find fall markets and farm-fresh food in the Southern Appalachians: www.appalachiangrown.org

Meet Rebecca Collins and Steven Kinsella. They’re passionate about eating local and improving the food system. We caught up with them at ASAP’s Local Food Experience to talk about why they support local farms and culinary culture in the Southern Appalachians.

What do you get when you combine preschoolers with fresh apples straight from the orchard? A learning experience right in the palm of their hands. Hear children from ASAP’s Learning Lab at the Child Care Center of First Presbyterian Church of Asheville take a bite out of farm-to-school learning this fall. Find farm-to-School activities: http://growing-minds.org

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, provides low-income people with a monthly benefit for food. Many farmers markets now accept SNAP, but research shows participation is low. ASAP is working to change that with a USDA grant designed to increase SNAP participation at markets in three Western North Carolina counties. More information on how to use SNAP at farmers markets: http://asapconnections.org/farmers-market-snap-brochures

The summer season may be over, but a farmer's work is never done. Local growers plan for next year by planting cover crops to build the soil.

Meet Tracy Cavagnaro and Todd Kirmss of Holt Orchards in Flat Rock, North Carolina. The brother and sister team devoted their lives to saving the family farm after they faced unexpected heartache. Hear how Todd and Tracy transformed the business and kept their family’s legacy alive.

The Creasman family has grown apples for three generations, and now sells rare varieties that can’t be found on grocery store shelves. Why do they grow so many different kinds of apples? They stopped shipping the standard varieties to processors in Pennsylvania and started selling directly to their own community in North Carolina. It took 15 years and a big investment to find varieties the public would buy. Now Creasman Farms sells at seven farmers market each week during apple season. We caught up with Dawn Creasman at the River Arts District market in Asheville, North Carolina to find out why it’s worth the extra effort. Find Creasman Farms and other local apple growers at www.appalachiangrown.org

Fall favorites like pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and trips to the apple orchard are made possible by farmers who work hard all year. Check out these ideas for fall excursions in the Southern Appalachians. Justus Orchard, Hendersonville: www.justusorchard.com Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Fairview: www.hickorynutgapfarm.com Altapass Orchard, Spruce Pine: www.altapassorchard.org

The early days of autumn bring chilly mornings and fresh produce at farmers markets. Tomatoes and okra will be making their exit soon, and winter squash and greens are already taking center stage. Explore these flavors and more as late summer transitions into fall. Find market schedules and discover what's fresh each week: www.fromhere.org

School is back in session and students are learning new lessons. So are their teachers at ASAP's Southeast Farm to School conference on Sept. 23-24 in Greenville, S.C. Conference info and free farm to school lesson plans and activities are available at www.growing-minds.org

When Macon York Costlow and Luke Costlow joined a CSA for the first time this year, they quickly realized that Community Supported Agriculture would change the way they eat. From cooking 100% local meals to discovering fermentation, Luke and Macon have made local food a joyful part of their daily lives. Hear them pick up their CSA box from the farmers market and find out why joining Gaining Ground Farm’s CSA has inspired them to create countless summer meals.

Meet Debra and Nelson Copp. They make local food a big part of their lives by shopping at farmers markets, helping out at Farm Tour, and volunteering at ASAP events. We caught up with them at ASAP’s Local Food Experience to talk about why they love the local food community.

Eva Duckett saw the transformation of her childhood home this summer. She visited her family's old farmland during ASAP's Farm Tour at what is now Full Sun Farm. It was an “emotional experience” that brought back memories and inspired her to reflect on the revitalization of her mountain home.

Meet local farmers, chefs, and food producers and taste the region's bounty at ASAP's Local Food Experience. Join us August 18 at Highland Brewing Company Event Center. $20. www.asapconnections.org We'll be recording interviews with the community at the event. Tell us why you eat local for a chance to be on a future episode!

Organic farmers have to decide if certification is right for them, and so do people who eat local food. Kendall Huntley of Whisperholler Farms talks about growing organically without certification. He also has some advice for customers who are interested in organically grown food. He points out that when people buy directly from farmers they can have a conversation about how the food was grown. These relationships can reduce a farmer’s need for formal certification.