Growing Local

When you visit Balsam Garden’s farm in East Asheville you can hear the sounds of birds overhead, but also the rush of a major highway that’s hidden behind a row of trees. That juxtaposition reflects the versatility of this land—and an unusual partnership between local farmers and the City of Asheville, which owns the property. Take an audio trip to this “secret little gem” of a farm.

Ever wondered how a tomato gets from the field to a grocery store shelf? Take a behind-the-scenes trip to the Ingles Markets distribution center, then find out why local farmer William Shelton grows summer produce for the grocery chain.

There’s a little bit of magic in a fresh-picked blueberry—sweet and still warm from the sun. Hear why farmers from Perry’s Berries in Morganton, North Carolina invite the community to pick berries on their farm. Learn how to visit them and other u-pick farms at www.appalachiangrown.org

Have you ever been to summer camp with a pig named Doughnut? Farm camps are becoming popular across the country, especially in Western North Carolina. Hear a gaggle of kids pick berries, taste edible flowers, and learn how to feed the pigs at Franny’s Farm Camp in Leicester.

More than 1,000 people visited local farms on ASAP’s Farm Tour in June, and the sounds of farms at work were heard throughout Western North Carolina. Listen to behind-the-scenes tours of Smoking J’s Fiery Foods, L.O.T.U.S. Urban Farm, and Venezia Dream Farm Alpacas. Then go to Mills River Creamery to hear the reaction from the crowd when a calf is born before their eyes. See photos at www.instagram.com/asapconnections

Doctors, researchers, and healthcare professionals are working to change the culture of healthcare by focusing on preventing diseases as well as treating them. Leaders in the field will gather in Asheville August 26-29 for a new conference called Healthy Eating in Practice. Learn more and register for the conference at www.healthyeatinginpractice.org

Carolyn Bradley is a fifth generation farmer with a passion for agriculture. Visit her 130-acre farm on ASAP’s Farm Tour and learn how Carolyn and her husband Mike raise grassfed beef. Tickets: asapconnections.org/events/asaps-farm-tour

“This is probably going to be the hardest year for us, but we’re going to keep it going for the kids and for the community,” says Alyssa Moreno of SMM Farms in Hayesville. Hear how farmers are recovering from the floods that raged through Western North Carolina this spring, and learn how to support them on ASAP’s Farm Tour.

Want to feed a bison and see a herd of horned cattle up close? Visit Dr. King’s Farms on ASAP’s Farm Tour on June 23 and 24, 2018. In this week’s episode, Dr. Frank King talks about the exotic animals that roam his farmland beneath the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Come along on a farm to school road trip as high schoolers from Burke County, North Carolina lead a local strawberry taste test with kids from Hillcrest Elementary School.

During the dot com boom of the 1990s, Julie Mansfield and Carl Evans were software engineers who dreamed of starting a farm. At first they juggled their corporate careers and their agricultural aspirations, but soon realized that farming couldn’t be a weekend job. Hear how they founded Mountain Harvest Organics and what’s next in their farming journey.

Rebecca Collins and Steven Kinsella are 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.

The Moreno family’s farming roots stretch back to Mexico where Salvador Moreno Senior herded goats through the desert. His son, Salvador Moreno Junior, shares the story of how they started SMM Farms and became an integral part of the Hayesville, North Carolina community.

Playing music after supper with family and neighbors is an Appalachian tradition. For farmer and musician Barry Bales, it was the beginning of his Grammy Award-winning career. Hear how the hills of Tennessee lured him back to the family farm, and listen to an original song about his journey that he recorded for this episode.

Come along to the opening day of the outdoor Asheville City Market. Meet farmers, customers, and vendors as they kick off the outdoor market season!

Robert Russell once spent his days in the hallowed halls of universities, but now you’re more likely to find him fixing up an old barn. He’s starting French Broad Creamery in Leicester, North Carolina and will sell fresh chèvre and aged goat cheeses in the near future. Listen to the first chapter of his journey to become a farmer.

The outdoor Asheville City Market starts on April 7, 2018 and now you can sip samples of mead while you shop. Learn about local mead maker Wehrloom Honey and how owner Aron Wehr is expanding his reach by vending at Asheville City Market for the first time.

Much of the tea sold in the U.S. travels thousands of miles before it’s served over ice on the back porch. Table Rock Tea Company is growing a local alternative, and working with other farmers to help Pickens, South Carolina become a hot spot of tea farming.

Wendy Painter and Amanda Gentry are trying something new with their farm business, Mountain Popcorn Girls. Find out how neighbors have reacted to seeing popcorn on their fifth generation farm, and why home-grown popcorn brings back memories for their customers.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way to join the local food movement. Listen as we follow a farmer and community member through the seasons to hear how CSAs impact their lives. ASAP’s 2018 CSA Fair is Thursday, March 15th at New Belgium Brewing Company in Asheville, North Carolina. It’s free and open to the public. www.asapconnections.org Photo credit: Chelsea Lane Photography