Growing Local

It’s time to pick out seeds for spring, but which ones are right for your garden? Learn about regionally adapted seeds from the folks at Sow True Seed in Asheville, and check out other seed companies like Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Greenville County Schools and other local districts are on a mission to reinvent school lunches. Farmer Steve Whitmire and Joe Urban, the district’s food and nutrition services director, talk about adding local Brasstown Beef to the school’s cafeteria trays.

Come along to a winter farmers market with Graham House, executive chef at Sovereign Remedies in Asheville, North Carolina. Go inside the mind of a chef as he picks out local produce and creates a menu back at the restaurant.

Imagine growing and harvesting hundreds of acres of grain. Would you have time to run a vegetable CSA and a farmers market at local preschools? Brian Chatham balances both at High Mountain Farms in Ashe County, North Carolina.

Apple orchards been part of the culture of Henderson County, North Carolina for hundreds of years. Yet something new is on the horizon. Hear how Alan Ward, owner of Appalachian Ridge Artisan Hard Cider, is combining tradition with innovation as he expands into apple-based spirits similar to calvados and pommeau.

Take an audio trip to Asheville City Market to find out what’s fresh this winter.

Appalachian families have harvested ginseng for generations. Find out why this “green gold” is so valuable, and learn about recent efforts to connect ginseng growers with local markets.

Stephanie Poetter of Locally Good Farm in Burnsville started making apple cider vinegar for her family and friends about four years ago. Hear how she turned her hobby into a thriving business with the help of the local community. Find Locally Good Farm apple cider vinegar: www.locallygoodfarm.com Find local farmers markets: www.appalachiangrown.org

Sleight Family Farm near Old Fort, North Carolina is growing a farm business by growing microgreens. Hear how local farmers markets have helped sustain their family business. Interested in growing your own farm business? Check out ASAP’s Business of Farming conference on February 24, 2018. www.asapconnections.org

It’s time for New Year’s resolutions and eating more fruits and vegetables is at the top of many people’s lists. It’s a goal that Biltmore chef Kirk Fiore shared with children at North Buncombe Elementary school as they taste tested local kale.

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

M&M Berry Farm started as an apple orchard, but over the years they joined the community of blackberry farmers in Henderson County, North Carolina. Hear four generations of the Pack family talk about the challenges and rewards of running their family farm.

Picking out a Christmas tree is a beautiful experience for families and friends. For local tree farmers, it’s the culmination of years of hard work. Jeff Owen, a Christmas tree extension specialist at NC State University, talks about fluctuations in the industry and why you might want to get your tree early this year. Find Christmas tree farms to visit in ASAP’s Local Food Guide: www.appalachiangrown.org Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association.

Buying a big box of sweet potatoes at the beginning of the winter makes it easy to whip up local meals during the darkest days of the year. Annie Louise Perkinson from Flying Cloud Farm in Fairview, North Carolina talks about why her farm offers sweet potatoes in bulk to feed the community all winter.

Farmer Daniel Wall and business partner Jon Mercer come from different backgrounds, but together with their young families, they’ve started a livestock farm that promotes their shared commitment to sustainable agriculture. We spoke with Daniel and Jon at ASAP’s Business of Farming conference last year. Learn about this year’s conference at http://asapconnections.org/events/business-of-farming-conference/

Visit local farmers markets to stock up on these quintessential holiday foods for a truly local Thanksgiving.

Chefs are catching on to the sweet and savory flavor of sorghum molasses, and farmers are working hard to keep up with demand. Hear chef John Fleer and farmer Cathy Guthrie talk about why sorghum is popping up at Southern Appalachian restaurants. Bring sorghum molasses into your own kitchen and find farmers who sell it in ASAP’s Local Food Guide: www.appalachiangrown.org

Southern Appalachian families have been pouring sorghum molasses on biscuits for generations. It takes a draft horse, a wood-fired furnace, and a lot of folk knowledge to do it. Hear how two women are keeping the tradition alive.

Take an audio trip to Darnell Farms in Bryson City, North Carolina to learn how this family farm turned into a thriving agritourism hub. Find more family farms to visit at www.appalachiangrown.org

Did you hear that sound? It’s students and teachers chomping down on fall’s crispiest fruit: the apple. Kids throughout North Carolina will celebrate National Farm to School Month with the “North Carolina Crunch” as they all take a big bite of a locally grown apple on October 24th at Noon. Listen in on last year’s crunch to hear how preschoolers react to local food.