Growing Local

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