Growing Local

Why would a retired nurse start a goat farm and creamery? Hear how an agricultural project with her granddaughter changed Donna Gains' way of life.

Go to High Mountain Meadows Farm and Creamery's Facebook page for updates on her farm party.

www.facebook.com/HighMountainMeadowsFarm/

Photo by Sarah Jones Decker

Fresh flowers feed the soul, but where do they come from? Imported flowers are ubiquitous at florists and grocery stores, but there’s a growing movement of local farmers who cultivate blooms that thrive in the Southern Appalachian mountains.

Listen as Niki Irving of Flourish Flower Farm in Candler, North Carolina harvests poppies, and hear Katie Grear of Lady Luck Flower Farm talk about why local farmers are digging into flowers.

Craft beer isn’t the only thing on Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s menu. The taproom chef works with 17 Appalachian Grown farms to source some of the restaurant's vegetables, meat, and cheeses.

Hear how Chef Jessie Massie tracks down local ingredients and find out why Daniel Price of Freedom Farm grows produce for the restaurant.

Western North Carolina’s farming traditions stretch back for generations, but the local food movement was a new concept in the early 2000s.

Walter Harrill, owner of Imladris Farm in Fairview, North Carolina, was a pioneer during the early days. He reflects on how the movement has grown, and ASAP’s Charlie Jackson weighs in on what’s next for the local food community.

Learn more about the evolution of local food in WNC and ASAP’s Local Food Research Center:

http://asapconnections.org/local-food-research-center/

Volunteering at a farm, community garden, or local food event is a great way to feel connected and use your strengths to improve the local food system. Here are some opportunities in Western North Carolina.

Area farmers markets:

http://asapconnections.org/support-local-food-movement/volunteer/

ASAP’s Farm Tour:

http://asapconnections.org/events/asaps-farm-tour/volunteer-for-the-tour/

The Lord’s Acre in Fairview:

http://thelordsacre.org/

WNC Alliance for Gardens That Give:

http://thelordsacre.org/what-we-do/community/the-western-nc-alliance-for-gardens-that-give/

School gardens: Call a school near you to inquire about helping in their garden. Or use these lesson plans to inspire your children and their friends.

http://growing-minds.org/garden-lesson-plans/

Want to learn about farms in the Southern Appalachians and the stories behind your food?

ASAP’s 2017 Local Food Guide is hot off the presses and available at locations throughout the region. Find pick-up locations or search the online guide at www.appalachiangrown.org

Kids love kale when it's prepared with care. Join Biltmore chef Kirk Fiore for a local food taste test at North Buncombe Elementary.

Southern Appalachian families scour the forests to dig up wild ginseng roots each fall. Although the roots can be exported to Asia for as much as $1,300 per pound, new research indicates that WNC business are interested in buying locally-grown ginseng cultivated by commercial farmers in Western North Carolina.

Spring is the perfect time to plant a school garden, but where to begin? ASAP and Sow True Seeds are working together to provide free seeds to schools in the Appalachian Grown region.

Teachers, parent volunteers, and garden coordinators can stop by the ASAP office in Asheville to pick up seeds or call (828) 236-1282.

Find lesson plans for grades preK-12 at www.growing-minds.org

It’s officially spring in the mountains and farmers are hard at work. In between preparing fields, planting seeds, and welcoming baby animals onto the farm, many farmers are also getting spring produce ready for market.

A big change is happening to the Asheville City Market. Starting this Saturday, April 1, 2017, the market is moving to North Market Street. The road will be closed between Woodfin and East Walnut Streets so locals and visitors can enjoy farm-fresh food and products in an open-air setting with "street fair" flair.

Look for the opening dates of farmers markets throughout the region at www.asapconnections.org And keep up with what’s fresh each week at www.fromhere.org