Growing Local

Seasonal and migrant farmworkers are vital to the food system in Western North Carolina, often working late into the night to harvest fruits and vegetables for local grocery stores. Hear how the nonprofit healthcare organization Vecinos is supporting their health during COVID-19.

Sheep are tri-purpose animals that produce milk, meat, and wool. While many larger sheep farms produce only dairy, Grassroots Farm and Dairy in Marshall, North Carolina bucks the trend by offering cuts of lamb and wool bedding in addition to milk and yogurt.

Agritourism is picking back up again as some apple orchards invite visitors to pick apples at their farms. Hear how Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard in Hendersonville is keeping the community safe while offering outdoor activities at the farm.

While many farm field trips and farmer visits are on hold due to the pandemic, ASAP’s Growing Minds program has a new “Meet Your Farmer” video series that lets kids experience farms from the safety of home and from the perspective of their peers.

Since 2019, Asheville City Market has offered a Double SNAP program that matches dollars spent at farmers markets through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Now, this initiative to make fresh food more accessible is expanding into several new farmers markets in Western North Carolina.

ASAP’s Appalachian Farms Feeding Families initiative is now in McDowell and Caldwell counties. Hear how Red Hill Farm is collaborating with Yokefellow of Caldwell County to share the summer bounty with people in need of nutritious food.

Wehrloom Honey recently opened a new taproom in Asheville’s South Slope. Hear how the Wehr family turned a hobby into a thriving business that provides honey and mead to Graham County and now Asheville.

Indigenous people have centuries of agricultural knowledge to draw from. Hear how Cherokee communities in Western North Carolina are reviving traditions by growing their own food during COVID-19.

NC State Extension fields questions from farmers about everything from field crops to aquaculture. Hear how it expanded its services and adapted its programs in response to COVID-19.

KP Whaley of Tiny Bridge Farm reconnects with his family’s rural roots by growing produce in Hendersonville, North Carolina.