A group of Hispanic farmers is coming together in Henderson County to start the Tierra Fertil Coop. Founding member Delia Jovel shares her journey from growing up in El Salvador to farming in Western North Carolina, and explains the coop’s collective vision for fostering social equity through local food.

Tierra Fertil Coop Digs Deep

Farm stands throughout Western North Carolina are opening up for the season and farmers can’t wait to welcome folks back. Hear about the roadside stands at Flying Cloud Farm in Fairview and SMM Farms in Hayesville in this episode of Growing Local.

Farm Stands for Fun and Flavor

Agriculture has been a pillar of Cherokee communities for generations and continues to be an important part of indigenous culture today. Visit Kituwah, the Mother Town of the Cherokee people, and hear about the significance of this community farm in this week’s Growing Local.

Kituwah Farm Honors and Sustains Cherokee Agriculture

Spring vegetables are hitting farmers markets and chefs are using seasonal produce to celebrate. Hear why Chef J Chong is excited for spring markets in this week’s Growing Local.

Chef J Chong Finds Inspiration at Spring Farmers Markets

ASAP’s Local Food Research Center surveyed farmers about their response to COVID-19 and found that overcoming challenges at the beginning of the pandemic gave farmers reason to be optimistic in 2021.

Local Food Research Reflects Challenges and Opportunities of Farming During the Pandemic

Many farmers work part or full-time jobs off the farm while also growing food and running a farm business. Hear Melissa Harwin from Highgate Farm reflect on her years of being a nurse and farmer, and learn how Hayley Creasman and Colby Buchanan balance multiple jobs while working with their family at Creasman Farms.

Working On and Off the Farm

When Jona Felts lived in Costa Rica, he was surrounded by hot peppers and banana vinegar—the perfect ingredients for farm-fresh hot sauce. When he came back to the mountains of North Carolina, he figured out how to grow similar ingredients at Open Ridge Farm so he could use a little heat to sustain the farm through winter.

Farm-to-Bottle Hot Sauce in the Mountains

Community Supported Agriculture brings the best of a local farm to your kitchen. Wondering what to do with the bounty? Many CSA farms include recipes and cooking tips, like Encompass Farm, which shares fun and easy meal ideas that highlight that week’s veggie box.

Cooking Creative Meals with a CSA

Many farms offer vegetable and fruit CSAs, but as Community Supported Agriculture becomes more popular, some farms are thinking outside the produce drawer. Hear about CSAs that include flowers, meat, and more, and why Daffodil Spring Farm offers the classic combo of meat and potatoes.

A CSA For Every Craving

Frances Juhlin’s path to farming took her through the cutthroat world of commodity trading. Hear how this former stock broker’s assistant got back to her roots growing produce at Candy Mountain Farm.

From Stocks and Bonds to Squash and Beets

Growing Local is a weekly audio series about local food and farms in the Southern Appalachians. It airs during Morning Edition on WNCW 88.7 each Monday at 8:50 a.m. Produced by ASAP, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.

Lots of fun stories and ideas about local food. It&#39;s incredible what farmers are doing in the Southern Appalachians and all over the country.

great podcast

Growing Local

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.

Ginseng: Bringing a Mountain Tradition to Market

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.

Meet the Mountain Popcorn Girls

School and summer programs are on hold, but kids can still explore and learn with Growing Minds Day-by-Day. Hear how ASAP’s new online resource is being used in Western North Carolina and beyond.

Keep Kids Engaged During COVID

Front

Local farmers canvased West Asheville neighborhoods to pass out coupons and spread the word about the first farmers market of the season.

A Farmer at your Front Door

Come along on an audio adventure to Franny’s Farm Camp. Hear the kids taste edible flowers and pet a pig for the first time.Learn about more farm camps in Western North Carolina at www.appalachiangrown.org And find ideas for helping kids engage with local food and farms all year at www.growing-minds.org

Come along on an audio adventure to Franny’s Farm Camp. Hear the kids taste edible flowers and pet a pig for the first time. Learn about more farm camps in Western North Carolina at <a href="http://www.appalachiangrown.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.appalachiangrown.org</a> And find ideas for helping kids engage with local food and farms all year at <a href="http://www.growing-minds.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.growing-minds.org</a>

Let’s Go to Farm Camp!

Hear how the Wehr family turned a beekeeping hobby into a thriving business that provides honey and mead to Graham County, NC and beyond.

Wehrloom Honey’s Sweet Rewards

How does food travel from farm to plate? One route is local wholesale distributor Mountain Food Products, which has connected farmers with chefs and home cooks since 1984. We visited its headquarters in Asheville to hear how the business has grown and learn about its CSA.

Connecting the Dots with Mountain Food Products

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.

Transforming City Land into a Farm

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.

Ginseng: A Mountain Tradition

Bradley Johnston is a third-generation farmer whose family has seen dramatic changes in the local dairy industry since his grandfather started selling milk directly to the public in 1917. Take an audio trip to Mills River Creamery’s milking parlor to learn why Johnston is looking to the past to shape the future.

Mills River Creamery Returns to its Roots

Hear how ASAP’s Growing Minds @ University program teaches dietetic interns ways to integrate local food and farms into their future careers.

Training the Next Generation of Farm to School Educators

Microgreens are tiny edible plants produced from vegetable and herb seeds. Find out why Sleight Family Farm decided to grow microgreens at their farm in Old Fort, North Carolina.

Microgreens Bring Macro Growth

Local employers are encouraging staff to eat healthier and support local farms through workplace CSAs. Hear how the Community Supported Agriculture model works at Appalachian Regional Healthcare System in Boone, NC.

Farm Fresh at Work

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

Chef in the Cafeteria

Our food supply depends on farmworkers. The physically demanding job of planting, harvesting, and processing food puts farmworkers at risk for acute injury and chronic disease, yet they often have limited access to healthcare. Learn how Vecinos, a nonprofit organization in Western North Carolina, is helping farmworkers and their families access healthcare.

Connecting Farmworkers with Healthcare

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.

Alan Ward Innovates Apple Country

Fall favorites like pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and trips to the apple orchard are made possible by farmers who work hard all year. Check out these ideas for fall excursions in the Southern Appalachians.Justus Orchard, Hendersonville: www.justusorchard.comHickory Nut Gap Farm, Fairview: www.hickorynutgapfarm.comAltapass Orchard, Spruce Pine: www.altapassorchard.org

Fall favorites like pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and trips to the apple orchard are made possible by farmers who work hard all year. Check out these ideas for fall excursions in the Southern Appalachians. Justus Orchard, Hendersonville: <a href="http://www.justusorchard.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.justusorchard.com</a> Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Fairview: <a href="http://www.hickorynutgapfarm.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.hickorynutgapfarm.com</a> Altapass Orchard, Spruce Pine: <a href="http://www.altapassorchard.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.altapassorchard.org</a>

Fall Farm Adventures

When Jona Felts lived in Costa Rica, he was surrounded by hot peppers and banana vinegar—the perfect ingredients for farm-fresh hot sauce. When he came back to the mountains of North Carolina, he learned how to grow similar ingredients at Open Ridge Farm so he could use a little heat to sustain the farm through winter.

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.

Meet Bison and Watusi Cattle on Farm Tour

Looking forward to an abundance of fruits and veggies this year? CSAs bring that bounty to your kitchen each week. Find out why the Community Supported Agriculture model supports farmers and healthy eating.

CSA Season is Almost Here!

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