monthly news from ASAP    |   OCTOBER 2023    |    asapconnections.org

A draft of this newsletter was inadvertently sent out yesterday to some of our subscribers.
If you received it, we apologize! The unfinished version should be disregarded.

ASAP's Business of Farming Conference Is Feb. 24
: [link removed] 
Save the date! ASAP's 2024 Business of Farming Conference : [link removed] will be Saturday, Feb. 24, at the A-B Tech Conference Center in Asheville. Look for registration details next month. ASAP’s annual Business of Farming Conference brings together professional farmers from across the Southeast region to network and share resources to grow their farm businesses. Farmers learn about marketing, business planning, and financial management from regional experts and innovative peers. The conference is designed for beginning and established farmers as well as those seriously considering farming as a profession. Does your business offer products or services for farmers? Consider sponsoring or exhibiting at the conference! A sponsorship showcases you as a leader of the local food movement, ensuring that farmers have the tools they need to grow and thrive. Both sponsors and exhibitors receive table space in the conference exhibitor hall to connect with more than 200 farmers at all stages of their careers. Email [email protected] : mailto:[email protected]  to find out more about opportunities.



Congratulations Farm Tour Photo Contest Winners!
 
Thank you to all the farms, volunteers, staff, and everyone who came out to participate in the 2023 Farm Tour! And thank you to everyone who submitted photos for our contest. We love getting to see so many different Farm Tour experiences. Above are the winners of the 2023 Farm Tour photo contest, from left: Sam Bennett (@swiftbennett : [link removed]), Tou Lee, Lee's One Fortune Farm : [link removed]: "Tou Lee's enthusiasm radiated out to all of us while he described introducing this rice to North Carolina. We are so grateful that what began as a way to keep their traditions alive in their family and the Hmong community has been shared with all so we can enjoy this very special, and delicious, ingredient!" 
Ryan Brown, carrot snacking, Alta Vista Farm : [link removed]: "That day was special to our family as we were able to support our college friends, Justin and Ellen, and their farm. Watching our boys pull carrots from the dirt and devour them was a treat for us all." 
Rita Kovtun (ritakovtun.com : [link removed], @ritakovtun : [link removed]), geese, Good Wheel Farm : [link removed]: "This was my first ASAP Farm Tour, and I was especially excited to check out Good Wheel's regenerative farm. It's important for me to feel connected to my food and know where it comes from, which was my main reason for going on the tour. Good Wheel is doing important work in embodying true stewardship with their land and animal—and these geese were especially cute and photogenic." 
Victoria Mezera (@thenestnextdoor : [link removed]), baby cowboy, Montgomery Sky Farm : [link removed]: "Our son is obsessed with farm animals, especially cows. It was a dream come true to be able to be up close and personal with the animals at Montgomery Sky Farm! It was an all-around inspiring experience to be able to visit so many farms in our community and we look forward to participating for many years to come."



Celebrating ASAP's Volunteers
: [link removed] are so grateful for all of ASAP's volunteers! In 2023, 93 volunteers have put in 500 hours to support ASAP, local farms, and our community. Volunteers have lent their time and talent to everything from taking pictures and manning info tables to sorting seeds and entering data. 
 

Last week we gathered at Plēb Urban Winery : [link removed] to say thank you and enjoy some time together. We also handed out a few awards, including the year's Outstanding Volunteer Melinda Bullen, pictured with ASAP executive director Molly Nicholie and events and market coordinator Madeleine O'Toole.
 

Learn more about volunteer opportunities at ASAP! : [link removed] Part of a New North Carolina Farmers Market Network

: [link removed] North Carolina Farmers Market Network : [link removed] (NCFMN) was formally incorporated as a nonprofit this year. ASAP's Mike McCreary serves on the board of directors and ASAP is the Western Region Representative.
 
The group informally organized in 2020 to help market managers operate safely through the COVID-19 pandemic, but now covers a wider range of topics, such as marketing tips, best practices for tracking data, grant writing, fundraising and more. 
The NCFMN is transitioning now from de facto network members to a formal membership network with clearly outlined benefits, an annual membership meeting, collective advocacy initiatives, voting and annual dues. Market managers as well as staff of nonprofit or institutions with a mission related to local food system development are encouraged to join : [link removed]. 
  
The mission of the NCFMN is to work with farmers market communities to create a thriving network of marketplaces for local food and farm products through education, innovative services, programs and partnerships, including resources to support historically underserved populations. Want to learn more? Visit the website : [link removed] or the NCFMN exhibitor booth at the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Conference : [link removed] in Durham in November.



Seeking Spring Interns
: [link removed] is seeking two interns for the spring semester (mid January to early May, dates flexible). Please spread the word to students or early-career local food advocates! Find a full description of responsibilities and skill sets as well as application instructions here : [link removed]. 

The Farm Fresh for Health Intern will support the Farm Fresh Produce Prescription : [link removed], farmers market shopper engagement, and other pilot activities for ASAP’s Farm Fresh for Health : [link removed] programming.

The Communications & Events Intern will provide promotional and logistic support for ASAP’s annual Local Food Guide : [link removed] publication, Business of Farming Conference : [link removed] in February, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture : [link removed]) campaign and fair in March, and Asheville City Market : [link removed] (ASAP’s weekly Saturday morning farmers market).

Pictured: Summer Farm Fresh for Health intern Kelsie Rothwell and Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership Holly Kolarova at River Arts District Farmers Market. Photo by Linda Dion.



FACES OF LOCAL
Alison Francis
: [link removed] Francis is the Director of Nutrition of Haywood County Schools : [link removed], and has worked with ASAP for many years to source from local farms. In September she volunteered for ASAP’s Farm Tour at Pilot Mountain Pears : [link removed], which sold Asian pears to Haywood County Schools this year.
 

Tell us about your role as the Director of Nutrition for Haywood County Schools. 
 

I have been in school nutrition for 24 years. This is my 14th year as director for Haywood County Schools. As director I supervise 15 cafeterias and 87 employees and oversee a budget of $5.2 million. I love working with our local farmers and want the students to have the opportunity to learn about what is grown in North Carolina and where their food comes from when possible.
 

How do you work with local farmers?
 

We have been working with KT’s Orchard and Apiary : [link removed] for years to bring local apples to our schools when they are in season. We started purchasing local ground beef from Brasstown Beef : [link removed] last year. We also participate in the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Program : [link removed]. At the beginning, I just assumed that local produce would be more expensive than what I’m getting from my distributor. That has not been the case. We’re actually getting better prices from local farmers. That’s a huge benefit, in addition to serving local food. The last few years we’ve had extra funds from the USDA to spend only on local food—it’s called the Local Food for Schools : [link removed] grant. That helped us start to buy beef from Brasstown.
 

What are some of the challenges to serving local food in cafeterias? 
 

The biggest challenge is finding local farmers that are GAP certified. North Carolina wants to have schools use GAP certified farms to make sure sanitation practices are above standard—so we don’t worry about getting students sick from foodborne illness. I don’t know how many GAP certified farms there are, but there certainly aren’t many in Haywood County. Also, the certification is based on each crop, so for a small farmer, it’s very costly if they want to sell schools more than one thing. ASAP has helped to link us with local GAP certified farmers.
 

It was through Molly [Nicholie] that I first connected with KT [in 2016]. The three of us met and tried to figure out how we could make it work. For one thing, we had to figure out the right size apple to make sure we were getting our half-a-cup requirement for school nutrition. We were used to specifying that we needed 135 apples. KT didn’t do things by count, she measured by the bushel. I had no idea was bushel was! KT found some sort of sorting mechanism to make sure we were getting the right size. KT is dynamo. She will show up here [at our central warehouse] with her apples and completely get them unloaded on the dock, then come ring the doorbell, when we could have helped her. She’s a go-getter.
 

This year, David [Smiley] connected me with Pilot Mountain Pears. Our kids absolutely love Asian pears. We’ve been getting them for the last few years, but not from Hendersonville. We got 100 cases. I told them if they had more to contact me, but I think they sold everything they had. I loved being there on the farm for the Farm Tour this year! I got to chat with the owner Beth’s mother, who told me they have people coming up from Greenville and Atlanta to pick pears. 
 

Have you seen the food environment in schools change over the years? 
 

Yes, as regulations have become more stringent, we have less students participating in the school nutrition program. I can’t remember what year they started to cut back on sodium levels, but they have continued over the years, and it has really made an impact on the taste of the food. We’ve tried doing different seasonings to add flavor, but everything is really bland and not appealing to kids. Less scratch cooking is done now, but I think many districts are trying to bring that back. 
 

How do your cafeterias serve some of these local products? 
 

With Brasstown Beef, we’re doing baked ziti, tacos. We’re getting ready to pilot some raw beef patties from them. Typically the patties we get from the distributor are pre-cooked. With things like broccoli, squash, and sweet potatoes, which we get through NCDA Farm to School, we roast them in the oven. That seems to hold up and taste the best. Back in the day, if we served broccoli, we had to drown it in cheese sauce, but we don’t do that anymore. Cauliflower was the first thing we tried roasting, and I was shocked how many students ate it. They loved it. Broccoli and cauliflower are favorites now. 
 

ASAP has provided us with great marketing tools to help us showcase the local farmers that we work with. We have posters in the cafeterias with farmer profiles. We put it on menu and share it on our Facebook page. 
 

Can you share a favorite experience with local food in schools? 
 

KT and her husband have come to a couple of schools in the fall and brought several varieties of apples and done taste tests with kids and talked about their orchard. We did a display board where students could put a sticker on which variety they liked the best. Somebody on our staff wore an apple costume. The kids really enjoyed it.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Fall Veggie Rice Bowl : [link removed] is a great recipe for using up leftover veggies or grains you may already have in the pantry. Feel free to substitute your favorites! You can make this a protein bowl by adding an egg, tofu, or chicken.
 
Servings: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
 
Ingredients
2 cups brown rice (or substitute farro, quinoa, or other whole grain)1 sweet potato, diced1 bunch Swiss chard (or substitute other greens, like spinach, kale, or collards)1 sweet bell pepper or avocado, diced2 cups of broccoli or cauliflower florets1–2 tablespoons olive oilSalt and pepper to taste1 cup plain yogurt (optional)2–3 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)Chives, scallions, or garlic, minced (optional)Directions
Cook rice according to package directions.Finely chop Swiss chard stems and tear leaves into several pieces.Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté sweet potato, chard stems, and broccoli or cauliflower florets. When the veggies are almost tender, add chard leaves and cook for a few more minutes. Season veggies with salt and pepper to taste. (You can also roast veggies in an oven or toaster oven at 400 degrees for 10–15 minutes.)Build your own grain bowl by adding a scoop of rice and a scoop of sautéed veggie mixture to a bowl. Top with diced pepper or avocado. Grain bowls are often served with dressing. Top your rice and veggies with a bottled salad dressing of your choice, or make this simple tangy yogurt dressing. Mix a cup of plain yogurt with a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and your choice of minced garlic, chives, or scallion.Find more recipes for fall on our website : [link removed]
"Some of the farms [on ASAP's Farm Tour] are farms that are open to the public, like us—we're open for tastings. Then there's many farms that aren't open to the public, so it provides a lot of visibility to local farms that grow everything here in North Carolina."

—Tim Parks, co-owner of Marked Tree Vineyard, to WLOS : [link removed]
 

"It’s no secret that Asheville is a food lover’s paradise—but our delicious food scene wouldn’t exist without local farms. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how food is grown and cultivated during Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s (ASAP) annual Farm Tour : [link removed]."
—AVL Today : [link removed] ASAP
: [link removed] : [link removed] : [link removed] : [link removed] 
asapconnections.org : [link removed] | growing-minds.org : [link removed] | appalachiangrown.org : [link removed]
  
ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
 

: [link removed]



ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) - 306 W. Haywood Street - Asheville - NC - 28801

Subscribe to this newsletter:
[link removed]
Unsubscribe [email protected]:
[link removed]
Change your preferences:
[link removed]
Forward to a friend:
[link removed]
Report this email as spam:
[link removed]

This email was sent using MyNewsletterBuilder.com.