monthly news from ASAP    |   JUNE 2021    |    asapconnections.org

2021 Farm Tour Passes on Sale!
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ASAP’s Farm Tour is back for 2021 and passes are on sale now : [link removed]! Experience the sights, tastes, and stories of farm life through guided tours, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. The tour is family-friendly and a great adventure for visitors of all ages and interests. One pass, $35, is good for all passengers in your vehicle to visit any farms on both days. 
The 2021 Farm Tour will feature more than 20 farms arranged in clusters within an hour drive of Asheville. This year's five clusters will be in Leicester, Barnardsville, Fairview/Fletcher, Haywood County, and Henderson County. A full list of participating farms will be announced later this summer.



ASAP's Office Reopens for Regular Hours
: [link removed] ASAP office at 306 W. Haywood St. in Asheville is now open for our regular, pre-pandemic hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some staff will continue to work remotely some days, but you can reach us by email or voicemail. (Get a list of staff email and extensions here : [link removed].)
 

Stop by during office hours to get local food resources like the Local Food Guide, produce seasonality charts, recipe cards, and more.
 

Our Growing Minds lending library is once again available for educators to check out farm to school literature. 
 

Farmers can continue to order Appalachian Grown materials (including waxed boxes, roll bags, stickers, and more) online and pick up in the office at prearranged times.



Farm to School Mini-grants from Growing Minds
: [link removed] Growing Minds program is thrilled to support seven preschools and childcare centers with farm to school mini-grants this summer! The YWCA of Asheville Early Learning Program (pictured), Hawthorn Montessori, WCCA Sugar Hill Head Start, WCCA Etowah Children's Center, and WCCA King Creek Children's Center will receive support to start or maintain school gardens. Macon Program for Progress Head Start and WCCA Hillview Children's Services will use their mini-grants to purchase farm to school children's literature for their centers. 
"We have a goal to turn our playgrounds into outdoor learning environments/classrooms," shared WCCA Etowah Children's Center. "By creating a garden space on the playground, children will be encouraged to explore and experience how plants and food grow using all their senses."   
The deadline for the next round of Growing Minds farm to school funding : [link removed] is Sept. 15.



Farmers Market Toolkit: Part 1
: [link removed] work-in-progress Appalachian Grown Farmers Market Toolkit is a collection of strategies, resources, and best practices for farmers markets, compiled by ASAP based on the experience and expertise of individual markets and managers. Last month ASAP released the first section : [link removed], focusing on marketing, promotion, and outreach. It is intended as a guide to help market managers increase sales to existing customers, improve customer retention, and expand the customer base.
 

From the Toolkit: "One of the most common comments from markets with disappointing customer attendance and vendor sales is, 'We need to do more marketing!' Opinions will vary on what this means. It’s challenging to invest limited time and resources without having a sense of what will make the greatest difference. Marketing is not easy. It’s helpful to dive a little deeper, so that we can be more deliberate about what steps to take and what decisions to make."

 

This publication is free to access, along with many other resources for farmers market managers, on ASAP's website : [link removed].



Welcome Britt Garrett, ASAP's New Bookkeeper
: [link removed] Garrett has joined the ASAP staff as our new bookkeeper. 
 

Britt is a familiar face to many in the ASAP community as the market assistant for Asheville City Market/ASAP Farmers Market : [link removed] and manager of the Weaverville Tailgate Market : [link removed] for the past two years. In addition her knowledge of the inner workings of farmers markets, Britt brings experience as a bookkeeper and keen attention to detail and organizational skills. She also holds a master's degree from Western Carolina University in English/Composition and Rhetoric.



Job Openings
ASAP is currently hiring for four full-time positions. Find job descriptions and application instructions on our website : [link removed]. All postings will remain open until filled. Applications accepted only by email. Please do not call or come by the office.
 

The Associate Director partners closely with ASAP’s co-directors to lead the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives, playing a critical role as counselor, advisor, and strategic thought-partner with the leadership team and in shaping and implementing the organization’s strategy, program development, and administration.
 

The Growing Minds Program Director will provide leadership and direction to the Growing Minds Farm to School Program, which works to connect schools and preschools with local agriculture and give children positive experiences with healthy foods.
 

The Local Food Campaign Program Coordinator will assist in the development and implementation of farm and partner outreach and engagement programming as part of the Local Food Campaign team.
 

The Events Coordinator provides management for ASAP’s program and fundraising events, including the Business of Farming Conference, Farm Tour, workshops, etc. This position also coordinates and manages volunteers and interns.



FACES OF LOCAL
Erica Fernbach
: [link removed] likes to share the stories of people who help us fulfill our mission. This month we talk with farmer Erica Fernbach, who co-owns Seven Oaks Farm : [link removed] with Karl Brandstaetter in Rutherford County.  Seven Oaks Farm is part of ASAP's Appalachian Farms Feeding Families : [link removed] program, which pairs farms with food relief sites and childcare centers in their communities and provides agencies with a budget for purchasing local food. Erica is pictured on the right with Cynthia Cooper of Chase Corner Ministries.
 
How has the pandemic affected Seven Oaks Farm?
 
We began laying the groundwork to start our farm right before the pandemic hit the U.S. 2021 is our first full growing season, so we don't have pre-pandemic experience to compare to, but we have probably benefited from the increased awareness of/interest in buying from local farms brought on by the pandemic.
 
What are you delivering now through Appalachian Farms Feeding Families? 
 
We've been delivering carrots, cabbage, zucchini and summer squash, green beans, cucumbers, and head lettuce in recent weeks. We are partnered with Chase Corner Ministries, which is run by the absolutely delightful Cynthia Cooper. She is very passionate about her work and always excited to provide local produce for her clients, many of whom wouldn't otherwise have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
 
Has this program changed your connection with the community at all? 
 
We are very grateful to ASAP for giving us the opportunity to sell our produce so close to home, to the people who often need it the most. The connections we've made through our participation have helped us immensely in finding our footing as a first-year farm, and also in feeling more rooted in our community.
 
We've also just started coordinating with a volunteer-run partnership effort that is working to expand donation capacity in Rutherford County. The group is spearheaded by Bob Young of Deer Valley Farm and the Rutherford County Food Council, and we've been communicating with Hannah Bundy and Lindy Abrams who do great work organizing harvests and deliveries. It has been awesome to be invited into this multi-organizational effort because checking in about each other's harvest and delivery plans means that we can work together to maximize the number of residents in our community who receive fresh veggies every week!
 
Find out more : [link removed] about Appalachian Farms Feeding Families and how you can support farms and communities in Western North Carolina.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Zucchini Coleslaw

: [link removed] Are you swimming in zucchini yet this season? Here's an option for using an excess of zucchini along with other early-summer produce from our Growing Minds recipe database : [link removed].

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 cups local zucchini, coarsely shredded2 cups cabbage, shredded1 medium carrot, shredded2 green onions, sliced1 bunch of radishes, thinly sliced1/3 cup plain yogurt1/3 cup mild salsaDirections:
Drain zucchini by pressing between layers of paper towels.Put zucchini in a large bowl and add cabbage, carrot, onions, and radishes.In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and salsa.Pour dressing over vegetables and toss well.Cover and chill for at least one hour.

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT
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Our June photo of the month features these beautiful oyster mushrooms from Black Trumpet Farm : [link removed]. Farmers markets are in full swing now, and most offer more than fresh produce, eggs, and meats. You can find mushrooms, foraged foods, medicinal herbs, honey, and locally sourced tonics like elderberry syrup, jun, and tea. Explore all kinds of local products in ASAP's online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org : [link removed]!

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
“The ASAP Farm Tour gives us a chance to share our dreams and passion with others committed to a sustainable future. Showing people the joys of working the land and eating fresh food creates a community. We are truly happiest when we have our feet in the soil, sharing skills to make agriculture more accessible to others. Come share our dream!”
—Farmer Sara Martin of Two Trees Farm in Haywood County was quoted in a Morning Ag Clips : [link removed] preview for the 2021 Farm Tour.
 

"Growing Minds’ website, one of the program’s most important resources for educators, school nutrition directors and families, recently received a much-needed refresh."
—Mountain Xpress : [link removed] reported on the new Growing Minds website as well as the upcoming Spanish translation of the Farm to Preschool Toolkit.
 

"The 2115 time capsule also was packed full of materials, including a specially made section of the Citizen Times, beer bottle caps and labels, posters and fliers related to movies and music shows at local venues, postcards showcasing work by local artists, bumper stickers about local food, a pack of pole bean seeds from Sow True Seeds, aerial photos of downtown, and pamphlets about Zebulon Vance, the two-time governor of North Carolina and a U.S. senator for whom the monument was named."
—The Answer Man's column : [link removed] in the Citizen Times included a shoutout for (and photo of) ASAP's ubiquitous "Local Food: Thousands of Miles Fresher" bumper sticker.
 

"A 2018 report from ASAP’s Local Food Research Center (“From Tobacco to Local Food in Western
North Carolina”) found that between 2002 and 2012, while tobacco disappeared almost entirely
from the region, there was a 98 percent increase in the number of farms growing fruits and vegetables; a 166 percent increase in the number of acres dedicated to these products; and a 193 percent increase in sales of these products."
—Asheville Independent Restaurants : [link removed] talked to ASAP about the history of local food and farm-to-table connections in Western North Carolina for its June newsletter.
 

"The Asheville-based Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project has found that the number of regional tobacco farms fell by 97% between 1997 and 2012."
—Mountain Xpress : [link removed] also featured the history of tobacco in the region, citing ASAP's Local Food Research Center

CONNECT WITH US
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asapconnections.org : [link removed] | growing-minds.org : [link removed]
appalachiangrown.org : [link removed] | fromhere.org : [link removed]
 
Donate to support local food, strong farms, and healthy communities today! : [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.



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

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