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monthly news from ASAP | JANUARY 2022 | asapconnections.org
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Workshops Announced for Business of Farming Conference
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More than a dozen workshops, including six new ones, are slated for the 19th annual Business of Farming Conference (Feb. 26 at the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center in Asheville). The conference focuses on the business side of farming, offering beginning and established farmers financial, legal, management, and marketing tools to improve farm businesses and make new professional connections.
Returning topics include a business planning track in collaboration with Mountain Bizworks; legal tools from Ward & Smith, P.A.’s Agribusiness Practice Group; and farmer panels on Community Supported Agriculture, selling to restaurants, and more. Among the new sessions for 2022 are “Dynamics of Farm Employment,” “Food Relief Sites as Market Outlets,” and “Building Your Online Presence.” View the full list of workshops.
The popular Grower-Buyer Meeting, in which farmers meet with chefs, grocers, wholesalers, and other buyers to discuss their products and potential business relationships, will be held at lunchtime. Other networking opportunities include one-on-one sessions and an exhibitor hall.
Embedded within the conference is the Farmers Market Summit, a chance for farmers market managers from across the region to come together for peer-sharing, technical assistance support, and annual planning. Registration is free for market leadership; email Mike McCreary for more information.
The early-bird registration discount is good through Feb. 1. Register now! A limited number of scholarships are available for limited resource farms and BIPOC farmers. In addition, EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems will cover registration costs for farmers from the seven westernmost counties of WNC (Jackson, Macon, Haywood, Swain, Cherokee, Clay, and Graham) and the Qualla Boundary. Apply through EMFS here.
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Save the Dates for CSA Fairs in Hendersonville & Asheville
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 Interested in finding out more about CSA (community supported agriculture) options near you? ASAP will host two CSA Fairs this year. Both fairs are free and open to the public to attend. Participating farms will be announced soon.
With a CSA, you purchase a "share" of a farm's harvest at the beginning of a season, then get a weekly box of the freshest produce, meat, or other farm goods. Have questions? CSA Fairs are a great opportunity to meet farmers face to face and find out about their products, growing practices, share size, payment options, and more.
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Growing Minds Awards 11 Jumpstart Grants
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 Eleven schools, childcare centers, food pantries, and farms received WNC Farm to School Jumpstart Grants ($500 to $1,000 each) in the first round of awards from ASAP's Growing Minds. Grants will be used for farm to school experiences for kids, including school gardens, local food taste tests, cooking activities, locally sourced food in cafeterias, and more.
- Bearwallow Valley Farms, Henderson County (pictured)
- Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission Cub Creek Head Start, Wilkes County
- Calvary Episcopal Church Food Pantry, Buncombe County
- Centro Unido Latino Americano, McDowell County
- Eliada Homes, Buncombe County
- Evergreen Community Charter School, Buncombe County
- Hayesville High School, Clay County
- Macon County Schools, Macon County
- Montreat Morning School, Buncombe County
- Sonshine Childcare Center, Wilkes County
- Wilkes Development Day School, Wilkes County
Jumpstart Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis through August 2022. Applications are due on the 15th of each month. Pre-K through 12 schools, homeschool groups, teacher and nutrition education programs, and community-based organizations serving children and families within the 23 westernmost counties of North Carolina are eligible. Groups serving rural counties, BIPOC communities, or disadvantaged populations are encouraged to apply. Find out more and apply.
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Introducing Ana Greenberger
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Ana Greenberger has joined ASAP as one of our new Local Food Campaign program coordinators. Ana has lived in the Asheville area for about a year and previously worked on a vegetable farm in Tennessee and on an off-grid farm in Israel.
You can reach out to Ana about Appalachian Grown certification for farms and partner businesses, for assistance with the print and online Local Food Guide, or with questions about Appalachian Grown packaging and materials, such as wax boxes, roll bags, stickers, etc.
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ASAP is currently hiring for three full time positions. View full job descriptions and application instructions for all positions here. All positions will remain open until filled. Applications are accepted only by email. Please do not call or come by the office.
Evaluation and Program Assistant, Local Food Research Center will provide evaluation and administrative support in executing the work of ASAP and assessing our program’s impacts. Responsibilities include collecting, analyzing, and reporting on quantitative and qualitative data; database management; community engagement; assessing program impact and feasibility; conducting literature reviews of current trends and best practices; and developing content for presentations and educational resources.
Program Coordinator, Local Food Campaign will assist in the design and implementation of farmer programs, services, and resources around marketing and business planning; providing outreach and support for ASAP’s Appalachian Grown program and Local Food Guide; identify, network, and maintain relationships with key stakeholders; give presentations and provide training; and other tasks in support of the organization.
Program Coordinator, Growing Minds Farm to School will assist in the design and implementation of programs including trainings/workshops for educators, farmers, community partners, parents, and volunteers; farm to school/preschool curriculum and resources; network and maintain relationships with key stakeholders; provide community outreach and engagement; assist with grant writing and reporting; and other tasks in support of the organization.
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 20 YEARS OF ASAP |
|  We're celebrating ASAP's 20th anniversary! Each month we'll share the origins of many of our programs as well as stories from farmers and others who have been with us along the way.
Twenty years ago, ASAP published the first Local Food Guide with 58 farms listed. (Pictured is the second issue, but check out that early logo!)
In 2022, the Guide includes more than 800 farms, in addition to farmers markets, restaurants, groceries, artisan producers, travel destinations, and more. The free print publication is now complemented by the searchable online guide at appalachiangrown.org.
The Guide was one of the first of its kind and remains a model nationally. It is particularly unique in that information is verified and updated every year, making it a more useful and trusted resources for consumers. Over the years, ASAP has provided assistance to other groups around the country producing their own versions.
Are you in the Guide? The deadline for the 2022 print edition is coming up quick: Jan. 31. You can update your listing or apply to have your farm or business included at appalachiangrown.org.
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 FACES OF LOCAL |
| |  Several years ago, Stephanie Vinat and Jeremiah Batla left their finance jobs in Los Angeles to become farmers and homesteaders. After traveling through the Americas and Europe, they settled in Western North Carolina and started The AppaLatin Farmstead. Stephanie will serve as a farmer-presenter in two workshops at the Business of Farming Conference: “Direct Marketing for Niche and Culturally Significant Crops” and “Diversifying with Value-Added Ventures.” We asked her how attending the conference in the past was valuable for her as a new farmer.
What are some of your takeaways from attending the Business of Farming Conference in the past?
It’s a great opportunity to learn from other farmers about the business side of farming. I’ve attended twice. The first conference was in person. I attended mostly marketing classes and had some good takeaways from the farmer presenters and Blue Ridge Food Ventures. Last year [in the virtual conference] I took the financial classes and really benefited from those. It was nice to take those courses via Zoom because I could work along on the computer. I use the spreadsheets from the financial recordkeeping courses every month.
Do you know what you’ll be talking about as you present in workshops this year?
I plan on incorporating small-scale farming, authenticity, and food justice.
Any tips you would offer beginning farmers to get the most out of the conference?
Think about the business goals for your farm and select classes that will help you to reach those goals.
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 RECIPE OF THE MONTH |
| |  Debbi Timson and Taylor Millington gave a virtual cooking demo earlier this month as part of the YWCA of Asheville's Health and Wellness Fair promotions. Check out their tutorial for apple carrot salad on our website and try your hand at the recipe below! Preparing it with kids? Growing Minds offers a lesson plan with activities to use alongside the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 10-12 local apples
- 10 carrots
- 3/4 cup raisins
- Juice from 2 lemons
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
Directions:
- Wash the apples and carrots.
- Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into small chunks. Add to the large bowl.
- Add the lemon juice to the cut apple and stir to combine.
- Grate the carrots. Add them to the large bowl.
- Measure the raisins and add them to the large bowl.
- Measure the yogurt and add it to the apple-carrot mixture. Stir.
- Enjoy!
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 MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS |
| “Through the pandemic, our focus was on figuring out how to support farmers to continue selling products and connect them with community members. The resilience everyone showed was incredible and inspiring.”
—Molly Nicholie, interviewed in the Mountain Xpress about her new role as ASAP executive director
"It's really nice to be able to bring food to our community throughout the week. So, between all of the markets, no matter what time you're available to shop, it's nice to be able to get off work on a mid-week and restock your pantry until you get to the weekend."
—Jessica Dobson, River Arts District Farmers Market executive director, interviewed by WLOS
"Turnips and cabbage and squash, oh my. ’Tis the season for winter produce, and three Buncombe County tailgate markets and its vendors are braving the cold with weekly winter tailgate markets. Find your fresh and local root vegetables, greens, mushrooms, eggs, meats, cheeses, breads, baked goods, condiments, honey, fermented foods, seafood, prepared foods and beverages at the following markets: ASAP Market, the River Arts District Farmers Market, and the Weaverville Tailgate Market."
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ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
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