N o v e m b e r   2 0 1 9         a s a p c o n n e c t i o n s . o r g

Tips for a Local Thanksgiving!
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ASAP can help you plan a locally sourced Thanksgiving!
Looking for a local turkey? As of this week, there were still a few farms with turkeys available : [link removed]! Act quickly if you want to reserve one.Not able to find a turkey, or just not into that particular bird? We have alternative entree ideas for your Thanksgiving table in our weekly farmers market report : [link removed] when your local market will be open next week and through the holiday season? Find opening and closing dates : [link removed] for markets across the region, as well as special holiday markets : [link removed], on our website.Need more holiday meal inspiration? We've been sharing our staff's favorite Thanksgiving recipes on Facebook : [link removed] and Instagram : [link removed], and there are more collected here : [link removed].





#GivingTuesday
: [link removed] Dec. 4, ASAP, like many nonprofits, will participate in #GivingTuesday, a day created in 2012 that has since grown into a global movement, inspiring hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. #GivingTuesday follows the Thanksgiving holiday each year, which places shared food and community in the spotlight. It's a time when we're thinking even more about our gratitude for the farmers who grow the food we eat and enjoy.


Help us support local food, strong farms, and healthy communities. Make a donation to ASAP : [link removed] on this #GivingTuesday.

(And read why giving to ASAP is important to one of donor, Gail Leach, in our Faces of Local column below.)





Pick Your Own Tree
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Locally grown Christmas trees are a great way to support local agriculture and get a tree you can feel good about. Use the online Local Food Guide to find a u-pick Christmas tree farm : [link removed] and turn picking out a tree into a family field trip! Not up for a the drive? Many farmers markets across the region will have tree growers at market through December. Check with your local market to find out more information.





Registration Is Open for the Business of Farming Conference
: [link removed] : [link removed] is open for the 2020 Business of Farming Conference, which will take place Saturday, Feb. 22, at the AB Tech Conference Center in Asheville, NC. Early-bird rates are available through Feb. 1, and discounts are available for farm partners registering together. 

ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference : [link removed] brings together more than 200 professional farmers from across the Southeast region to network and share resources to grow their farm businesses. Farmers will learn about marketing, business planning, branding, and 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.





Cost Share Funds for Appalachian Grown Branding
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Through support from the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, ASAP can reimburse farms for 75 percent (up to $1,500) of the cost to design and print custom labels, packaging, signs, and other marketing materials for your Appalachian Grown business. Consumers look for certified Appalachian Grown products where they shop to ensure their food dollars support family farms in our region. This cost share program is a way to help farmers incorporate the Appalachian Grown logo into marketing and packaging so that consumers know when they are purchasing authentically local food. Find out more information or apply on our website. : [link removed] Questions? Email [email protected] : mailto:[email protected] .





Fill Out the Appalachian Grown Farmer Survey
: [link removed] you a farmer in our Appalachian Grown program? Have you filled out the 2019 Appalachian Grown farmer survey yet? Look for an email from [email protected] : mailto:[email protected] . You have through this weekend to fill it out! 
 

Every year, ASAP's Local Food Research Center : [link removed] conducts a survey to learn about the experiences of farmers, including changes in markets, specific challenges that farmers face, and the types of resources and support that are most helpful to farm businesses. By completing this confidential survey, you have an opportunity to reflect on your experience as a farmer in 2019. Your perspective helps ASAP’s researchers better understand how farming is changing, both in our region and compared to national trends. Additionally this survey offers ASAP feedback on our work and helps to inform the types of programs and resources that we offer.





And Get in the Guide
We update our Local Food Guide : [link removed] annually so that the community stays up to date on where the can find and connect with Appalachian Grown food and farms. As the growing season slows down for the winter, staff and volunteers will call more than 1,400 farms, tailgate markets, and businesses over the next two months to ensure we have complete and current information for the printed guide, which comes out in April, and online at appalachiangrown.org : [link removed]. Update your listing today : [link removed] or volunteer to help in our phone-a-thon : [link removed]! Have questions about how to manage your listing? You can call the ASAP office at 828-236-1282.





Seeking Winter Interns
ASAP is now accepting applications : [link removed] for winter internships in Communications, Local Food Promotions, Asheville City Market, and Local Food Research Center. Interning with ASAP allows students and recent graduates to gain a deeper understanding of how local food systems work and discover how their personal skills and interests can help local farms thrive and build healthier communities through connections to food. 
 
Have questions or want to apply? Visit our website : [link removed] or email [email protected] : mailto:[email protected] .



PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT
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Our photo of the month comes from Julie Hettiger, a professional food stylist, culinary consultant and photographer. Look for surprises like ginger (pictured) and turmeric at holiday markets : [link removed] this season!

FACES OF LOCAL
Gail Leach
: [link removed] likes to share the stories of people who help us fulfill our mission. This month we talk with Gail Leach, a longtime ASAP donor and committed farmers market shopper.

 

Why is supporting ASAP important to you?

I think ASAP is one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever run into my life. I don’t know why rest of country couldn’t follow the model [of promoting local food and supporting farms and farmers markets]. I am only in North Carolina in the summer months, and I can’t wait to get back to the markets. 
 

How do you see the effect of ASAP's work in our community?
 

I see a lot of people excited about market days, to see what’s there and new and ripe currently, and who has the best stuff. The commitment of farmers, all the people at farmers markets, makes them overwhelmingly pleasurable places to be. It seems like everyone supports each other. One vendor supports another, one market supports another. I have a bag from the River Arts District Farmers Market : [link removed], and when I go to other markets, people come up to me and say how much they love that market.
 

What may people not realize about ASAP’s impact?
 

I don’t think people realize the impact ASAP has had on farmers markets—everything from the bags the farmers use to the educational process. Also, I recognize farms now in the regular grocery store. ASAP has been instrumental in getting that done.
 

Beyond making a donation to ASAP, how else can people support our local food system?
 

Encourage people to go to local markets. Volunteer for ASAP.
 

Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving dish you shop for at the farmers market?
 

I wish I were going to be in North Carolina for Thanksgiving. I would be looking for carrots, potatoes, meat from Dry Ridge Farm : [link removed], because it’s the best I’ve ever tasted. I would buy everything for the holiday meal at the market!

 

Support ASAP's work by making a donation : [link removed] today.

TAILGATE MARKET ROAD TRIP
Upstate South Carolina
Heading south for the winter? In the latest installment of our Tailgate Market Road Trip series, we explore farmers markets across Upstate South Carolina. Whether you want to pick up fresh produce for a meal, find the perfect souvenir, or are looking for a family friendly activity, these farmers markets offer a great way to connect wherever you travel. 
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Hub City Farmers Market : [link removed] in Spartanburg is a our first stop. Open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, Hub City Farmers Market will stay open outdoors until Dec. 14, then move indoors : [link removed] to the Ciclops Cyderi & Brewery for the third Saturday of each month, January to March. This market is committed to accessibility for all shoppers with a SNAP matching program that doubles the money that SNAP users can spend at market. Apple season is at its height right now. In addition to fresh food, the market offers entertainment for the whole family. Kids activities, such as “Kids in the Kitchen,” which provides kids with a healthy snack as well as a recipe card for food they can make at home. The market also features live music each week. Mark Humpheries and Bill Heacox will both be performing in the coming weeks.
 

Anderson County Holiday Market : [link removed] is a special version of the regular market in Anderson, offered every Saturday after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. In addition to selling fresh produce, many market vendors sell handmade items that make for fantastic Christmas gifts. The market is in a covered space, so don’t hesitate to go out regardless of the weather.
 

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If you want to be somewhere warm when you shop, look no further than The Toasty Farmer : [link removed] in Greenville, now in its fourth year. The market operates out of Brewery 85, meaning you can sip on a craft beer while you peruse the many vendors that sell here! Great options include pimento cheese, vegan cheese, sauces, salsas, beef, chicken, gumbo, candles, soaps, local art, and more. Brewery 85 is in the process of building a new event space, which will mean even more vendors come 2020! The Toasty Farmer also hosts artists and bands to perform every market, making the entire winter a lively experience. The market plans to run on Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., from Dec. 7 to March 7.
 

Find more winter and holiday market hours at appalachiangrown.org : [link removed].

RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Grandma Lungstom's Apple Pie

 

We've been sharing favorite Thanksgiving recipes from the ASAP staff on social media as we lead up to the holiday. You can find them all collected here : [link removed]. The classic apple pie recipe below comes from Amy Marion in our Local Food Research Center : [link removed].
 

Double Pie Crust
 
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoons salt2 tablespoons sugar (only use if making a fruit pie)11 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ¼ inch pieces7 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening5-6 tablespoons ice waterDirections: 
Mix flour and salt (and sugar if using) in food processor. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue cutting with about four more 1-second pulses. Mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas. Turn mixture into a medium-sized bowl.Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of ice water over mixture. With the blade of a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix. Press down on the dough with the broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time and folding, until dough comes together. You don’t want to over mix or the dough will become tough.Shape dough into 2 balls with your hands, then flatten into 4-inch discs. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or more) before rolling.Apple Pie Filling
 
Ingredients:
6 large tart apples (select a couple different kinds)¾ cup sugar (less if using sweeter apples)1+ tablespoon flour (adjust to juiciness of apples)1 teaspoon cinnamon½ teaspoon nutmeg⅛ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon lemon juice1 tablespoon butter, cut into small piecesDirections:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.Place bottom crust dough into pie pan.Peel, core and slice apples. Fill pie crust with apples. Pile them tall; they will shrink down significantly.In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, spices, and salt. Add lemon juice and mix until combined. Sprinkle over apples. (Don’t mix together.) Dot with butter.Add upper crust dough and make slits for steam. Brush with half and half and lightly sprinkle with sugar. Protect crust edge with pie crust shield or aluminum foil strips.Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower to 350 degrees and bake for 60 minutes (or until bottom crust is brown).

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

ASAP in the News
ASAP gets a shout out from Sally Eason in Our State : [link removed]'s story on the rich history of Sunburst Trout.



ASAP on the Air
: [link removed]’s Growing Local audio series runs on WNCW : [link removed] on Monday mornings during Morning Edition at 8:45 am. Here are a few recent episodes:
 



How Local Chefs Celebrate Thanksgiving : [link removed] Home Through Local Food : [link removed] Community Connections at Beacon Village Farm : [link removed] CSAs Support Employees and Farmers : [link removed]
You can listen to all Growing Local episodes on SoundCloud : [link removed], iTunes : [link removed], or on ASAP's website : [link removed].



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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