monthly news from ASAP    |   SEPTEMBER 2022    |    asapconnections.org

Farm Tour Photo Contest Winners!
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Thank you to all the farms, volunteers, staff, and everyone who came out to participate in the 2022 Farm Tour! We had a fantastic time and we love hearing your stories and seeing your photos from the weekend. The above images are the winners of our 2022 Farm Tour photo contest. Clockwise from top left:
Colleen Noonan, donkey at Franny's Farm : [link removed]: "There was a group of donkeys and goats—a welcoming crew of sorts—that looked almost like cartoon characters. They were full of smiles and open arms. Franny and family could not have been more welcoming and friendly. And I left with a lot of pasta. What a dreamland!"Donna Jernigan, rice at Lee's One Fortune Farm : [link removed]: Donna visited the farm on the recommendation of her daughter, who is a regular shopper with Lee's One Fortune Farm at area farmers markets. Donna was excited to learn from Tou Lee about growing rice in North Carolina.Jacqueline Boone, mountain view at The Ten Acre Garden : [link removed]: "The farm was beautiful and we had some of the best pizza of our lives! This shot was taken by the water wheel next to the creek. I was struck by the light and how beautiful the path was leading back to the farm. Very peaceful."Whitney Durrant, mushroom at Two Trees Farm/Sustainabillies : [link removed]: "When I saw this shiitake mushroom growing there in the light, I thought 'what a perfect mushroom,' and I just had to take its picture. I love mushrooms and have been obsessed with their health benefits for years. I hope to someday grow my own varieties of fungi!"We are so grateful for the support of our Farm Tour sponsors, especially our title sponsors, Explore Asheville : [link removed] and Red Fiddle Vittles : [link removed], for helping to make this year's tour possible.



An Appalachian Grown Harvest on Nov. 11
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Join us for a one-of-a-kind meal prepared by ome of the area's best chefs, all sourced from local farms!

ASAP has been creating connections between our region’s farmers, restaurants, and community for more than 20 years. We are celebrating the milestone anniversary of the organization and the end of the harvest season by coming together at the table to share An Appalachian Grown Harvest : [link removed]. 

 

Friday, November 11
5 p.m. - cocktail hour and farmer chat
6:30-8:30 p.m. - five-course dinner
 

Yesterday's Spaces : [link removed]
305 Sluder Branch Road, Leicester, NC
 

Purchase tickets here. : [link removed] Local Turkey for the Holidays
: [link removed]'s time to reserve your local turkey for Thanksgiving! Appalachian Grown farms are taking orders—but they tend to sell out quickly, so act fast to reserve yours. Find a list of local farms with turkeys available : [link removed], as well as prices, sizes, and pickup locations. We'll update this list over the next month as much as possible to note farms that have sold out or added wait lists. 
 
Buying a turkey directly from a local farm means you know what you're getting—whether that's pasture-raised, heritage breed, non-GMO feed, processed on-farm, etc. Buying locally strengthens our economy. And local birds just taste better!



Final Farm Fresh for Health Symposium on Oct. 20
: [link removed] Winding Stair Farm ASAP's final Farm Fresh for Health Regional Symposium : [link removed] is Thursday, Oct. 20, from 3 to 7 p.m., at Winding Stair Farm : [link removed] in Franklin, NC. Join the conversation and register for your spot : [link removed] now! The symposiums are designed for healthcare professionals in Western North Carolina to take part in farm tours, hands-on activities, and facilitated discussion about how they can use Farm Fresh for Health tools in their own practices to improve health outcomes. The Oct. 20 symposium will dive into the settings, systems, and social capital available to make these local food as medicine initiatives come to life. Hear from Stacy Bredendieck, co-owner of Winding Stair Farm & Nursery : [link removed], and Hannah and Alan Edwards of Yonder Community Market : [link removed] about the ways they've opened their doors for community events and activities that build connections and access around shared local food experiences.Get inspired by existing Farm Fresh for Health initiatives that infused local food and nutrition education into existing health programs. Our featured panel will bring us the voices of Lisa McBride, founder of WNC Farm to Table : [link removed], Rose James, nutritionist and project coordinator for Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Food Distribution Program : [link removed], and Jennifer Trippe, Registered Dietitian and director of ASAP’s Growing Minds Farm to School : [link removed] program.Dream and scheme about your own Farm Fresh for Health initiative with other community leaders over dinner catered by Mary-Martin Steele, owner of Mary-Martin Meals : [link removed].



October Is National Farm to School Month!
: [link removed] way to celebrate National Farm to School Month is by joining in the North Carolina Crunch : [link removed]. You don't have to be a student or educator to participate! Just crunch into a locally grown apple at noon on Wednesday, October 19 (or another day during the month of October). Find resources for how schools, farmers, businesses, or other groups can get involved on the Growing Minds website : [link removed], including:
Sign up : [link removed] your class, school, or entire district.Host a Crunch at your farmers market in October.Crunch at home or in the office with your family/co-workers. Set up a Crunch photo booth at your business and encourage customers to post selfies.Do you work at a restaurant? Feature a local apple recipe on your menu.Plan an employee field trip to a u-pick apple farm : [link removed] pictures of your Crunch on social media with the hashtags #NCCrunch and #F2SMonth.Register : [link removed] your event to get additional resources. No event is too small to register and you can skip the questions for schools if your event will not be held in a school.  NC Crunch is co-sponsored by NC Farm to Preschool Network : [link removed] and Farm to School Coalition of NC : [link removed].



20 YEARS OF ASAP
: [link removed] part of ASAP's 20th anniversary celebration, each month we are sharing the origins of some of our programs. 
In 2009, ASAP presented its first solo Farm Tour : [link removed] (for two years before that we had partnered with several other organizations on the Mountain Farm and Garden Tour). Since 2009, ASAP's Farm Tour has featured more than 125 unique farms, including produce farms, creameries, vineyards, orchards, and more. Each year the tour includes returning favorites and introduces new farms to the tour. (Pictured is Spinning Spider Creamery : [link removed] on ASAP's 2016 Farm Tour.) 
The early years of the tour had more than 30 farms (and more than 40 in 2011!). Starting in 2016, ASAP reduced the number to around 20 each year in order to better feature individual farms and make the tour less overwhelming for attendees. You can participate in the tour every year, and always see something new!

FACES OF LOCAL
Tiana Kennell
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ASAP likes to share the stories of people who help us fulfill our mission. This month we're talking to Tiana Kennell : [link removed], the food and dining reporter for the Citizen Times. Tiana moved to Asheville last year from Shreveport, Louisiana, where she was the Louisiana Flavor Reporter for the Shreveport Times.
 

Did you get to have any farm experiences last fall?
 

I got here the first week of October, so I’m one week away from my anniversary. We were crazy busy unpacking, but I did make it out to Grandad’s Apples : [link removed]. Having grown up in Michigan, I was very excited about being in back a place with an apple season. We shot the apple cannon and bought cider and donuts, just had a whole afternoon. It was a great day.
 

In coming onto this job, something I communicated with the editors during my interview, is that I wanted to cover farms. I had done that in Louisiana, but I was so excited when I saw how many there are here. Whether it’s reporting or promotion, I want to put a spotlight on farmers—when they are struggling and need support, if they’re recovering from a storm, but also to tell people about what’s on their plate.
 

How have you gotten to know Asheville’s local food scene in the past year?
 

Talking to people, asking what they like. Online research, especially before I got here, and knowing I had certain food interests (for instance, my boyfriend is vegan). Showing up places. There’s always something new to explore. I’ve also learned to pay attention to what people put on their menus. If they mention farm or other community partners, then that’s someone I want to learn about, too. It’s a question I ask restaurants or businesses—who in the community are you working with? Though often people here are putting that first, before I’ve even asked. “We source from these farms, these producers.” There’s pride from local restaurants and businesses about those partnerships. It’s genuine.
 

Does that seem unique to this area?
 

I think what makes it unique is that we have so many local places. Coming from Louisiana, while we had local restaurants, there were a lot of chain restaurants, too. Or places that sometimes would say local, and then you would ask for a farm name, and it would be… [silence]. Asheville is a great place for small businesses to thrive, and collaborations come out of that. There’s a domino effect. You have environment where it’s easier to eat local because people have made those products available.

What are some of your favorite stories you’ve covered?
 

It’s so hard because stories differ so much. I can’t say I have a favorite story. I will say that what drives me to do what I do, and what I try to convey through my articles, is spotlighting a community, especially a community that doesn’t usually get the spotlight. Yes, we want to celebrate those with big names and hold them up and keep them going, but just as much I want to show new businesses. These are people who are trying, who have this passion. I love it when I get an email from a business owner that they had more people show up after I wrote an article. I know I’ve done my job.
 

This year you got to go on ASAP’s Farm Tour : [link removed]. What was your experience?
 

I was blown away by just how many experiences there were. “Farm” is really just a blanket word for all that is out there. It’s a farm tour, but we’re going to a creamery where they are passionate about making goat cheese. Then down the street are people growing grapes and producing wine. Then you go to another stop where Utopian Seed Project : [link removed] is growing all these crops you’ve never seen before—and at the same farm you have hemp! There’s such a diverse and robust offering here.
 

On the first day, I went out to Creasman Farms : [link removed]. I had spoken with Dawn, the owner, before, but I hadn't been out there, and it was a great to really see what they were doing. Then Sideways Farm & Brewery : [link removed] was such a different experience. It’s in a residential neighborhood and they completely transformed the land. This is a community hangout, too, not just for the tour. Jeter Mountain Farm : [link removed] reminded me of where I used to go to in Michigan, but on an even larger scale.
 

I went with friends, and driving between farms, we never turned the radio on. We just had the windows down and talked. Being off the grid and having conversation was great. Every place had this sense of peace, and also community, seeing other people of all ages out on the tour.
 

Do you have any favorite fall dishes?
 

I asked friends on social media what to do with all the apples I bought at Creasman Farms. I plan to make an apple and goat cheese puff pastry. The goat cheese is from Mount Gilead Farm and French Broad Creamery : [link removed], which I also got on the Farm Tour. Really, the reason why I haven’t cooked with these apples yet is because I’ve just been putting out a breakfast charcuterie board each morning with apples, goat cheese, and local sourwood honey.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Chue Lee's Luffa Squash : [link removed]
 

During ASAP's Farm Tour, Chue Lee offered cooking demos at Lee's One Fortune Farm : [link removed], including this luffa squash recipe, which she shared with us. Luffa squash is a vining gourd native to southeast Asia, but grows well in Western North Carolina. Harvested when it's young, it can be is eaten raw or cooked. But harvested later in the fall, when the gourd has dried, it can also be used to make a natural loofah sponge! Look for luffa squash and the other ingredients from Lee's One Fortune Farm at area farmers markets. 
Ingredients:
5 to 8 luffa squash5 to 6 large white elephant ear stalks1/2 cup green onion2 cloves garlic 3 tablespoons neutral oil1 teaspoon saltoyster sauce (optional)Directions:Peel luffa squash and cut into bite-sized pieces. Slice elephant ear stalks diagonally into half-inch pieces. Thinly slice green onions. In a large frying pan get the oil hot. Add garlic cloves, and swirl the pan to distribute the flavor. Add your sliced vegetables and squash and cook until they are very tender. Add salt to taste.Serve alongside rice with oyster sauce for additional seasoning, if desired.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
“I’m hoping [with ASAP's Farm Tour], that we can kind of show people some of our daily life routines. And I hope it will inspire somebody they will want to farm and want to preserve their land. I think it’s good that people bring their children to see that it’s not all fun and games. It’s not just about picking apples. You’ve got to care for that tree. You have to trim it, you have to mow, you have to spray, you have to take care of things.”
—KT Taylor of KT's Orchard and Apiary, speaking about ASAP's Farm Tour in the Smoky Mountain News : [link removed] 



“The crowning jewel for us is our rice. For us to be able to grow it here and continue our traditional way of life by providing for our families and friends is highly treasured. [...] We will have a hay ride wagon to take our visitors around the property. There will be a family recipe of Hmong-style sausages for taste and purchase that is produced by our cousin in Wisconsin. We will also demonstrate how to cook rice and vegetables the traditional Hmong way.”
—Tou Lee of Lee's One Fortune Farm, speaking about ASAP's Farm Tour in The Laurel of Asheville : [link removed]

“It’s a big celebration, especially in a year where there’s an abundance of apples. After some [apple orchards] experienced flooding and frost and certainly just the down years with the pandemic where the u-pick carnival celebrations were a little bit subdued, this is feeling like it’s a good apple season across the board. Everybody’s growing and producing, and I’ve heard people say it’s a bumper year, so even better than just ‘not bad.’”

—ASAP communications manager Sarah Hart in the Asheville Citizen Times : [link removed]


Kiera Bulan said that organizations, such as the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, are working to better value the time and effort that farmers expend growing in a way that better reflects the true cost of real food in our community. “There is a real need for nonprofit organizations to step into that intermediary space between producers and the public in order to support producers to stay on their farms and grow food for the community."
—Kiera Bulan, sustainability coordinator for the City of Asheville, in UNCA's The Blue Banner : [link removed] 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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