monthly news from ASAP    |   MARCH 2023    |    asapconnections.org

Farmers Markets Open for Spring
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Farmers tailgate markets are readying tents for the new season, with many openings scheduled in April and May. There are close to 100 markets throughout the Appalachian Grown region. Use the map on ASAP's website : [link removed] to find a list of markets by region, along with season dates for 2023, days of the week, and hours. 
ASAP works to promote and support all markets in the region, but markets are each operated separately. The exception is Asheville City Market : [link removed], which ASAP founded in 2008 to create more opportunities for farms. You can find contact information for individual markets in ASAP's online Local Food Guide : [link removed]. 
These early spring markets will offer an array of produce, including colorful root vegetables like carrots and radishes, tender lettuces and salad greens, cold-hardy greens like kale and spinach, mushrooms, spring alliums, and much more. In addition to produce, market vendors will have meats, cheese, eggs, bread, and prepared foods as well as a wide selection of plant starts. For a weekly report on what's fresh at markets, subscribe to our weekly market report newsletter : [link removed]!



Read the Appalachian Grown Producer Survey Report
: [link removed]Every year ASAP's Local Food Research Center surveys the farmers in our Appalachian Grown network in order to take the pulse of farming in our region and assess the impact of ASAP's programs and services. : [link removed] report from the 2022 survey is available now. : [link removed] 
Market opportunities and sales continued to rebound after the irregularities in many markets due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More farms reported attending off-farm events, allowing customers to sample products, and offering on-farm opportunities than in recent years. Farms also expressed a better market outlook in terms of the number of market outlets available in 2022 compared to 2021. This figure shows a comparison of the percent of farms selling to different market outlets in 2022 vs. the previous three years, including 2019, before the pandemic.  

Though production costs rose again in 2022 for most farmers, many were able to take advantage of reopening markets by scaling up production and finding new ways to sell their goods. Of those that expanded into new markets in 2022, over 60 percent noted increased production as an influence for that growth.


Two new sections were added to this year’s survey to learn more about access to farmland and how farmers build customer relationships. Nearly 60 percent of survey respondents said they wish to expand their farms by purchasing or leasing additional land. Price and availability of land were cited as the two major challenges. Farmers described promoting their growing practices, personal identity, and community connections in order to build relationships with individual customers.



ASAP's CSA Fair + Still Time to Find a CSA
: [link removed]'s CSA Fair on March 10 was a great success! We partnered with the YWCA of Asheville for the second year to hold the event in their community room.
 

Ten farms attended : [link removed] and were able to chat with potential customers about their CSA (or Community Supported Agriculture) programs. Farms had products for sale, ranging from fresh greens and turmeric, to specialty olive oil, to flower bouquets. Additionally, ASAP organized a few local food activities for attendees. Shaniqua Simuel, of Change Your Palate, gave a cooking demonstration with meal kits available. (See below for her recipe!) Danielle Raucheisen, Growing Minds Program Director, presented a local food taste test with broccolini. And ASAP intern Maeve Woollen led seed-planting and coloring activities for kids (pictured below). 
 

Even if you weren't able to attend the fair, or if you are looking for a CSA outside of Buncombe County, you can still use ASAP's CSA tools : [link removed] to find and connect with CSA farms. Search for farms by region, then compare product offerings, pickup locations, and season extension (i.e., if a farm offers a fall or winter CSA).



Internship Opportunity
: [link removed] is seeking an intern for our Growing Minds Farm to School : [link removed] program from early April through the end of May, approximately 10 hours per week. The intern will travel with an ASAP team member to schools in the WNC region for local food taste tests, gardening, and cooking activities, as well as provide in-office project support. 
ASAP internships are paid a $100 stipend per week. Find more details and application instructions here. : [link removed] 
Pictured is current ASAP intern Maeve Woollen conducting a seed activity with a preschool student at the YWCA of Asheville.



FACES OF LOCAL
Dylan Allanson
ASAP likes to share the stories of people who help us fulfill our mission. This month we talked to Dylan Allanson, the Health & Nutrition Coordinator at WNCSource, a community organization and Head Start grantee in Hendersonville, NC. Dylan recently joined the advisory committee for the North Carolina Farm to Preschool Network : [link removed], co-facilitated by ASAP’s Growing Minds.
 
Why is farm to school and farm to preschool important to you?
 
It is never too early to start teaching children about their relationship with the food they consume and where their food comes from. Dietary behaviors start early and follow individuals through their lifespan. I believe farm to preschool only helps improve that relationship. Food in general is so important to culture and identity, we want our children to learn about all of that.
 
Tell me about your role with WNCSource.
 
The health team at WNCSource aims at making healthcare more accessible and one less obstacle for our enrolled families in Henderson, Transylvania, Rutherford, and soon to be Polk counties. This ranges from making sure children are up to date on their medical and dental visits, providing transportation to appointments and connecting families with providers and other resources that have the capacity to assist. In my position as Health and Nutrition Coordinator, I also operate the CACFP program that ensures balanced meals and snacks for children while they are in our care.
 
How have you been able to use ASAP and Growing Minds resources in your work?
 
I have been with WNCSource for about one year now, and ASAP and Growing Minds have been an incredible resource for our organization. In the past year our teachers have received training for the Growing Minds curriculum, which has improved teacher buy-in for farm to preschool. We received an equipment mini-grant for our sites that is going toward "cooking in the classroom kits." Our home-based program has taken multiple trips to Bearwallow Valley Farms, and this spring we are starting some raised beds and compost in our outdoor learning environment! Additionally, [program coordinator] Debbi Timson is an active member on our Health Services Advisory Committee, and is so responsive to any of my questions! We love collaborating with ASAP.
 
What are you hoping to bring to the Farm to Preschool Network as part of the advisory committee?
 
I love working behind the scenes on projects and creating a final product. I used to work in Rural Public Health Nutrition Research with the University of Virginia and sometimes I miss it. The advisory committee reminds me of the Community Based Participatory Research that involves stakeholders in every step of the development process instead of researchers assuming what's best for the target population. I am also a registered dietitian, so adding that perspective to the mix is helpful.
 
What are some of your favorite spring activities to share with kids?
 
I might sound cheesy here, but anything that highlights the transition from winter to spring. Sometimes as adults we forget about how incredible spring time really is. Teaching that to children helps us relive that.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Shaniqua Simuel's Mixed Greens Medley Chicken StewDid you attend the CSA Fair last week and taste Shaniqua Simuel : [link removed]'s cooking demonstration? We're sharing her recipe, which is a great way to use winter greens and root veggies, like sweet potatoes. Through her nutrition education business, Change Your Palate, Shaniqua also sells meal kits to help make healthy cooking as accessible as possible. 
 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast1(14 .5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (no salt)1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (no salt)1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper1 cup mixed fresh greens (such as kale and mustard)1/2 sweet potato, sliced1/2 cup chopped onion1 clove garlic, minced1 teaspoon no sodium chicken bouillon or sea salt1 teaspoon onion powder1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
Prepare veggies. Rinse and roughly chop greens. Peel and slice sweet potato. Chop onion and pepper and mince garlic. Clean and season the chicken. Cut into strips.Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet or cast iron pan. Sauté the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.Serve over brown rice or quinoa, if desired.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
"I think it’s the other way around—the children are encouraging the community. Over and over, we see that it’s the children that get excited about growing their own food in their school gardens or in pots in their classrooms. That encourages their families to continue that excitement at home by prepping and/or cooking together. When families start to grow food at home, the word spreads, and that excitement grows throughout their communities."
—Debbi Timson, Growing Minds Program Coordinator, on how the community can encourage kids to eat healthy, quoted in the Mountain Xpress : [link removed]
 

"We are thrilled to partner with ASAP, Darnell Farms, MountainWise, and [Empowering Mountain Food Systems] to bring the Produce Prescription Pilot Program to Swain County. This program is a great example of how local partnerships can strengthen our food system and support community health and wellbeing."
—Trish Hipgrave, public health educator for Swain County Healthy Department, quoted in The Smoky Mountain Times : [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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