Kid's Editions of Popular Local Food Guide and Bumper Sticker Launched

In spring 2010, ASAP will launch a new kid's versions of its popular materials: the Local Food Guide and Local Food -Thousands of Miles Fresher bumper sticker. The sticker will be scaled down for a bike, and the kid sized guide will feature special contents and activities.  

Publication of the local food bumper sticker and Local Food Guide for kids is made possible by funding from the Community Benefits Program of Mission Hospital.

The kid's guide will highlight ways children can access local food: in school cafeterias--including the Asheville City and Buncombe County public schools'-- as well as at school gardens, farmers markets, and farms offering tours and other kid friendly experiences. The guide will profile regional farmers and their children, so kids can see who grows their food--and that kids like them play a role in the local food system. The kid's Local Food Guide will also include activities, such as farmers market scavenger hunts and recipes kids can make themselves, to encourage them to become the next generation of local farm supporters. To help teachers use information about local food and farms in the classroom, ASAP will offer free lesson plans to complement the guide.  Contact Molly for resources.
 

ASAP Serves on State Local Food Council

This month, the North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council held its inaugural meeting in Raleigh.  In the legislation creating the council,  Western North Carolina-based ASAP was named as an organization to serve as one of the 27 members.  ASAP's Executive Director Charlie Jackson, member of the council, commented, "I'm honored to be representing ASAP and Western North Carolina, and to work with people from around the state to help more farms succeed and more people access fresh, local food."

 The North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council meetings are open to the public, and there was standing room only in the crowd of a hundred or more at February 2 convening. The council is drawing attention because it will deal with timely issues such as research to investigate the state of agriculture in North Carolina, recommendations on how agencies can better work together, and methods for facilitating a stronger food system and greater food security. During this first meeting, NC Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler was elected Chair.

"We're bringing together people from all different parts of the food system and the state to look at how we can make it work better for North Carolinians," Jackson said. Of the council members, Jackson and Jamie Ager, owner of Hickory Nut Gap Farm (appointed as a  representative of sustainable animal producers), are from  Western North Carolina.

Business Planning, Training, and QuickBooks Software Available from ASAP

ASAP provides farm business planning services. We can work with farmers on financial projections, crop plans, marketing strategies, and more.We now also offer training and support for farmers who are transitioning to QuickBooks for their record keeping.

As part of our Business Planning services, ASAP is providing training and support for farmers who use QuickBooks or are interested in converting to QuickBooks. Limited sessions with our staff may include consulting on current setup, problem-solving, payroll issues, expanding the use of features, and other ways to get more out of your farm accounting process.   If you are not currently using QuickBooks, ASAP has a limited number of QuickBooks 2010 Pro software packages available which are offered with basic set-up and training by our staff.   Participants will retain the software CD and the license.

Click here for information on setting up appointments and applying for free software.

Appalachian Apples Recognized
by National Alliance

2010 is the Year of the Heirloom Apple, according to the Renewing America's Food Traditions Alliance (RAFT), based at Slow Food USA.

RAFT has set a goal of aiding in the identification and recovery of 90 additional heirloom varieties in each region of the US. Appalachia has been identified as the richest region on the continent for heirloom apples.

Our area's wealth of apples brings project leader Gary Nabhan, author of the 2001 local food oriented book Coming Home to Eat, and the more recent work Renewing America's Food Traditions, to Swannanoa, NC for two speaking engagements this month. He will be speaking at Warren Wilson College as well as providing a workshop on heirloom apple opportunities at ASAP's Marketing Opportunities for Farmers Conference.  (The conference is now full and registration closed ).

At the ASAP conference, he will be joined by Ron and Suzanne Joyner, owners of Big Horse Creek Farm in Ashe County, where more than 300 heirloom apple varieties are maintained and offered for sale.

For more information on Nabhan's Warren Wilson College talks, see February 26 and 27 at http://www.warren-wilson.edu/info/calendar/events/.