Appalachian
Sustainable Agriculture
Project
306 West Haywood Street
Asheville, NC 28801
Voice: 828-236-1282
Fax: 828-236-1280 Email
Us
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is
a
501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization.
e-Connections: March 2011
'Tis the Season...for CSAs, Markets, & More!
March 2011
Set the Season in Swing!
Mark your calendars now for these exciting spring and summer events brought to you by ASAP:
March 26: ASAP's Meet Your Farmer CSA Fair
2-6 pm, Asheville Brewing Company (77 Coxe Avenue, Asheville) It's your opportunity to meet farmers face-to-face, learn more about their CSA programs, and sign up for your share of the season's bounty! Admission is FREE, and farmers will have samples of CSA products and other homemade goodies. Find a list of the participating farms HERE. And let us know you'll be attending, invite your friends, ask questions, and share subscription stories HERE!
Want to sign up for your farm share right away? Browse the more than 90 farms offering CSAs in our online Local Food Guide.
ASAP will be the Wine Studio's featured nonprofit for April at their Winesday events. That means that every Wednesday ASAP will receive $1 for each person who attends! Winesdays are just $5 and are a great opportunity for area wine lovers to get together, socialize, try new wines, and, in this case, local cheese. A local cheesemaker will be at each of the Winesday nights to sample and sell their artisan products. Here's a schedule:
The final countdown to tailgate market season is upon us. Many markets begin opening in April (visit our website in the coming weeks for a list of opening days and times). Asheville City Market kicks off April 16, and Tupelo Honey Cafe will be there to whip up some of the delicious specialties from their new cookbook, Spirited Recipes from Asheville's New South Kitchen. Don't forget, they're donating $1 from each sale to us! If you pre-ordered your copy, you may already have it in your hands. If you haven't gotten your copy yet, they're sure to have some for sale opening day. See you under the tents!
We've been compiling and editing furiously these past couple of months to bring you the 10th edition of our Local Food Guide! To mark the milestone and officially release the 2011 guide, we'll gather at Highland Brewing Company for a big celebration, and we hope you'll join us. There will be lots of local food from our friends at Tupelo Honey Cafe and, of course, local brews! More details to come.
June 25-26: ASAP's Family Farm Tour
More than 40 farms across WNC
It's never too early to start planning your Family Farm Tour adventure! Mark your calendars now, and be on the lookout at our website and in future e-newsletters for participating farms and button (ticket) information.
Food, Faith, and Farms
ASAP had the privilege of being an organizing partner for this year's WNC Come to the Table conference March 11-12. Come to the Table is an on-going project of the Rural Life Committee of the NC Council of Churches, with support from the Duke Endowment, that explores the connections between food security, faith, and farms.
ASAP's Executive Director Charlie Jackson spoke about area agriculture, and Molly Nicholie, program coordinator, shared the strategies that ASAP's Growing Minds program uses to engage youth in food and agriculture. One hundred and twenty five participants (including folks that came from as far as Iowa) made a great forum for discussion about how grassroots organizing can make a positive change in our food system! For more information and to get involved, visit www.cometothetablenc.org.
Before Local Apples Are All Gone...
...make this quick and easy applesauce! Mr. Blacklow's third grade class at Claxton Elementary did as part of a Growing Minds' local food cooking demonstration earlier this month. Check out more photos from the demo HERE.
Applesauce
(makes approximately 2 quarts)
Ingredients:
10 medium local apples*
1 cup water or local apple cider*
1/4 cup local honey*
1 tbs cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
Method: Peel all apples. Core and cut apples into slices or chunks. Combine apples, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large pot. Heat mixture over medium heat for around 15 minutes or until apples are soft enough to mash. When apples are soft, mash and stir until they are relatively smooth. Cool before serving and enjoy!
*Local honey and a few local apples and jugs of apple cider can still be found at area grocery stores now. For the Claxton cooking demo, we picked up Apple Wedge Packers' apples at Ingles.
get Local
ASAP's Get Local program brings together restaurants, chefs, and community members around the region to highlight and enjoy seasonal ingredients. This month, local eggs get eggstra attention!
For more information about the Get Local program and a list of all participating eateries, visit www.asapconnections.org.
We Want You... ...to apply now for our summer internships!
Interns are a vital part of the ASAP team. We offer four-month and eight-month internships in these categories: Growing Minds, research, and programming.
Click HERE for more information about each position and how to apply; application deadline is April 8. Read a great interview with a spring research intern about her experience in UNCA's Blue Banner.
A Marvelous MOFF!
Our 2011 Marketing Opportunities for Farmers (MOFF) conference last month was a great success thanks to the attendees, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, and our host, Warren Wilson College!
Flip through an online photo album of the event HERE.
Won't You Share Your Sponsorship?
WCQS, which brings you farmers market updates all season long, is hosting their spring fund drive right now.
Did you know that if you give at the $150 day sponsorship level, you can donate your sponsorship and double the value of your giving dollars? Donate your day to ASAP, and you'll help us spread the word about local food and farms!
Connect With Us
Social Media Follow us on:
Events Read about all kinds of food and farming events on ASAP's calendar. You are also invited to post your own.
List Serve We hope that you enjoy our monthly newsletter. You may also want to sign up for our daily list serve here.
E-Newsletter
If you were forwarded this email and would like to be added to our monthly e-newsletter mailing list, click here.
Contact Maggie with e-newsletter comments and suggestions.
Become an ASAP Sustainer today!
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project | 306 West Haywood Street | Asheville | NC | 28801
Looking for the weekly Fresh at Farmers Markets update? Find it at FromHere.org, ASAP's new community website, along with other news, photos, local food and farm events, and more. While you're there, join the conversation!
Curious about the difference your donation can make? Here are some examples of what ASAP can accomplish with your support:
-$1,000 helps farmers access new markets
-$500 brings a class of school children to a local farm
-$100 funds a cooking demo on how to prepare fresh foods
-$50 trains a farmer in new skills -$25 provides seeds and resources for school gardens
Click here to give your gift to ASAP today. Or, give on behalf of a loved one and tell the recipient about the good work that will be done in his or her name.
The final countdown to tailgate market season is upon us. Many markets begin opening in April (visit our website in the coming weeks for a list of opening days and times). Asheville City Market kicks off April 16, and Tupelo Honey Cafe will be there to whip up some of the delicious specialties from their new cookbook, 
