Events
 2005
Marketing Opportunities for Farmers Conference - SOLD
OUT!
This unique conference will be hosted by ASAP
on February 26, 2005 at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC and will
offer a variety of workshops designed to facilitate effective marketing
for farmers or those who are serious about farming. For more detailed
information and to register, go to the conference webpage: 2005
Marketing Opportunities for Farmers Conference.
4-5
- Friday-Saturday - 2nd Medicinal
Herb Conference: Growing North Carolina's Natural Products
Economy, Asheville, NC. Conference will be held at the NC Arboretum
and will be full of information for everyone associated with the industry
including growers, researchers, and health professionals. This will
be the second conference sponsored by the N.C. Natural Products Association.
In addition to sessions on growing, harvesting, propagating, and marketing
medicinal herbs, there will a new track devoted to medical issues and
an improved research poster session. More information will be posted
soon at http://ncnaturalproducts.org.
5
- Saturday - Asheville Artisan Bread Festival,
Asheville, NC. More than a dozen local, artisan bread bakers
will showcase their bread at this unique event to be held at Greenlife
Grocery on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville from 2pm - 6 pm. You can taste
local, handmade (mostly organic) bread, much of it baked in wood-fired
brick ovens, along with local bread spreads such as jams, cheeses,
and dipping oil. An expert panel will discuss the art and science of
artisan bread and answer questions.
12
- Saturday - 12th Annual Organic Growers
School, Flat Rock, NC. Held at the Blue Ridge Community College.
Registration forms with full class schedule will be mailed out and
posted online in late January. To join the mailing list, email your
contact information to: info@organicgrowersschool.org Please
indicate whether you would like to receive a registration form by mail
or email. Contact Karen Vizzina, OGS Registrar karen@organicgrowersschool.org or
(828)369-2375 with questions. To get involved as a volunteer or sponsor,
contact Elly Wells, OGS Coordinator elly@organicgrowersschool.org or
(828)258-3387.
 Mountain
Tailgate Market Association (MTMA) - MTMA featured in the Autumn
SARE newsletter (requires free
Adobe PDF reader). Locate MTMA markets and download survey instruments,
bylaws, and rules and regulations used by the Mountain
Tailgate Market Association.
Blue Ridge Food Ventures (BRFV), an initiative of AdvantageWest
North Carolina and the N.C.
Department of Agriculture, is a shared-use value-added food processing
center located in Asheville serving food entrepreneurs throughout the
region. It provide services to those wishing to start or grow small businesses
in the food industry, to local farmers who wish to add value to their
products through processing, and to caterers and bakers needing a permitted
kitchen to prepare foods for their clients. Steam kettles, convection
ovens, juice pasteurizers, and bottling and labeling machines are available
for use by clients in the almost 3,000 sq. feet of food processing areas.
In addition, over 1,000 sq. feet of refrigerator and freezer space is
available for rent. For more information, email the Director of BRFV,
Mary Lou Surgi at mlsurgi@awnc.org
or call at 828-713-5722.
12 - 14 - Friday - Sunday -
2004 Sustainable Agriculture Conference Satisfy your hunger
for real food at the "Real Food Revival". Carolina Farm Stewardship
Association's 19th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference will be
held November 12th-14th, 2004 in Asheville, NC and will bring together
farmers, gardeners, educators, businesses, and activists for a weekend
of organic information and inspiration. Featuring workshops, a trade
show, delicious meals featuring local and organic foods, a contra dance,
and more. Visit www.carolinafarmstewards.org or
call (919) 542-2402 to register.
2004 local Food Guide Available - Local Food
Guides can be found throughout western North Carolina at visitor and welcome
centers, libraries, bookstores, restaurants, grocers, tailgate markets,
and many other locations. If you can not find a Guide but would like one,
call the ASAP office at 828-236-1282 or email info@BuyAppalachian.org.
Organic Growers Certification Cost Share
North
Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has
a cost share program to assist the organic grower with the cost
of becoming
certified under the National Organic Program. For a farm to become
certified, a grower must be certified by a business or organization
that is accredited
by the USDA to certify organic operations.The financial assistance
program is a 3-year program beginning January 1, 2002 and ending
December 31,
2004. The NCDA & CS will reimburse current and transitional
growers for 50% of the cost of certification up to a maximum of
$500 per year.
Return application by August 15th of the current year in which
you are applying for funds. Download the Organic
Growers Certification Cost Share Form. Requires free
Adobe PDF reader.
Working
the Land A traveling exhibit about the past, present, and future of
farming in southern Appalachia, particularly western North Carolina. This
exhibit features Mountain Partners in Agriculture
and Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
as leaders in developing alternatives for farmers.
Join the ASAP
e-mail list!
10 Reasons
to Buy Local
In the News
-All News links open in a new browser window!-
Supporting
local farmers benefits us all Asheville Citizen Times February
13, 2005.
Students
digging into fresh, locally grown lettuce, fruit: Children love area
farmer’s fare Asheville Citizen Times February
4, 2005.
Local
Abundance Just Around the Corner New Life Journal December/January
2005.
Getting
Kids Hooked on Gardening New Life Journal August/September
2004.
Who
Grows Your Food? New Life Journal August/September
2004.
Local
markets to celebrate summertime this week Asheville Citizen-Times
August 1, 2004.
Heirloom
tomatoes stem from the rich heritage of mountain gardeners Asheville
Citizen-Times July 20, 2004.
ASAP article
- Appalachian
Flavor New Life Journal June/July 2004.
Food
Network host feasts in Asheville Asheville Citizen-Times
June 4, 2004.
Slow
Food movement helps local economy, farmers and restores a healthy tradition
Asheville Citizen-Times May 20, 2004.
Food
Network's '$40 a Day' is coming to town Asheville Citizen-Times
May 18, 2004.
Cooking
the right way takes a slow hand Asheville Citizen-Times May
13, 2004.
 Taking
Back Control of our Food New Life Journal February/March
2004
ASAP,
Children First, and MANNA FoodBank receive NC Health and Wellness grant
Children
First gets wellness grant to promote nutrition and exercise Asheville
Citizen-Times November 29, 2003
Local
Food to Local Schools: Farm to School in Western North Carolina New
Life Journal December/January 2003-2004. In
WNC, as around Western Hemisphere, challenge is to evolve and innovate,
rather than compete with agribusiness giants Asheville
Citizen-Times November 29, 2003
Risk
of infected food is just another in a series of good reasons to buy
locally-grown produce Asheville Citizen-Times November
28, 2003
APPALACHIAN
FARMS: Henderson County Apples – Generations of Tradition New
Life Journal October/November 2003
It's
Asheville, naturally: A cornucopia of eclectic restaurants and tailgate
markets selling fresh foods... Charlotte Observer September
23, 2003
Where
Does Your Garden Grow? Bold Life September 2003
ASAP
article - Biodiversity at
Hickory Nut Gap Farm
Area
tailgate markets stress freshness of local produce Asheville
Citizen-Times July 29, 2003
Area
tailgate markets stress freshness of local produce Asheville
Citizen-Times July 29, 2003
Pick-your-own
berries at Zimmerman Berry Farm – a Family Affair New
Life Journal June/July 2003
Greens
for sale, friends for free at area tailgate markets Asheville
Citizen-Times April 22, 2003
Buying
local produce means getting healthier food, as well as supporting WNC's
farmers Asheville Citizen-Times March 27, 2003
Sharing
the bounty, risks of the farm From the January 22, 2003 Enterprise
Mountaineer
Program
helps tobacco farmers diversify with organic crops Asheville Citizen-Times
October 12, 2002
ASAP gets North Carolina Tobacco Trust
Fund Commission Grant. Read the press
release or see the recipient
list
Guide
Promotes Local Food and Farms Mountain Times September 19,
2002
Local
organic farmers supply WNC tables Asheville Citizen-Times
September 18, 2002
Local
restaurants showcase locally grown food Mountain Xpress September
11, 2002
The
Practical Gardener - Get fresh Mountain Xpress September 11,
2002
Submissions
sought for local food guide Asheville Citizen-Times July
23, 2002
A
guide to buying locally grown food Mountain
Xpress July 3, 2002
Local
food guide published Asheville Global
Report June 27-July 3, 2002
Guide
catalogs sources for purchasing local produce
Waynesville Enterprise Mountaineer June
26-July 2, 2002
Guide
to locally grown food in stores Asheville
Citizen-Times June 17, 2002
Tailgate
Markets Now Open with the Season's Freshest
Local Produce Asheville.Com
Tailgaitin'
- Community markets are homegrown and growing
Mountain Xpress June 6, 2002
Accountability
in agriculture Mountain Xpress May 29, 2002
"Buy
local" food campaign chosen for national initiative Mountain
Xpress April 3, 2002
Spring
arrives; nature's bounty isn't far behind March 19, 2002 Asheville
Citizen Times
Buy
local initiative joins national effort March 6, 2002 Citizen-Times.com
Harvest
festival ushers in fall September 23, 2001 Citizen-Times.com
Organic
field day helps build communityAugust 30, 2001 Citizen-Times.com
Farmer
new to organic farming shows off crops August 30, 2001 Hendersonville
Times-News Online
Apple
farmer starts organic orchard -Brian Brown Farm - Monday August 20
Citizen-Times.com
Sixth-generation
farmer grows organic apples - August 7, 2001  Hendersonville
Times-News Online
Promoting
local community produce - July 11, 2001 Hendersonville Times-News
Online
North
Carolina's new commissioner of agriculture Meg Scott Phipps to visit
- She will be on ASAP Transition Program participant Brian Brown Farm
- August 29, 2001
New Poll - National Majority
Values Farmland
Green
acres - The Sixth Annual Family Farm Tour gets under way - Wednesday
June 13 MountainXpress
Farmers
ask public to 'Buy Appalachian' - Sunday June 10 Asheville Citizen-Times
Locally
grown produce offers healthy choices from May 31, 2001 Asheville-Citizen
Times
Homegrown
food gains promotion from May 20, 2001 Asheville-Citizen Times
Sprawl-fighters
Smart growth challenges status quo from the MountainXpress
Get
Fresh!Buy Appalachian campaign kicks off at Grove Park Inn - from
the MountainXpress
Farming
for the millennium Local farmers explore new crop options -from the
MountainXpress
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