2023 Local Food Guide

ASAP’s mission is to help local
farms thrive, link farmers to markets
and supporters, and build healthy
communities through connections to
local food. To do that work, ASAP:
• Publishes free resources for finding
local food, including the annual Local
Food Guide.
• Identifies and defines “local” through
Appalachian Grown certification and
branding.
• Creates events to connect communities
to local farms and food, such as the
Farm Tour and CSA Fair.
• Operates Asheville City Market and
supports other farmers markets in
the region.
• Builds farmer capacity for business
planning and marketing through
resources, training, grower-buyer
connections, and one-on-one
consultation.
• Provides farm to school/preschool tools
and training for educators through
Growing Minds.
• Connects chefs, grocers, and other
businesses with farmers to source
local products.
• Increases access to local food with
programs like Double SNAP for Fruits
and Vegetables and Farm Fresh Produce
Prescription.
• Engages healthcare professionals
in using local food as a preventive
health strategy.
• Examines the role of the regional
food system through our Local Food
Research Center.
Visit asapconnections.org to learn more
about our work.
photo by Highgate Farm
This is your definitive guide for discovering local food in the Southern
Appalachian region, brought to you by ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable
Agriculture Project). Use the listings to find Appalachian Grown farms and
farmers markets, plus partner restaurants, artisan food producers, grocery
stores, and other businesses that are committed to sourcing locally. Learn
more about Appalachian Grown and what we mean by local on page 4. The
companion online guide at appalachiangrown.org is updated throughout
the year and includes more listings, details, and search capabilities.
Throughout this guide you will find opportunities to connect with local
food and farms, this community, and each other. The local food movement
is all about building these connections and finding a sense of place.
Whether you come to the table to support working farms, eat fresh food at
the peak of the season, or gather with your neighbors, you are welcome.
Local food is directly tied to economic, social, and physical health. Recent
years have shown us how interconnected individual and community health
are. Our choices matter! Visiting farms, shopping at farmers markets, sharing
recipes, participating in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), or
enjoying a meal encourages us to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, get
outside, and cook together with friends and family. These simple acts have
the potential to make us healthier and happier, while also supporting
strong farms, thriving local food economies, and healthy communities.
ASAP calls this “Farm Fresh for Health,” and these ideas drive much of our
work and programming.
We hope you experience some of this as you use this guide to learn about
and connect with local food and farms in our region.
appalachiangrown.org Local Food Guide 1