2023 Local Food Guide
ASAP’s annual Local Food Guide is the definitive resource for local food in Western North Carolina and the Southern Appalachians. Find hundreds of listings for family farms and farmers markets, as well as restaurants, artisan producers, and groceries that feature local food. Connect with farm experiences, like u-pick, farm stands, lodging, and more.
ASAP’s annual Local Food Guide is the definitive resource for local food in Western North Carolina and the Southern Appalachians. Find hundreds of listings for family farms and farmers markets, as well as restaurants, artisan producers, and groceries that feature local food. Connect with farm experiences, like u-pick, farm stands, lodging, and more.
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YELLOW MOUNTAIN GARDEN:<br />
Teach the World to Grow<br />
e need to influence as<br />
“Wmany people in the world<br />
to grow food and start backyard<br />
and community gardens,” says<br />
farmer Malcolm Banks, who<br />
operates Yellow Mountain Garden<br />
in Franklin, NC, with his wife,<br />
Hannah, and kids Noemi, Malik,<br />
and Lucy. “A lot of people don’t<br />
understand food right now, but<br />
they understand inflation. Our<br />
goal is to get more people to<br />
learn about where their food<br />
comes from.”<br />
photos by Fusion Digital Media<br />
As he’s tried new methods over<br />
his near-decade of farming,<br />
Malcolm has translated what<br />
he’s learned into gardening and<br />
farming education for others,<br />
including a YouTube channel<br />
(@yellowmountaingarden3865)<br />
and Spotify podcast. He also<br />
offers in-person classes and hosts<br />
events for families and kids on<br />
the farm.<br />
When flooding in the summer of<br />
2021 decimated most of the crops<br />
at Yellow Mountain Garden, the<br />
Banks family made adjustments<br />
to better protect and diversify<br />
the farm’s portfolio. In navigating<br />
those challenges and getting<br />
the hang of each new farming<br />
practice, Malcolm has shared<br />
lessons and experiences with<br />
his community. “I feel like this<br />
year is more about documenting<br />
and putting it out there so that<br />
people can really understand<br />
what we’re doing,” he says.<br />
They moved susceptible crops to<br />
raised beds, and Malcolm posted<br />
demonstrations on how to fill<br />
them. They worked on improving<br />
soil health, and Malcolm<br />
interviewed Hannah, who has a<br />
degree in horticulture, about soil<br />
science for home gardeners. They<br />
brought in animals, including<br />
chickens, sheep, goats, and cows,<br />
so they could offer meat and eggs<br />
to their CSA customers and at<br />
farmers markets. Malcolm added<br />
vlogs on how to build a fence for<br />
livestock and how to keep flies<br />
off cows.<br />
He also dropped an album. Last<br />
year Malcolm released “Cowboy<br />
Baby” under his recording artist<br />
name, Yuccie Banks. The album<br />
blends rap and country along<br />
with bits of rock and bluegrass<br />
in tracks about buying land,<br />
growing vegetables, and moving<br />
cattle—proving that music is yet<br />
another way he can spread his<br />
message and share his experience<br />
as a farmer.<br />
52 ASAP asapconnections.org
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