ASAP's 2023 Annual Report

Annual
Report
2023

EXPAND
Tomas C. Farms during ASAP’s annual Farm Tour.

Dear Friends,
Thank you for supporting ASAP! As you read through this 2023
Annual Report, you’ll see all the ways your contributions lead to a
stronger, more resilient local food system.
Over the past few years ASAP has grown our Farm Fresh for Health
initiatives that link all aspects of our health—economic, physical,
and social. You’ll read a story on the growth of our Farm Fresh
Produce Prescription, which is gaining momentum similar to our
popular Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables program. These
programs are both a win-win for communities. They simultaneously
feed our neighbors and support local farmers. They bring more
community members to farmers markets and encourage eating
more fresh fruits and vegetables. This has the potential to make us
a healthier, happier community.
ASAP has heard from our partners in the charitable food system
that even though the worst days of the pandemic are behind us, the
demand for food donations has increased. Our work implementing
both the Prescription and Double SNAP programs in 2023 has
prepared ASAP, in partnership with others, to meet this moment.
In 2024, ASAP will begin to expand Double SNAP to all 23 counties of
Western North Carolina across nearly 40 sites. To take the program
to the next level, we are partnering with MountainWise and Blue
Ridge Women in Agriculture to connect SNAP participants with
fresh food in their communities. By combining efforts, we’ll deepen
our impact.
In 2023 and continuing into 2024, I’ve also witnessed the ways the
legacy of our pandemic response program, Appalachian Farms
Feeding Families (AFFF), has continued to provide families in need
with fresh, local food. Through the Growing Minds program, we
continue to support community connections. For example, Pam’s
Child Development Center in Jackson County has continued working
with Carringer Farms. ASAP paired them together in AFFF. Last year,
the owner of the center, Pam Ashe, told us:
“Many of our children sampled new foods prepared by family
members. The children were encouraged to help pick out the fresh
vegetables. It was a true pleasure to see young families taking
home bags of fresh veggies. Each child knew exactly which tomato
or cucumber, etc., they wanted.”
By continuing to support connections like these, we are meeting
our mission to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and
supporters, and build healthy communities through connections
to local food. Together, we are building a local food system that
everyone can participate in.
Together in service,
Molly Nicholie
Executive Director

INNOVATE
Prescription shoppers at Asheville City Market.

Increase Access, Improve Health
Farm Fresh Produce Prescription
Growth
“$40 in my pocket became health for me and my baby
and then became income for farmers. And now I will be
able to take my baby with me to the market.”
In 2023, ASAP’s Farm Fresh Produce Prescription program
saw immense growth. Doctors, nurses, and community
health workers can prescribe their patients or clients
fresh fruits and vegetables that they can then redeem at
participating markets. This incentive program, similar to
Double SNAP, increases access and improves health.
Lauren, a participant in the program, told us how good
it felt to spend money with farmers. She was originally
referred to the program when she was pregnant as one of
several resources through the Nurse-Family Partnership.
Lauren said the program was a game changer for her.
She said she ate so much spinach when she was pregnant
and that it was so nice to not be stressed about food cost
during that time. Today, she says, “there are things we
wouldn’t eat in our household without this program,”
including leafy greens, bok choy, beans, and squash.
Serving Diverse Populations
The prescription program also serves another vulnerable
population—seniors. Vance Goodman, Council on Aging’s
Benefits Enrollment Specialist, worked with ASAP in
2023 to refer seniors to the program. For seniors, Vance
says, the program gets participants to interface with
other humans, visit with one another in shuttles from the
senior housing complex, talk about recipes, and feel like
they’re giving back to the community by spending food
dollars with farmers.
Vance told us that caregivers have also accessed the
program, and when caregivers are taken care of, they’re
better equipped to care for their loved ones.
We heard more about the impact of the program on our
senior community when speaking to Mo Hakala, the
North Asheville Tailgate Market Assistant. Mo told us
that in 2022, they’d see four to five people redeeming
their prescription every week at the market. But in 2023,
this increased to 30 or more households weekly. The
majority of people using the program at the market
are seniors. Mo told us about a group of senior women
who are the first customers to arrive at the market every
Saturday morning. “They pick up tokens together and
walk around the market together. They are not only
happy to shop, but also happy to see friends.”
Alternative Program Model
In 2023, ASAP also tested out another model of the
program in Swain County, a more rural community
without as easy to access farmers markets. This
multi-farm CSA-style food box delivery model served
50 families. ASAP worked in partnership with
MountainWise, the Swain County Health Department,
and EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems to offer
participating families monthly gatherings with cooking
demos, taste tests, family activities, and other resources
like recipe cards and cooking equipment. In 2024,
ASAP and project partners plan to expand this pilot to
Swain and Macon counties with twice the number of
participants over twice the amount of time.
“It puts money
in my hands
and because it’s
restricted to fruits
and vegetables,
it gives me only
healthy choices.”
Lauren, a participant in the program
Farm Fresh tokens being used at a weekly Tailgate Market.

EXPERIENCE
Local food taste test at Oakley Elementary School.

Positive Local Food
Experiences
Local Food Procurement in Schools
In 2023, ASAP made big strides to support local food
procurement in school systems. Our Growing Minds
Farm to School program staff worked closely with the
school nutrition directors in Buncombe and Haywood
Counties to make this happen. For Haywood County, an
introduction was made to Pilot Mountain Pears. Nutrition
Director Alison Frances told us that in 2023:
“Our kids absolutely love Asian pears. We’ve been getting
them for the last few years, but not from Hendersonville.
ASAP has provided us with great marketing tools to help
us showcase the local farmers that we work with. We
have posters in the cafeterias with farmer profiles. We
put it on menus and share it on our Facebook page.”
In Buncombe County, an introduction was made to
TendWell Farm. Danielle Hutchison, farm owner and
operator told us:
“By providing nutritious options to the school system,
we are not only supporting the health and well-being of
students, but also fostering a connection to the land and
the food we grow. It’s important to us because it allows
us to contribute to the education and nourishment of the
next generation while staying true to our commitment to
produce organic food.”
Local Food Taste Tests
ASAP also successfully brought local food into schools
in 2023 through cafeteria taste tests. ASAP staff led taste
tests in school cafeterias and also provided schools
with Meet Your Farmer banners and printed farmer
profiles that could continue conversations between
teachers and students back in the classroom. All schools
that participated were introduced to the farmer who
provided the produce for the taste test and that farmer
plans to visit the school!
Toward the end of 2023, the Growing Minds staff visited
Claxton Elementary School in Asheville. More than 350
students, teachers, and staff taste tested a Triple Berry
Kale Salad. The kale was purchased from R Farms in
Weaverville, NC. At the taste test we heard students say:
“This is the best kale ever. It’s better than dessert!”
“I don’t like salad very often, but this is awesome!”
Cooking and Growing
in the Classroom
In 2023, Growing Minds staff also connected early
childhood education centers to local farms. Farms
provided education centers CSA (Community Supported
Agriculture) boxes and the food was used for classroom
cooking and also shared with the teachers and staff!
ASAP also provided funding to support the purchase
of equipment that could be used to prep food in the
preschool classroom, along with other tools, resources,
and experiences to support educators in implementing
farm to school.
“Selling our healthy, local
organic produce to the
Buncombe county school
system is a meaningful
opportunity for TendWell
Farm. It aligns with our
core mission of promoting
sustainable, communitybased
agriculture.”
Danielle Hutchison, farm owner
and operator
Claxton Elementary School student tries kale.

CONNECT
Danielle Keeter and Mark McDonagh hosting “Fun on the Farm.”

Farmers as Community Leaders
Mighty Gnome Market Garden
in Haywood County
One way ASAP helps local farms thrive is by making
community connections. In 2020, ASAP introduced
Mighty Gnome Market Garden to Haywood Christian
Ministry through the Appalachian Farms Feeding Families
pandemic response program. This partnership continued
into 2023 and is going strong. Farmers Danielle Keeter
and Mark McDonagh told us that this connection gets
at the heart of their farm’s mission—to provide locally
grown, fresh, high-quality produce to their community.
This partnership has meant so much to both parties
that Danielle officially joined the board of Haywood
Christian Ministry in the summer of 2023, offering more
opportunities to be a community leader and support the
mission of a nonprofit that does so much for residents of
Haywood County.
ASAP staff also helped foster a connection between
Mighty Gnome and the Haywood Historic Farmers
Market. These relationships prompted Mark and Danielle
to purchase land and farm in Haywood County—and, in
2023, Mark and Danielle participated in another mutual
aid project to help feed members of their newfound
community.
Farm to School Engagement
Based on their demonstrated leadership in the
community, in 2023, ASAP’s Growing Minds program
collaborated with Mighty Gnome in several new ways.
Mighty Gnome hosted a “Fun on the Farm” day with staff
from Mountain Projects who serve children in Head Start
centers and filmed a “Meet Your Farmer” video as part of
farm to preschool curriculum. During Fun on the Farm,
preschool educators got to experience team-building
activities, time outdoors learning about the farm, as
well as farm to preschool books and activities that
they could take back to their centers. Laura Passamore,
the Health, Nutrition, and Disabilities Coordinator for
Mountain Projects told us, “The staff have used the
books they received in their classrooms. Our Human
Resources Director that was there even brought back
the smoothie recipe and shared it with all staff of
Mountain Projects.”
Workplace CSA Success
2023 also represented year four of a partnership with
the City of Asheville that ASAP helped foster. City staff
can sign up to participate in a workplace CSA with
Mighty Gnome. Mark and Danielle collaborated with
the city’s sustainability office to make this happen.
Scott, a participant and city staffer told us:
“Our workplace CSA program makes it so easy to access
healthy delicious produce. With automatic payroll
deduction through my employer, the fresh boxes of
produce simply arrive each week throughout the
season. Our farmer friends at Mighty Gnome keep us
updated each week with details on the deliveries and
new recipes to try out!”
Kiera Bulan, with the City’s Sustainability Department
said: “By hosting a delivery site, supporting promotions
and communications, and offering automatic payroll
deduction, the City is modeling ways to remove barriers
to eating healthy and supporting local businesses.”
“We’re grateful to Mark
and Danielle for their
tireless work growing
top quality produce
and their ongoing
collaboration to bring
this fresh food to
City employees and
residents.”
Kiera Bulan, Sustainability Program
Manager, City of Asheville
Mighty Gnome Market Garden CSA box.

2023 Impact
Farmers Markets
Farmer Support
835+
100+
farms participated in the Appalachian Grown
certification and branding program.
farmers were assisted through individualized
marketing support, working groups, and oneon-one
assistance.
100+
1,250+
farmers markets received assistance from
ASAP in the form of marketing, community
engagement activities, promotional materials,
and planning support.
SNAP households participated in the Double
SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables program.
$114,453 in SNAP was doubled across 9
farmers markets.
200+
450+
farmers attended trainings and workshops
hosted by ASAP.
retail locations, restaurants, and institutions
partnered with Appalachian Grown farms in
sourcing local.
450+
households participated in the Farm Fresh
Produce Prescription program. $173,142 in
prescriptions was redeemed across 13
farmers markets.
Growing Minds Farm to School
Community Engagement
Nearly
2,500
community members were engaged
in-person through ASAP’s Farm Tour
and CSA Fair.
20,000+
1,000+
$49,000+
preschool through high school students
benefited from farm to school activities
and resources.
educators trained and/or provided
resources for farm to school
programming.
in mini-grants distributed to 75 early
childhood education centers, schools,
and community organizations.

Revenue
83%
RESTRICTED
FUNDS
Expense
84%
PROGRAM
EXPENSES
2 MILLION+ ANNUAL REVENUE
17%
UNRESTRICTED
FUNDS
Restricted Funds
52% Government grants
36% Private foundations
12% Individual donations
Unrestricted Funds
52% Donations & sponsorships
48% Program income
1.75 MILLION+ ANNUAL EXPENSES
13%
OPERATIONAL
EXPENSES
3%
RESOURCE
DEVELOPMENT
Program Expenses
74% Local Food Campaign
22% Growing Minds
4% Local Food Research Center
Leading the Way
CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CARRIE KELLER
President
WENDY BRUGH
Vice President
NILOFER COUTURE
Secretary
FRANCISCO CASTELBLANCO
Treasurer
Making It Happen
CURRENT ASAP STAFF
REI ARGEROPLOS
Farm Fresh for Health Program
Coordinator
EMORY BRANDON
Graphic Design Coordinator
BRITT GARRETT
Finance Coordinator
SARAH HART
Communications and Engagement
Director
SIGRID JENSENOYASKI
Local Food Campaign Program
Coordinator
MELINDA LEQUIN
Finance Director
AMY MARION
Associate Director
MIKE MCCREARY
Farmers Market Program Director
SARAH MINTER
Local Food Campaign Program
Coordinator
MOLLY NICHOLIE
Executive Director
BILL DURR
CRAIG MAUNEY
LISA C. PAYNE
MARY WALSH
MADELEINE O’TOOLE
Market and Events Coordinator
SUZI PALLADINO
Growing Minds Program Coordinator
JESSICA RUIZ
Community Research Coordinator
DANIELLE RAUCHEISEN
Growing Minds Program Director
NORA SCHEFF
Development Director
DAVID SMILEY
Local Food Campaign Program
Director
CALEB THOMASON
Farm Fresh for Health Program
Manager
DEBBI TIMSON
Growing Minds Program Coordinator

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