Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
Programs
Local Food Campaign and Programs
ASAPs three programmatic areas are the Local Food Campaign, Growing Minds program and Local Food Research Center. The Local Food Campaigns capacity building work gives farmers and buyers skills, tools, resources, and connections they need to succeed. The Appalachian Grown regional branding and certification program certified over 850 farms, including access to promotional and packaging materials to identify farm products as certified local. More than 450 partner businesses including grocers, restaurants, distributors, hospitals, colleges, and public schools also participated in the program. Local Food Campaign organizers help make connections between farmers and buyers, share stories about food and farms in our communities, and promote local food where consumers shop and dine. ASAP operated a weekly farmers market in downtown Asheville and assisted more than 100 farmers markets to understand best practices for management, promoteGeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided–$1.6MLocal Food Movement Participation
themselves, and navigate the regulatory environment. The program held its annual ASAP Business of Farming Conference, delivering over a dozen workshops to hundreds of participants. ASAP published 70,000 copies of the Local Food Guide. To expand participation in the local food movement, ASAP operated two incentive programs, including Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables and a Farm Fresh Produce Prescription program to provide eligible participants with weekly incentives for local fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. ASAPs Growing Minds program connects education, health, and wellness programming with local agriculture. This program provides support and resources in order to create healthy food environments and experiences to better the health of all members of ourGeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided––Growing Minds Educational Initiative
community, including children, their parents, teachers and school staff. The program provides workshops and other training to educators, so that they can integrate local food, healthy eating, and farm-based activities into their work. Implementation was supported through tools, resources, materials, and funds distributed to teachers and community health professionals across the region to facilitate the creation/maintenance of school gardens, provide cooking demonstrations, support local procurement for classrooms and cafeterias, or take farm field trips. The program facilitated positive local food and farm experiences for thousands of children throughout our service region. Dietetic Interns from partner colleges and universities were trained to implement farm to school activities in their future professions. ASAP continued the Growing Minds @ Community Colleges, a statewide initiative to embed farm to preschool into NC Community College early childhood education programs. ASAPs Growing Minds co-facilitates the NC Farm to Preschool Network and serves on the advisory committee for the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina. The Local Food Research Center (LFRC) examines the social, economic, and environmental impacts of localizing food systems. The center researches and tests ASAPs theory of food system change. ASAPs theory is that creating democratic and responsive food systems will increase community well-being, build resilient economies, and support environmental sustainability. Closer connections and knowledge developed through food system experiences empowers citizens to consciously create a just and sustainable food system. LFRC provided research and support for ASAPs ongoing programming for farmers and the community, content and context for the Local Food Guide, ASAPs annual report, and more. Research findings also supported ASAPs fundraising efforts; research staff provided content, framing, and writing support for several multiple proposals. LFRC also provided ongoing evaluation assistance to other ASAP programs and administered ASAPs annual survey to farmers, which informs the work of the Local Food Campaign.GeographiesNot indicatedDatesJan 1, 2023 – Dec 31, 2023Source990No causes providedNo populations provided––
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