ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The 2022 Local Food Guide, ASAP’s annual free publication for finding local food and farms, hits newsstands this week. This definitive resource—now in its 20th year—lists Appalachian GrownTM certified farms, farmers markets, restaurants, and travel destinations throughout Western North Carolina and surrounding counties in Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. A digital version of the print Guide may be viewed at asapconnections.org/guide.
ASAP published the first Local Food Guide in 2002, the year ASAP officially incorporated. It was one of the first publications of its kind and remains a model nationally. It is particularly unique in that its information is verified and updated every year, making it a more useful and trusted resource for consumers. ASAP has provided assistance to other groups around the country producing their own versions.
The 2022 edition recounts some of the changes and growth of the local food movement over the past 20 years. Feature stories from SMM Farm and Moreno Family Farm (pictured on the cover), Dillingham Family Farms, Farside Farms, and Sunburst Trout Farms give context for how farms have transitioned to build relationships in their communities around local food. The Guide includes hundreds of listings for farms, farmers markets, restaurants, groceries, artisan producers, and travel destinations, as well as charts that help readers find farms that offer u-pick, farm stands, lodging, visitor activities, and CSAs.
In addition to the print Guide, ASAP maintains the online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. This database, with 1,400 listings, is updated throughout the year and is searchable by products, locations, activities, and more.
Find Local Food Guide copies at farmers markets, visitors centers, libraries, community centers, groceries, restaurants, and other partner businesses throughout the region. They are also available to pick up in the lobby of ASAP’s office in Asheville at 306 W. Haywood St., Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact ASAP if you need help locating a copy in your area.
The 2022 Local Food Guide is made possible in part with support from Dogwood Health Trust, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, and Asheville Regional Airport.
–Sarah Hart, ASAP
