There are several things the consumer can do to ensure they are getting locally grown food. First is to eat seasonally as much as possible. Many whole foods nutritional systems (like macrobiotics) stress the importance of eating seasonally because of the idea(belief?) that seasonal and local food is designed by nature to best support our bodies. If someone is selling sweet corn in May you can be sure it is not local. Make an effort to know the seasonal availability of local food to make sure you are getting locally grown. Another important step is to ask the vendor where the food comes from. If you are at a tailgate market or farm stand you will likely be talking to the farmer. Beware of resellers who sell produce they have bought themselves. They can be spotted because they are selling out of season produce. Be sure to ask them if they are farmers and if they are local. Another way to ensure you are eating locally grown food is to get to know the farmers. Actually knowing the person who grows your food is a powerful way to take control of the quality and character of the food you consume. There are many opportunities to support local communities and eat fresh healthy food across the region by buying local.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct connection between the farmers and the consumers. To join a CSA is to buy a share of the season’s harvest. The farmer gains the security of knowing he has been paid for a portion of the harvest and the farmer’s “community” participates in how and where their food is grown. This direct connection puts the face and place of food in full view.

Before the start of the season, when the farmer is planning the upcoming year, shares are sold to members of the community at a fixed price. The farmer plans the plantings to meet the shares that have been sold. Every week throughout the season, the CSA community receives a box of that week’s harvest. Most of the local CSAs will deliver to several convenient area locations, but they always encourage the community to come to the farm, and even to participate in the growing of their food.

Tailgate markets

Throughout western North Carolina are over 30 tailgate markets, and north Georgia has a growing list as well. Each market is different in that it reflects the desires of the local community and the farming conditions of the area. They all provide a direct connection between the farmer and the consumer and have the freshest, healthiest food available. Many have baked goods, live music, and fine handicrafts. For a real taste of community, visit your nearest tailgate market. (See sidebar for a list of markets.)

Pick-your-own farms

Our region is blessed with many pick your own farms. Apple orchards thrive in the mountains and are great fall fun for the whole family. There are also many berry farms growing strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. There are also pick-your-own pumpkin farms offering children and parents the experience of selecting their very own jack-o-lantern to be. Most of these farms also have baked goods and jams and jellies. The best part is, you know exactly where it came from because you picked it yourself.

Restaurants, grocers, and caterers

Our area has some of the finest restaurants anywhere. Great cooks know that the best food is made with the freshest ingredients. The freshest ingredients, of course, are local. Ask for locally grown wherever you buy food. If a restaurant or store says they sell local, ask them where it came from and ask that they carry even more locally grown. Pressure from the consumer is often the most important factor for change.

In western North Carolina, you can seek out “Get Fresh Partners.” These restaurants have partnered with local farmers and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), a Western North Carolina community-based collaborative focused on sustaining farms and rural communities. Participating restaurants, stores, and caterers that have agreed to increase purchases of local sustainably grown food and to feature locally grown food will display the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project “Get Fresh – Buy Appalachian” logo. These restaurants, stores, and caterers have made the special effort to connect with local farms and to serve the freshest and healthiest food available. Look for the Get Fresh logo at your favorite restaurant or store and be sure to ask for local Appalachian Grown food wherever you buy food.

Buying Clubs

Carolina Organic Growers is a farmers’ marketing cooperative made up of small family farms located mostly in North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast. The member farms are Certified Organic or Transitional Organic by an independent certifying agency. They take pride in personally tending, harvesting, grading, packing, and shipping every crop. The majority of their produce is picked to order.

While COG serves restaurants and groceries as part of its normal business, they also serve Buying Clubs. Any group of people who wish to purchase produce together for the purpose of buying at wholesale prices can form a buying club. Often, the members of groups have a common affiliation, such as a religious community, or they might have a common geographic affiliation that allows for them to receive produce in one place that is convenient to all. The broad selection of products offered by the co-op can usually satisfy the needs of a diverse group. By buying as a group, each participant is able to buy very fresh produce at less than retail cost, and to buy directly from a farmer-owned growers cooperative.

Buy Appalachian Guide to Local and Local Organic Food

The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project publishes a free guide to local food. The guide is available at local restaurants and stores and on-line at www.BuyAppalachian.org. The guide lists all the tailgate markets, CSAs, Get Fresh Partner restaurants, grocers, caterers, and farms in western NC that sell locally grown food. If you value fresh, healthy, and locally grown food, the Buy Appalachian guide is your best source of information. When you visit the restaurants, stores, markets, and farms listed in the guide, make sure to ask for local and let them know that you value locally grown food.

Charlie Jackson is the Projects Coordinator for the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. Visit asapconnections.org for more information about the group and its work. Contact this writer: writer@newlifejournal.com

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