The local food economy in Western NC has been exploding with growth over the past few years. While Asheville is generally considered the epicenter of this activity, the surrounding, rural Appalachian and Piedmont regions are really starting to shake things up. In my large but sparsely populated county, the rural economic development organization I work for (Foothills Connect) is reinventing the local food distribution system, and in the process giving laid-off workers a chance at starting their own small businesses as farmers.
The Farmers Fresh Market Initiative, a program started in 2006, is essentially an economic development program created to help rural communities revitalize their farming traditions, and bring money into their counties from nearby urban centers. Not exactly a novel idea, considering that in the past this was precisely the way urban dwellers got the bulk of their food (well...minus the internet part). Nonetheless, in today's industrial food driven society the idea certainly seems revolutionary.
I watched the initiative really start to take off in 2008, and since then it has taken on a life of its own. It has spread to Rockingham county, up towards the NC/VA border, and is making its way to Tier 1 (economically depressed) counties across the state of North Carolina. Inquiries are pouring in from all over the country - and beyond! So, be on the lookout for a Farmers Fresh Market near you in the coming years =)
Learn more at www.farmersfreshmarket.org.
