Local Food Guide

One of the top ten trends of 2007 that I identified earlier this year is the idea of local food. I wrote, “The spinach scare followed by the green onion debacle at Taco Bell’s in 2006 is causing people to reevaluate their food sources. Local production is going to be increasingly prized.”

When I was in Brevard, NC I picked up Local Food Guide: Fresh Foods from the Farms of the Southern Appalachians. The publication is an 86 page description and listing of hundreds of different farms, wineries, farmers’ markets, roadside stands and local restaurants in western NC. It is published by the Appalachian Sustainable Agricultural Program, a 501(c) non-profit organization that supports farmers and local communities by helping to develop local food production, “Local Food: Thousands of miles fresher!”

This past Saturday the Artisan Bread Bakers’ Festival was held in Asheville, attended by over 1,000 bread lovers. Twenty different artisan bakers from across NC came to show off their bread making skills.

Both the local food guide and a product based festival are projects that other communities could copy from NC. They not only help local producers but also help bring in tourist dollars into the local economy.