Local food and farm map available

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Local

Food and Farm Map for western North Carolina and neighboring areas of the mountains is now available. The map shows the location of 40 farmers' markets, multiple grocers and restaurants featuring locally-grown food, and 90 farms that welcome visitors. The reverse of the map offers a description and contact information for each farm and business. It is about two feet wide and folded to typical road map size.The map was researched, produced, and distributed by Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), the organization that also creates the popular Local Food Guide.

"The Local Food and Farm Map will guide the way to fresh locally-grown foods,"

said Peter Marks, Program Director for ASAP. "Users could include an international tourist traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway, a Charlotte resident taking a weekend trip to the mountains, a local family looking to give their children knowledge of who grows their food, or a shopper trying to find a source for locallyfarmed foods."

Farms listed on the map offer diverse experiences: pick-your-own fruits and vegetables; roadside farm stores; tours for school groups or individuals; on-farm lodging; environmental education; hayrides and corn mazes; and more.

Tourism professionals have increasingly recognized farmers' markets and farm visits as a growing interest among travelers, especially as baby boomers head toward retirement. ASAP's experience confirms this: highway welcome centers and county visitor centers have been among the most popular places to pick up Local Food Guides. The map was created in response to the demand for something more compact and geographically clear for travelers and residents alike.

At the same time, many of western North Carolina's 12,000 farms are searching out creative ways to diversify their income by offering new products and services and selling them direct to local business and individuals. ASAP produced the map to drive customers to these farms and the businesses supporting them, with the ultimate aim of preserving farm jobs and farmland in the region.

The Local Food and Farm Map is available at Ingles stores and other locally-owned grocers, food coops, and restaurants throughout the region, as well as many visitor centers. Support from Earth Fare, Greenlife Grocery, and the Golden Leaf Foundation helped fund the design, printing, and distribution of the map.