APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT
Local Food. Strong Farms, Healthy Communities
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our dominant food system is opaque. The impacts of industry and public policies and practices are hidden in an anonymous and largely unsustainable global economic system that degrades individual and community health, harms the environment, and is failing to sustain our farms and communities. In this pervasive system, the effects of our food choices are hidden. Few of us know about the food we eat - where it grows, who grows and harvests it, how it is grown, how it is processed, what it is doing to our health, or the impact our food choices have on the world and people around us.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
The loss of Appalachian family farms threatens our rural heritage, weakens our regional economy, and prevents development of a sustainable local food system.
In order to combat this problem, ASAP is focusing its work in three main areas:
* Building Demand for Local Food and Farm Products
* Supporting Farmers
* Promoting a Healthy Community
This is done in Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, upstate South Carolina, northwest Virginia, and northern Georgia - basically 100 mile radius of Asheville, NC
Growing Minds
A Farm to School program
Local Food Campaign
Provides a regional branding and certification program, Appalachian Grown, training and technical assistance to farmers about their agricultural business, farmers market support, and builds consumer demand.
Local Food Research Center
Researches the economic, social, and environmental impact of local food systems.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Local Food Campaign
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This represents the number of farms, farmers markets, and partner businesses participating in the Appalachian Grown program which includes branding support, local food and farm promotions, and more.
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Growing Minds
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
This represents the number of educators who received resources, training, and/or materials to implement farm to school/preschool programming.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
ASAP's goals are to:
Help local farms thrive: Drive demand for local food, build capacity of farmers to meet that demand, make connections across the local food system.
Link farmers to markets and supporters: Increase access and connections to local food and farms, reducing barriers for all members of the community to participate.
Build healthy communities through connections to local food: Leveraging community partnership and assets to reinforce the value of positive food and farm experiences on community health - economically, socially, and physically.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To achieve these goals, our work focuses on three programmatic areas. The Local Food Campaign encompasses activities devoted to public promotion and local food awareness education and outreach. Projects include the Appalachian Grown program, publication of the Local Food Guide, the ASAP Farm Tour, and the annual Business of Farming Conference. The Growing Minds program focuses on the education of children and families through hands-on experiential education to engage them in the processes of growing and preparing fresh local food, increasing the amount of locally grown food served in institutional cafeterias, and food access through community capacity building and resource development. The Local Food Research Center provides ASAP with data to guide programmatic activities. ASAP surveys its constituency through workshop and conference surveys and through a comprehensive annual survey to evaluate the effectiveness of activities and satisfaction with ASAP services. Research based activities are designed to provide a realistic picture of the current food and farming system in the region and inform the organization's efforts to expand local markets for local farm products.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
With over two decades of experience, ASAP is the backbone organization for local food and farm connections in the Southern Appalachians. ASAP led the region through a major change from an agricultural economy dependent on tobacco to a nationally-recognized food destination, fueled by farms and entrepreneurs producing a wide diversity of food and farm products. That change brought tremendous economic benefits and continues providing opportunities for new farmers, all while supporting a healthy community and preserving scenic farmland.
With longstanding relationships across a robust network of Appalachian farms and food entrepreneurs, ASAP is a trusted resource for marketing, branding, and farm business support. Grounded in research, evaluation, and place-based strategies, ASAP focuses on engaging communities to actively participate in creating a food system that is equitable, economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and health promoting.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
ASAP's work sustains and improves market opportunities and builds connections around local food. ASAP's impacts in 2023 include:
Farmer Support
835+ farms participated in the Appalachian Grown certification and branding program.
100+ farmers were assisted through individualized marketing support, working groups, and one-on-one assistance.
200+ farmers attended trainings and workshops hosted by ASAP.
450+ retail locations, restaurants, and institutions partnered with Appalachian Grown farms in sourcing local.
Farmers Markets
100+ farmers markets received assistance from ASAP in the form of marketing, community engagement activities, promotional materials, and planning support.
1,250 + SNAP households participated in the Double SNAP for Fruits and Vegetables program. $114,453 in SNAP was doubled across 9 farmers markets.
13 farmers markets participated in the Farm Fresh Produce Prescription program. $173,142 in prescriptions was redeemed.
Growing Minds Farm to School
20,000+ preschool through high school students benefited from farm to school activities and resources
1000+ educators trained and/or provided resources for farm to school programming
$49,0300+ in mini grants distributed to 75 early childhood education centers, schools, and community organizations
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT
Board of directorsas of 03/04/2024
Carrie Keller
Craig Mauney
Agriculture Mountain Horticulture Crops Research and Extension Center
Lisa Payne
Buncombe County Schools
Francisco Castelblanco
MAHEC
Nilofer Couture
Cherokee Indian Hospital
Wendy Brugh
Dry Ridge Farm
Bill Durr
Ward and Smith
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 03/04/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.