It’s a fact, I think about food probably 80% of my day. I think about my food for tomorrow, “What’s for breakfast?” I ponder on my choices of what I want, what am I craving?
That is a luxury. Food at hand is something to be grateful for. It’s what sustains life! It’s to be celebrated! I know I’m not the only one who thinks about food…Admit it, everyone does!
Luckily we have some pretty amazing people in our community that know this, but are also familiar with the opposite end of the spectrum. They are making a difference to feed those in need. What is it like to be hungry and not be able to eat? That is a hard question to think about but is the reality for far too many people.
As you know, we are making October all about community! This is exciting for us to highlight so many non-profits and organizations that make SUCH an impact on many people’s lives.
This blog post we are all about dishing out some information on some amazing organizations that help feed Asheville.
ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) is all about building an economy
that is strongly connected to food from local farms that can be long term and sustainable. ASAP helps connecting these pieces, the consumer and the farmer by getting local produce in grocery stores, farmers markets, and to the chefs at our favorite restaurants. ASAP organizes the farmers market, Asheville City Market, which if you’re a local, I’m assuming you have heard of it and have probably been! If not, you got to go!
Farm life is hard work, I grew up on a farm and it’s all about getting your hands dirty and really committing to the land everyday. We need farmers and farmers depend on the community to support them to make a living to be able to continue growing food.
ASAP also runs a farm to school program called Growing Minds Farm to School Program, which focuses on reconnecting children with where their food comes from. Within the program they focus on four components:
- School gardens
- Local food cooking classes and demonstrations
- Farm field trips
- and the serving of local food in school cafeterias.
We are a better community from all the work ASAP puts in. Click the links to check out their website! They really offer a lot to get involved. You can volunteer, donate, become a local vendor at Asheville City Market, get involved with the farm to school program, have ASAP assess your farm and help with planning. That is just some examples of what ASAP can do for you.
Do you know the local’s research tool Dig Local? It’s the App that organizes your social life and god knows we need help with that with everything happening around here. This App connects you to all things Asheville featuring categories such as food and drink, shopping, entertainment, recreation, services and where to stay just to name a few, all a click away on your phone.
Well, what they say is true; knowledge really is power. The creators of Dig local know all about Asheville and with the knowledge of this area they knew where to lend a helping hand to make a huge impact.
Every restaurant in the area is on that App. They created a way with use of the information and the App to help feed the hungry. Let me introduce to you, Food Connection, where excess food can be served up to those who are in need of a meal.
Restaurants and caterers are use to making enough food in excess in anticipation of hungry guests, well that’s not always guaranteed. When there is an abundance of food and not enough hungry guests, Food Connect serves up a satisfying way to use that food instead of going to waste. They can donate it through Dig local to feed the hungry. Partnered with Food Connection, Asheville Taxi is the way to get it from point A to point B; hungry bellies. They receive a text message from donors and are there to pick up and deliver a delicious meal to the shelters where food is more than welcome. Food Connection literally connect the dots with people who have too much food to people with not enough.
How it works: Donors submit an application and once approved following the the North Carolina Food Safety Guidelines, Food Connections can begin right away. Asheville Taxi Company then picks up and delivers to the shelters in need.
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Asheville Taxi, and local non-profits all help make this happen.
Please read up on this amazing program and visit their website where there are great videos to learn more! I really feel honored to have such a great program running in the city I call home.