The Creative Pulse of Tennessee’s Oldest Town: Discovering Mill Spring Makers Market Every time I get to Jonesborough, Tennessee, I can feel it. The place just has a spirit. Not one of those musty old spirits that you get fr...
Today, I found myself pulling up to 594 Highway 126 in Bristol, Tennessee, just in time for the grand reopening of the Big Red Apple Shed. The energy in the parking lot told the whole story before I even walked through the doors: ...
As I walked through the Abingdon Farmers Market in early March, looking for a particular farmer to interview, I completely forgot my goal when I was drawn to the vivid fungi at the Thurston Family Farm booth. The colors and textur...
The Commons and the Uncommon If you have ever been to the Commons in Abingdon, you will notice that there really isn’t much that is common about it. It’s an eclectic hub full of interesting items you won’t find j...
Fields of Uncertainty American agriculture encounters pressure from two primary sources: international conflict, which raises input costs, and domestic political gridlock, which interrupts administrative support for conventional f...
First Encounters with Gourd Art I had never heard of gourd art until I moved to Bristol, Virginia, and passed through Memphis. We stopped at my wife’s Uncle Jim’s and Aunt Mashelle’s house, and I noticed gourds h...
The Farmstand- Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA
USDA has proposed delaying a rule that sets fair payment standards for poultry growers by 18 months, pushing implementation to the end of 2027. The rule aims to improve transparency Read more
Farmers who planted specialty crops in 2025 may be eligible for one-time payments through the USDA’s Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program. To participate, producers must report their 2025 Read more
On the brink of the 2026 growing season, RAFI teamed up with Faithfull Farms to host an in-person Four-Season Market Garden Planning Workshop led by Howard Allen. The post Four-Season Read more
RAFI is hiring a Data Manager to help tell the story of our work through data. This role will strengthen how we collect, manage, and use information across programs, communications, Read more
The Southeast Cohort Project Manager is a full-time RAFI role leading a regional cohort of Direct Service Providers who help Southeastern farmers navigate financial distress. Reporting to the DBAN Project Read more
Local sourcing programs funneled healthy foods to those that needed it most. With food assistance dollars disappearing, aid groups are piloting solutions to keep farm-grown foods on pantry shelves. The Read more
News From Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
March is a month of transitions. The days stretch longer, the soil begins to warm, and the first signs of spring arrive at farmers markets and on our tables. With the Spring Equinox bringing day and night into balance, and Women’s History Month inviting reflection, it’s a meaningful time to [read more]
When the clocks spring forward, our mornings arrive a little earlier than we might like. The shift into daylight savings time can leave many of us feeling groggy and rushed, but it also marks the beginning of one of the most exciting seasons at the farmers market–Spring! Not only have [read more]
If you’ve been online lately, you may have seen 2026 declared as the year of the cabbage, but foodies and farmers market goers know that cabbage never really needed to be trending. Long before social media anointed the humble, layered globe as the vegetable of the moment, communities across the [read more]
Through the winter season, many produce items aren’t able to make their grand debut until later in the season, but root crops help get us through. Winter markets reward curiosity! If you’re up for a scavenger hunt and trying something new, daikon radishes bring a crunchy and zingy freshness to [read more]
As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor not only the leaders, artists, and scholars who have shaped history, but also the culinary traditions that have sustained Black communities for generations. This time of year, farmers markets are rich with winter greens and vibrant root vegetables, especially collard greens and [read more]
George Frangos is the co-founder and co-owner of Farm Burger, which has multiple locations across the Southeast, including two in Asheville. George has a deep respect for the land and the people who farm it. Through his time at multiple high-end farm-to-table restaurants, George transfers his expertise and passion into [read more]