I smelled them before I saw them. I was shin-deep in a creek, just off the main road, pushing through…
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Registration Open for ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference
Registration is open now for the annual event for professional and aspiring farmers. ASHEVILLE, NC (Jan. 14, 2026)—The 23rd annual…
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The New Normal: ASAP’s Push for Year-Round Local Food
Ten years ago, the local food calendar in the Appalachian Highlands had a hard stop. Come November, the bright greens…
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Feast or Famine: The K-Shaped Economy of Farming Now
Why cattle producers are seeing a golden period, while row crop farmers face a perfect storm of low prices and…
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Closing the Media Gap for Farmers of the Highlands
We’re launching a nonprofit newsroom to preserve Appalachian Highlands heritage and support its future. The Appalachian Highlands, spanning Asheville to…
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Front Porch Tales: The Art of the Liar’s Bench
When the sun finally drops behind the ridge and the last chore is done, life on an Appalachian Highlands farm…
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Hope in the Hollow: A Bonny Blue Christmas Miracle
Life in the Shadow of the Mountain: The Bonny Blue Mine Gather round, friends. Pull up a chair by the…
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Winter Harvests: The Magic of Polyethylene
Drive through the back roads of Washington or Smyth County in Winter, and the landscape tells you a clear story:…
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How to Cook Perfectly Roasted Parsnips Every Time
In the Appalachian Highlands, we are conditioned to view the first hard freeze as an ending. It’s the signal to…
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Magic on State Street: The Odd and Awseome Boo-tique
Bristol, VA—On a blustery Small Business Saturday, November 29, 2025, I was on State Street covering the annual surge of…
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