FROM THE APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT (full release)
ASHEVILLE, NC (December 8, 2011) — Seven billion dollars. That’s the figure that local food sales are predicted to reach nationally in 2012 according to a report released last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ASAP estimates that Western North Carolina consumers alone purchased $62 million of local food in 2010, a four-fold increase since the Asheville-based nonprofit’s Appalachian Grown™ certification and branding program began in 2007. The organization’s recent consumer survey explains the increase: understanding that local food benefits local communities.
“We are way ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to supporting local farms,” says Charlie Jackson, ASAP’s executive director. ASAP’s survey, conducted this spring in the greater-Asheville area (Buncombe, Madison, and Henderson counties) and the state’s six westernmost counties found that a majority (55%) of respondents reported spending over one-tenth of their food budget on locally grown products. More than 80% of respondents say they choose local food because the purchases help support local farms and contribute to the local economy.
In addition to farms, businesses benefiting from the increase include grocery stores and eateries in the region’s vibrant and growing independent restaurant scene. Three-quarters of survey respondents (77%) deemed local food a somewhat or very important consideration in choosing a grocery store, and roughly 6 in 10 (64%) viewed it as somewhat or very important when choosing a restaurant. Over 55% mentioned Ingles as their grocery store of choice for locally grown food.
How do those surveyed define “local?” Almost 40 percent feel food is local if grown in Western North Carolina. Roughly one-quarter consider food local if it’s grown in their county, and 19 percent define local as within 100 miles of their home.
For more information about ASAP’s regional local food sales calculations and 2011 consumer survey, contact Communications Coordinator Maggie Cramer at maggie@asapconnections.org or (828) 236-1282 ext. 113.
ABOUT APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT (ASAP)
ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more about ASAP’s work in the region, visit asapconnections.org, or call (828) 236-1282.Read the full article
ASHEVILLE, NC (December 8, 2011) — Seven billion dollars. That’s the figure that local food sales are predicted to reach nationally in 2012 according to a report released last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ASAP estimates that Western North Carolina consumers alone purchased $62 million of local food in 2010, a four-fold increase since the Asheville-based nonprofit’s Appalachian Grown™ certification and branding program began in 2007. The organization’s recent consumer survey explains the increase: understanding that local food benefits local communities.
“We are way ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to supporting local farms,” says Charlie Jackson, ASAP’s executive director. ASAP’s survey, conducted this spring in the greater-Asheville area (Buncombe, Madison, and Henderson counties) and the state’s six westernmost counties found that a majority (55%) of respondents reported spending over one-tenth of their food budget on locally grown products. More than 80% of respondents say they choose local food because the purchases help support local farms and contribute to the local economy.
In addition to farms, businesses benefiting from the increase include grocery stores and eateries in the region’s vibrant and growing independent restaurant scene. Three-quarters of survey respondents (77%) deemed local food a somewhat or very important consideration in choosing a grocery store, and roughly 6 in 10 (64%) viewed it as somewhat or very important when choosing a restaurant. Over 55% mentioned Ingles as their grocery store of choice for locally grown food.
How do those surveyed define “local?” Almost 40 percent feel food is local if grown in Western North Carolina. Roughly one-quarter consider food local if it’s grown in their county, and 19 percent define local as within 100 miles of their home.
For more information about ASAP’s regional local food sales calculations and 2011 consumer survey, contact Communications Coordinator Maggie Cramer at maggie@asapconnections.org or (828) 236-1282 ext. 113.
ABOUT APPALACHIAN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROJECT (ASAP)
ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. To learn more about ASAP’s work in the region, visit asapconnections.org, or call (828) 236-1282.Read the full article
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