By Jessica Mrugala, EMFS Regional Area Specialized Extension Agent, NC Cooperative Extension Service

For over a year we collectively felt the world change. From the now comical panic induced by a toilet paper shortage to the devastation of global sickness, we have all changed. But thankfully, what has remained constant are the people growing our food in South Western North Carolina.

I am grateful to have found consistency and comfort through my community farmers market this past year and a half. When social spaces and familiar faces were sparse, I habitually spent my Saturdays at the Jackson County Farmers Market. The market adapted with CDC guidelines, vendors were masked and hand washing and sanitizing stations were available. The outdoor atmosphere was safe, I could enjoy my market mornings worry free. I would get my weekly orange chocolate babka from Backwoods Bakery, a pound of coffee from John at Bubacz’s Signature Brew Coffee Roasting Company, and a dozen eggs from Megan and Brian with Snake Song. Neil Dawson supplied my plant starts and herbs for my garden and Patricia with KT Orchards and Apiary had every kind of apple imaginable. If I was lucky Yellow Branch Homestead would have Basil Cheese. And of course, Worley Farms supplied fresh meat and Graceland Gardens would always have fresh veggies.

These farmers and vendors became a part of my survival from isolation and uncertainty; they also became my friends. And now as the world re-opens and feels less wobbly I hope we as a community continue to thank, celebrate, and support our local farmers.

This continued appreciation for the people who grow our food, nurture our landscapes, and provide health to our communities is the inspiration for the new EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems (EMFS) marketing campaign – #FriendyourFarmer. In an effort to continue to support the local food spaces that gave us refuge when the world changed and promote healthy, locally grown foods, EMFS will be highlighting the stories, personalities, and passions of the people who support our communities by growing our food.

This season EMFS will be supporting regional farmers markets, roadside stands, farm to table restaurants, and anywhere else you can find your local farmer and their product. EMFS is a three year project focused on bringing expanded opportunities & capacity to food and farm businesses across the Southwestern NC region. Supporting local food and farming businesses is an essential element of our regional food economy. You can find eight farmers markets in the region on the FoodRoute Map – a regional farm map created in collaboration with EMFS and the Southwestern Commission. SWNC has a farmers market almost every day of the week and our roadside stands are open daily. We encourage you to not just continue shopping from the person who grows your food, but hear their stories, their jokes, and their reasons for farming.

Please join our campaign by using the hashtag #FriendyourFarmer. Snap photos of yourself with your local farmer and enjoying locally grown food. Subscribe to the EMFS Newsletter to learn more about the season of appreciating our local growers and producers, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

But most importantly, take time this growing season to genuinely Friend your Farmer – because one change that should never happen in our community is losing the friendship and passion of our local farmers. So join us; find your market and #FriendyourFarmer!

The USDA Census of Agriculture shows a 23% increase of farms engaging in direct to consumer sales from 2012 to 2017 in Region A (The Qualla Boundary, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Swain and Graham Counties). An increase of $3,643,000* over five years of direct to consumer sales.  This spending figure does not include data for Cherokee County. USDA AG census can be found here.

 

EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems is a Southwestern NC project, an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems with support from NC Cooperative Extension, the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Learn more at cefs.ncsu.edu/food-system-initiatives/emfs-empowering-mountain-food-systems