ASAP’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food. Our programs include: • Local Food Campaign, which serves as a national model and provides resources such as the Local Food Guide, a free print and online directory of area farms, tailgate markets, and businesses that use local agricultural products, and the Appalachian Grown™ certification program, which identifies food from the Southern Appalachian region. • Growing Minds Farm to School Program, which offers resources and training to teachers, farmers, chefs, school nutrition staff, parents, and other community members to encourage schools to provide experiential education that will ensure children know where their food comes from and develop lifelong healthy eating habits. • Local Food Research Center, which studies the role and importance of building strong local and regional food systems. • Asheville City Market, a destination farmers market located in downtown and South Asheville. ASAP produces several conferences and events, including: • Business of Farming Conference, business planning and marketing workshops for farmers. • ASAP’s Farm Tour, a weekend event when WNC farms open their doors and barns to offer enriching on-farm experiences.