Agriculture

Last Updated: Aug 06, 2026 07:38AM • Subscribe via RSS • ATOM

WNC AgOptions Grant Program Supports Farm Viability Across the Region

Aug 06, 2026 07:38AM ● By Emma Castleberry

This year, 44 farm businesses across the region received a combined $440,000 through the WNC AgOptions program.

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Technology Takes Root in Western North Carolina Apple Orchards

Aug 05, 2026 07:31AM ● By Emma Castleberry

Researchers with the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative are exploring how advanced imaging and artificial intelligence could help apple growers in Henderson County.

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It’s My Job: Lyric East, Farmer and Owner at Wild East Farm

Aug 04, 2026 12:36PM ● By Emma Castleberry

Lyric East, owner of Wild East Farm, spends every day balancing the unpredictable rhythms of land, animals, crops, employees, customers, and weather. While many people imagine farming as idyllic days spent wandering through gardens, East said the reality is much more dynamic.

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ASAP Maps the Future of Local Food Systems in WNC

Aug 03, 2026 10:07AM ● By Emma Castleberry

The nonprofit ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) has released a new five-year strategic plan, taking stock of the changing realities facing Western North Carolina’s agricultural economy—from rising costs and federal policy shifts to the long-term impacts of Hurricane Helene and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The State of Agriculture in Western North Carolina

Jul 15, 2026 02:44PM ● By WNC Business

Western North Carolina's agriculture industry is adapting as farmers diversify their operations, embrace entrepreneurship and direct-to-consumer sales.

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Made in WNC: Gaia Herbs

Jul 14, 2026 01:58PM ● By WNC Business

In Transylvania County, Gaia Herbs operates at the intersection of agriculture, manufacturing, science, and wellness—growing herbs in rich mountain soil before transforming them into supplements distributed across the country.

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Western NC Farm Named #1 Farm Stay in America by USA TODAY 10Best

Jul 03, 2026 09:49AM ● By WNC Business

Ivy Fields Farm, a 33-acre working farm in Western North Carolina, has been named the #1 Farm Stay in the United States in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.

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A New Data Brief from ASAP Compares Prices at Farmers Market and Retail Outlets

May 27, 2026 01:03PM ● By WNC Business

The price of many seasonal fruits and vegetables at farmers markets is comparable to the price at traditional grocery stores, and pasture-raised eggs are cheaper, according to a new data brief released by ASAP’s Local Food Research Center.

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