Affiliated Organizations

At Maple Creek Farm, we are proud to be a part of the vibrant local food community of western North Carolina. We are active in several organizations in the area that are commited to the promotion of local and artisanal foods. Among these organizations are:

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP)

ASAP helps create and expand local food markets that will preserve our agricultural heritage, give everyone access to fresh, healthy food, and keep our farmers farming. Our mission is to collaboratively create and expand regional community based and integrated food systems that are locally owned and controlled, environmentally sound, economically viable, and health-promoting. Search our Local Food Guide. Shop for Appalachian Grown certified products. Get involved in the Growing Minds Farm to School program. Visit a farmers market. Browse our information on workshops, grants, and more. Use our classified section, calendar, and online resources. Whether you're a farmer, consumer, or work with a school, restaurant, or grocer, join us in reconnecting people throughout the region with their food.

Slow Food - Asheville

Slow Food is an educational organization dedicated to preserving food traditions, celebrating the pleasures of the table, and embracing a slower, more harmonious rhythm of life. Here in Asheville, our local Slow Food Convivium is blessed with an abundance of tailgate markets, organic growers, food artisans, and incredible restaurants. We use tastings, field trips, and various kinds of food-centered celebrations to explore authentic flavors... and to slow down and enjoy a world of good food and good company.

Blue Ridge Food Ventures

Blue Ridge Food Ventures is a shared-use, value-added food processing center centrally located in Asheville to serve food entrepreneurs in western North Carolina. It provides services to those wishing to start or grow small businesses in the food industry, to local farmers who wish to add value to their products through processing, and to caterers and bakers needing a certified kitchen. This regional "kitchen incubator", a first for North Carolina, joins others throughout the US in spurring the development of small businesses, promoting local agriculture and creating jobs.

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association's mission is to promote sustainable agriculture in the Carolinas by inspiring, educating and organizing farmers and consumers. Our events include Farm&Garden Tours, On-Farm Dinners and our annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference. CFSA envisions a regional food system that is good for the farmer, the consumer and the land.

Organic Growers School

Since 1993, the Organic Growers School has hosted a Spring Conference, bringing together farmers, gardeners, educators, students, consumers, and chefs to share region-specific crop growing information applicable to farmers in Western North Carolina. The event brings participants from over 17 states and Canada, making the OGS Spring Conference the largest event of it’s type in the Southeast. In addition to a successful Spring Conference, the OGS offers educational opportunities for organic farmers all year long through our farmer education initiative. In 2007, OGS launched the True Nature Country Fair, an annual event that celebrates life lived in connection with the earth. The Fair draws people to a pristine mountain setting for a weekend of food, exhibits, and trade demonstrations that are all from the Southern Appalachian region.