sary evil. It’s not something we enjoy,” Aaron says. “We’re trying to get good at growing food, and marketing ourselves is definitely hard,” he says. One way to improve these skills is for farmers to take social-media classes specifically for them. Last year, the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, in partnership with several other organizations, presented a series of workshops on social media. Farmers, both young and old, spent the day learning the principles of sharing their experiences online. Participants left with fully functioning Facebook and Twitter pages, giving them an immediate opportunity to share their farm lives with the public. “People are curious,” says instructor Grace Kanoy of GeoCore Films. “Maybe you reveal a bit of behind the scenes. Maybe show how you run your farm, because people are looking for transparency.” One of the major barriers for growers who want to improve their social-media presence is time. For many farmers, the immediate needs of crops and livestock come first. “They know that they need to put the time in, but things happen on the farm that take priority,” Kanoy says. “Animals don’t wait; when it’s time to harvest, that doesn’t wait. But the Internet seems to be able to wait.” Social media may not come naturally to every young farmer, but such outlets as Facebook and Instagram do provide a tangible tie between growers and the public — something that’s hard to come by when farmers spend morning, noon and night with their hands in the soil. Making connections Most Saturday afternoons, you’ll find young farmers gathered around the table at an Asheville restaurant to share a beer, a sandwich and their experiences. For the past two years, Evans has joined fellow City Market tailgate vendors for a “weekly communion.” A lot of his friends are farmers or bakers at the market and they frequently come together to swap stories. “There’s definitely a community of close-knit folks,” he says. Tailgate markets are a natural place for farmers to get together, especially those who live farther out of Asheville. “There’s so much camaraderie just at market,” Anne says. She doesn’t get many opportunities to socialize with other farmers during growing season, but that doesn’t stop them from calling on each other when times get tough. “We all call each other with questions,” Anne says. “A bunch of our tomato plants died this spring, and farmer friends who had extra gave them to us. That kind of stuff happens all the time.” “I know lots of other younger farmers who are doing just what I’m doing: CSAs and growing vegetables,” says Fortune. He regularly hosts Crop Mobs, a loose-knit collection of farm-enthusiasts who descend upon a farm to perform free labor, from pulling 50
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weeds to harvesting. This national movement has gained momentum locally and brings the farming community together. “It’s cool to see a really nice group of young people that are really chomping at the bit to grow food,” Fortune says. “There’s more and more of us up here in Asheville every day.” Looking toward the future When Anne and Aaron take a break from work at Gaining Ground, they usually have 3-year-old Addiebelle and 1-year-old Cyril wriggling in their laps or climbing up their legs. The Grier family hopes that their children will one day take over the operation. But before they can adapt to the mountainx.com
When Travis Moore ventures onto Deep Earth Farm near Brevard, he brings his smart phone in a dirt-proof case to share his adventures with social media followers. Instagram photos by Travis Moore.
challenges of modern farming, there must be a family farm to maintain. This goal is fostered by a community of local growers who value multigenerational farming as a driving force in the food economy. “Now the next generation is coming back, and they’re seeing new opportunities and seeing ways that they can be innovative and kind of break out of the mold of their heritage and the way they’ve always done things,” Jackson says.
Anne and Aaron want to inspire their children to continue their family’s farm, if that’s where their passion lies. “I hope that we can have a business here that we can pass on to them, if they want it,” Aaron says. Their family’s connection to several independent, farmto-table restaurants and their presence at local tailgate markets make this a true possibility. “I think we’re a new generation, but something else will come along too. I feel like everything changes,” says Aaron as he thinks about our region’s farming potential. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, the Grier’s round-faced, curly-locked kids could be the future of farming in WNC. X