Known for both its creativity and independent streak, Asheville’s Foodtopian Society is home to a host of talented chefs and restaurateurs who value their connection with local farmers. Asheville’s commitment to the field to table movement is evident in a number of organizations, institutions and businesses who understand the link between the community’s identity and its food culture.

Asheville’s Foodtopian Community Partners

• Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

  The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) helps create and expand local food markets. The idea is to preserve the region’s agricultural heritage, support local farmers and give everyone access to fresh, healthy food. The organization’s mission is to create and expand community-based and integrated food systems that are locally owned, environmentally sound, economically viable and promote good health. More...

• Blue Ridge Food Ventures

  Blue Ridge Food Ventures (BRFV), an initiative of Advantage-West Economic Development Group and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, is a shared-use, value-added food processing center centrally located in Asheville. It serves food entrepreneurs throughout Western North Carolina. This kitchen incubator 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. More...

• Slow Food Asheville

  Asheville’s Slow Food Community is dedicated to preserving the identity of Southern Appalachia. It educates the community about food and the land from which it comes. Celebrating the pleasures and conviviality of the table, this active chapter of Slow Food offers field trips, workshops and food-centered celebrations throughout the year. More...

• WNC Farmers’ Market

  The Western North Carolina Farmers Market is one of five Farmers Markets owned by the state of North Carolina and operated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. First opened in 1977, the 36-acre market is open seven days a week year-round and features five open-air truck sheds with 194 spaces for farmers and dealers. More...

• Swannanoa Culinary Institute

  The Swannanoa School of Culinary Arts is located on the campus of Warren Wilson College, just east of Asheville. It offers two week-long schools each summer, and offers students the chance for hands-on learning on the farm and in the kitchen. More...

• Asheville-Buncombe Technical College

  The culinary arts track at Asheville-Buncombe Technical College has established itself as one of the more well-respected culinary programs in the country. Hands-on experience in the college’s five state-of-the-art kitchens, chef demonstrations in the demonstration hall and cooperative education positions with industry leaders provide students with a competitive edge. More...

• Biltmore

  George Vanderbilt’s late 19th-century estate has been a self-sufficient working farm since its inception in the 1880s. Situated on 8,000 acres in Asheville, Biltmore boasts four restaurants, a working kitchen garden, vineyards and a winery, and highly successful beef and lamb programs. More...

• Asheville Independent Restaurant Association

  Founded in 2002, the Asheville Independent Restaurant (AIR) Association is a dynamic and committed group of locally owned and operated restaurants. The group also actively supports the local farming community by using local produce and products whenever possible. More...

• Microbreweries

  The Asheville area is home to several microbreweries including Asheville Brewing Company, Green Man Ales, French Broad Brewing Company, Highland Brewing Company and Pisgah Brewing Company. There’s even a guided tour of the city’s breweries through Brews Cruise, which offers transportation between brewery destinations. More...

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