ASAP Conference Feb. 28 in Asheville Helps Helene-Hit Farms Rebuild

The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project will host its 23rd annual Business of Farming Conference on Feb. 28 at the A-B Tech Conference Center in Asheville, offering a one-day program designed to help mountain farms recover and strengthen their operations after Tropical Storm Helene. The event runs 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and focuses on practical, peer-led training in financial management, legal issues, operations, marketing and technical supports.

Organizers positioned the conference as a resource for both beginning and established producers. New sessions for 2026 emphasize two pressing needs: managing stress and preventing burnout, and the nuts-and-bolts of balance sheets, production costs and pricing. Those topics reflect an agricultural economy facing tighter margins and greater weather volatility, where better cost accounting and pricing strategies can be the difference between staying open and shuttering a farmstand.

For Buncombe County residents, the conference is consequential in several ways. Improved business practices at local farms can stabilize supply to farmers markets, CSA programs and independent restaurants in Asheville, supporting the broader food economy that many residents rely on for fresh local produce. Workshops on marketing and operations aim to connect producers to technical supports and peer networks, which can accelerate repairs, insurance navigation and market re-entry after storm damage.

From a market perspective, helping farms get balance sheets in order and price products to cover production costs reduces the risk of hidden subsidies to operations and better aligns local supply with consumer demand. More financially resilient farms are more likely to invest in durable infrastructure and long-term soil health, which supports consistent output for the region. The inclusion of legal and financial topics can also help farmers make more efficient use of limited relief funds and private insurance payouts, improving recovery timelines.

Policy implications are also notable. The conference underlines a gap that persists between emergency relief and sustained business advisory services. Peer-led training complements public programs by providing actionable skills that agencies alone may not deliver. Local officials and nonprofit funders may view events like this as cost-effective ways to increase farm resilience without large capital outlays.

Longer-term trends are on display in the agenda choices. Stress-management training acknowledges the human toll of back-to-back weather events and economic pressure, while sessions on production costs and pricing respond to rising input costs and competitive local markets. The conference signals a shift toward business-savvy farming in the mountains, where smallholders must combine traditional skills with modern accounting and marketing to thrive.

For readers, the conference offers a clear opportunity to support recovery: growers can gain tools to shore up finances and operations, and consumers can expect a more stable local food market in the months ahead. The one-day format makes it a compact chance to plant practical ideas that could yield stronger, more resilient farms across Buncombe County.