While the farm-to-table movement is anything but new, taking the idea to an all-out way of life as a community is a little radical. Welcome to the Foodtopian Society, a commitment to societal (and gastronomical) change by Asheville, North Carolina.

The Creation of a Foodtopian Society

Asheville has 17 active farmers’ markets, 135 independent restaurants and seven fantastic microbreweries—all within a city of 100,000! Asheville has a long history of field to table since its early days as a drovers’ stop-over in the early 1800s. The town’s center was where farmers brought their livestock to be sold and traded and their produce to be bought and bartered. Today, the area’s farmers share a modern-day bounty at local restaurants, groceries and farmers’ markets -- local free-range meats, trout caviar, hand-picked blueberries, heirloom apples, sorghum and local honey, artisanal breads and cheeses.

Life in a Foodtopian Society

This Foodtopian culture in Asheville has gained significant support and momentum as both residents and visitors to the area insist on cuisine that is local and fresh with a twist on regional specialties and indigenous foods of Southern Appalachia. As an innate part of our collective mountain spirit, we thrive on self-subsistence and a fiercely independent take on the good life. Strong grassroots support for locally grown food, keeps the movement connected to the community. If we are what we eat, Asheville lives what it eats.

Interactive Foodtopia
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Ask a Farmer Send a food-related question to a local farmer.	Food Pictures View or share pictures showing the Asheville food season.
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Chefs' Favorite Recipes Chefs reveal their favorite tasty recipes and creations.	Food Videos Watch and share videos from Foodtopia.
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