As someone committed to local farming and regional resilience, I’m increasingly disillusioned by a cultural contradiction I see playing out here in Asheville.
Every week, Mountain Xpress runs yet another glowing feature on the craft beer scene — new releases, taproom expansions, tasting notes. Meanwhile, local food and farming barely get a mention. At farmers markets, I watch people balk at paying $8 for a dozen pasture-raised eggs, yet think nothing of dropping the same amount on a single pint of barrel-aged saison.
Why is local food considered expensive, niche or a luxury — while alcohol consumption is normalized, celebrated and subsidized by attention?…