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Agricultural Trail

Agricultural Heritage

For thousands of years, Native Americans cultivated the fertile valleys of the North Carolina Mountains, raising the "three sisters" – corn, beans and squash – which were the staples of their diet. The Cherokee used "slash and burn" techniques to clear small areas of forested land and fertilize the soil.

European immigrants brought many of their agricultural practices with them as they settled in the mountains, but soon adopted many Cherokee crops and techniques which had been refined over centuries. This blending of immigrant agricultural practices with Native American traditions in the mountains of North Carolina resulted in a distinctive regional agricultural heritage.

Today, traditional crops continue to be cultivated along with many newer introductions – specialty crops such as Christmas trees, ornamentals, mushrooms, herbs and grapes.

Visitors can learn about the rich agricultural heritage of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area by visiting a great variety of working farms, orchards and vineyards as well as historic farm sites and museums.

An excellent introduction to this unique heritage is Handmade in America's Farms, Gardens & Countryside Trails of Western North Carolina, a handy guidebook for touring beautiful farms, orchards, gardens, nurseries, heritage sites and historic inns across the region.

The Local Food Guide, published in print and online by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), leads visitors to family farms, farmers' tailgate markets, u-pick farms, apple orchards and bed & breakfasts in Western North Carolina that sell locally grown farm products. The guide is free and available throughout the region.