New Appalachia is one of the those business ideas that people muse about but cannot always see through to success. It is an idea, however whose time has come and its Owner/CEO and visionary Caleb Crowell knew that implicitly. We’re in an American cultural chapter when people are giving more thought to what their families eat, where our food comes from, how to be healthier and save money, which produce is genetically modified and so on. We’re also nostalgic for those recipes that were shared by family or in church cookbooks, community circles and at neighborhood gatherings. Crowell understands this and built a business around it – focusing first of the farms and farmers themselves. Being a part of helping New Appalachia create a brand and the visuals, tone, typography and all the other graphic design elements that make a brand work was wonderful. We love the people, the cause, the strategy and what it represents as we are both lovers of farm food and the power of community in North Carolina and especially the Southern Appalachian region.

Creating a brand for this business was especially fun, because Caleb knew where his inspirations were born. He loved the old seed catalogs of the late 19th century and how they conveyed, in a few pictures and words, the care of the land and the artistry that went into being a grower. We spent time with these images, had many conversations about the vision for New Appalachia, shared our own memories and worked to personalize the business in such a way that everyone who came into contact with New Appalachia as a brand would feel that same sense of nostalgia and renewal.

We were also inspired by the recent trend found in boutique and micro breweries of presenting themselves in more retro iconography and when Caleb mentioned his love of the old Blue Ridge Parkway promotional posters (just above), the New Appalachia’s look was born.

New Appalachia’s website states simply:

“The food system we envision has a face and story and a connection to our region. It is fueled by the values for our land, our people and our economy. We are motivated by the economic opportunities created for the family-operated farms of Southern Appalachia that we get to work with, and by the stories we share along the way. We assist our farmers in crafting their harvest with our production planning phase over the winter. The diversity of our markets range from specialty niche greens for fine restaurants to volume potatoes for institutional buyers. We also love working with chefs to help them maximize their local food use or assist in their farm-to-table events.”

Chef creating dishes from farm fresh and local foods

The largest portion of the New Appalachia mission is based on creating a “region-wide food” network, so that farmers can maintain sustainable businesses by providing food that the market is craving. It’s symbiotic, because the process is a collaboration between New Appalachia and each farm using a planning process that promotes “crafting the harvest.” So whether it’s organic greens or rabbits or root veggies, each farm designs their planting for the community and region. While that is the more practical side, so much heart and listening and personal investment is involved. Speaking of heart, an important additional component is uncovering and sharing stories and truly reviving the community table. This is where the Sunday Supper Series comes in and where we were able to synthesize Caleb’s inspirations with our own.

This series is indeed a revival of community gatherings and is open to the public, family-friendly and includes dishes created by local chefs made from the farm fresh and seasonal ingredients from local growers and farms. The series kicks off July 12 with many to follow, so look for one in your area if you live in Western North Carolina or parts of the Southern Appalachia. As fans of this business, their style and idiom, we invite you to learn more about New Appalachia and come to a Sunday Supper. It is summer after all, the crops are coming in and the food and company is fine!

Pixels on Paper loves graphic design work, especially when it strikes a chord with us, but we end up loving every single client we’ve worked with. Learn more about our graphic design work and be in touch with if you have a specific project or want us to noodle with you.