Leah Mathews, PhD, talks with WCQS's Helen Chickering about research conducted in Western North Carolina on the economics of our local food system. Mathews will share her findings Friday, December 16, at the Collider in Asheville.

As an applied environmental economist, UNCA’s Leah Mathews is interested in the value of things you can’t buy on the store shelves like scenic quality, cultural heritage and social interaction. Much of her research focuses the local food system in Western North Carolina, looking at the benefits that residents and visitors receive from farmland, the value of social interactions at farmers markets, and the veracity of the Appalachian Grown local food label.

Matthews will share some of the research findings Friday, December 16, at the Collider in Asheville. Doors open at 5:30 and the talk begins at 6.

The Beer City Science Pub event is hosted by the Collider and the Asheville Museum of Science.