First Step Farm of WNC, Inc. is a private, non-profit corporation chartered in 1976.  We are a North Carolina licensed residential supervised living center for substance-dependent adults, serving all 100 counties of North Carolina.  We are located in the beautiful Pisgah Mountains of Western North Carolina in Candler, NC, a short distance from Asheville. We are licensed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, governed by a Board of Directors comprised of community members, and operated by qualified, licensed staff (many recovering) with years of experience in chemical and alcohol recovery.

First Step Farm operates a fully functional productive farm for Men and Women on two separate sites in Buncombe County. Farming operations began in 1978 and greenhouse operations began in 1980.  The Farm is a well known supplier of vegetable plants and bedding flowers for the Southeast. Farm staff has Pesticide Certifications and is a North Carolina Department of Agriculture Certified Nursery. The Farms two facilities employ a total of 45 workers for production in its 29 greenhouses.