Spring is in full swing, and so are area farmers tailgate markets!
The Jackson County Farmers Market is swinging outdoors at Bridge Park each Saturday from 9am to noon. This past Saturday, you could find pickled beets and artichokes from Copper Pot and Wooden Spoon. Vegenui Garden was selling fresh garlic and raspberry plants. Trillium Farms had their usual supply of pork products, including breakfast sausage, bratwurst, Italian sausage, pork chops, Boston butt, ground pork, ribs, and even dog bones. The Jackson County Farmers Market will not be open Saturday, April 26.
More outdoor markets will be opening this Saturday, including the Yancey County Farmers Market! They are expecting a great turnout of at least 10 to 15 vendors. As far as produce is concerned, you can expect to see early spring crops such as kale and chard from Common Ground Farm, Open Ridge Farm, and MiLo Acres. You will also be able to find garlic and flowers from Bee Log Garlic & Flower Farm as well as cheese from OakMoon Farm and Creamery.
Also opening this Saturday is the Transylvania Farmers Market. Products expected to be on sale will be produce, local meat, eggs, honey, jams and jellies, bread and baked goods, oils and vinegars, hummus and pimento cheese, and goat cheese. Expect even more as we get deeper into the season!
One market vendor who is getting a lot of attention is Asheville Fungi. You can find them at the West Asheville Tailgate Market on Tuesdays and the French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market on Wednesday afternoons. If you visited their booth at market this past week, you would have seen a variety of freshly cultivated mushrooms, including Oyster (pictured above), Black Poplar, Shitake, King, and Lion’s Mane. Asheville Fungi also offers mushroom tinctures, and they say their most popular varieties are Rishi, Chaga, Turkey Tails, and Maitake. If you are interested in growing your own mushrooms, you can buy several varieties of mushroom spawns, logs that are ready to fruit, and grow bags at their booth. This summer, look for Asheville Fungi’s hand-harvested wild mushrooms!
For a list of tailgate markets, visit the farmers market section of appalachiangrown.org or ASAP’s online farmers market calendar.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
