Fresh at Farmers Markets

Start your shopping list and get meal inspiration each week with ASAP’s roundup of what’s fresh at farmers markets. Although this report focuses on vendors at Buncombe County markets, many products mentioned can be found at markets throughout the region. Want to get this report in your inbox each week? Subscribe to ASAP’s Weekly Farmers Market Report newsletter. Looking for a yearlong view? Check out ASAP’s produce seasonality chart.

Fresh at (Indoor & Outdoor!) Farmers Markets This Week

The seasons collide this week as indoor winter markets continue and the first outdoor markets of spring open their, well, tents!
The indoor market at Asheville City Market South in Biltmore Park Town Square continues Wednesday (2-6 pm). It’s the farewell market for Creasman Farms and their apples; they’ll return to Asheville City Market in downtown this summer with peaches, blueberries, and more. Jake’s Farm will bring more greens—lettuce, kale, collards, and mustards—and they’ll have turnips, too. Blue Meadow Farms will take a break this week but return next Wednesday with radishes and kale mixes. They’re looking forward to offering garlic scapes soon!

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Fresh at (Winter?) Farmers Markets This Week

Even though the weather has been summerlike, local farmers and vendors are still heading indoors for “winter markets” this week. But, talk has definitely turned to spring—and its outdoor markets and bounty. (Can it be three seasons all at once?!)
At Asheville City Market South’s winter market—which runs indoors Wednesdays from 2 to 6 pm through the end of April—farmer Missy Huger of Jake’s Farm is excited to offer spring greens galore. Look for everything from spinach and salad mix to herbs and Asian greens like Bok Choy and Tatsoi.

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Fresh at (Winter) Farmers Markets This Week

If apples are, well, the apple of your eye, you won’t want to miss area farmers markets these next three weeks! Creasman Farms has been bringing their apples to both Asheville City Market South (Wednesdays, 2-6 pm) and the indoor market at the Woodfin YMCA (Saturdays, 10 am-noon) all winter long. But, their supplies of the fall crop can’t last forever. Expect them to stay through the end of March—they’ll still have their apple baked goods and apple butter, too. Should they not sell out of Pink Lady and the other remaining varieties by the end of the month, you may find them vending into April. But if they do sell out, you’ll have to wait to see Creasman again until July, when they return to Asheville City Market with their summer crops of peaches and berries.

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Fresh at (Winter) Farmers Markets This Week

As spring nears, vendors are bringing more and more veggies to winter tailgate markets. That means if you’ve been rushing to get there first thing before vendors sell out, you can take a breather this week!
Mountain Harvest Organics‘ booth billowed with greens—chard, collards, and kale—last week at the winter market at the Woodfin YMCA (Saturdays, 10 am-noon). They’ll have more of all three this week, along with napa cabbage. (They offer pork, too!)

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Fresh at (Winter) Farmers Markets This Week

It’s getting more and more difficult to tell a winter farmers market from a regular-season market these days. First, there’s the confusing weather. “Usually this is roasting season, but with this weather, I’m not sure what kind of season this is!” said Stephen Robertson, owner/operator of East Fork Farm, at last Saturday’s winter market at the Woodfin YMCA (weekly, 10 am-noon). Then, there’s the fact that the off-season markets have everything!

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Fresh at (Winter) Farmers Markets This Week

Spring is still one month away, but you can hear about and even see it now at winter tailgate markets. Farmers and vendors are abuzz with their plans—sharing with each other and shoppers—and they’re starting to bring in new goods representative of the new season!
At Asheville City Market South (Wednesdays 2-6 pm), it seems like Jake’s Farm’s greens are getting brighter and greener every week in anticipation. Currently, salad mixes, spinach, herbs, peppers, and radishes keep their greens company. But, farmer Missy Huger shares they’ll soon bring micro greens, scallions, and beets, followed later (once spring sets in) by broccoli and cauliflower.

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Fresh at (Winter) Farmers Markets This Week

Valentine’s Day was definitely the theme of winter farmers markets last week—think handmade jewelry, crafts, and desserts galore, including giant chocolate hearts bearing the quintessential phrase Be Mine. Though the holiday and its special sweets will have come and gone before this week’s markets arrive, there will still be lots to swoon over!
Market favorites Rio Bertolini’s—who offer fresh pastas, sauces, and pizza dough—came back for good last week to Asheville City Market South’s winter tailgate (Wednesdays 2-6 pm). For their return, they brought several new flavors of raviolis, including pea and pancetta and parsnip and chestnut. Be on the lookout for exciting new fillings this week and every Wednesday. You can also find Rio Bertolini’s at the Winter Market at the Neighborhood Y at Woodfin (Saturdays 10 am-noon).

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Fresh at (Winter) Farmers Markets This Week

This week, winter tailgate markets are the places to pick up sweets for your sweetie—Valentine’s day is just around the corner, after all!
At Asheville City Market South on Wednesday (2-6 pm), the Chocolate Lab plans to offer up their signature chocolate roses (above), along with an assortment of artisan truffles. They also plan to debut their new chocolate hearts, filled with options like peanut butter, coconut, and mixed nuts. Sweet Monkey Bakery unveiled their decadent “Sweetheart Tart” at market last month. The puff pastry—filled with tart cherries, chocolate, and crushed walnuts—will return, along with a lemon-lavender triple berry quick bread. Does your lover love apples? You never know what Creasman Farms will bring! Last week, it was apple sauce muffins made not only with their apples but local honey, too.

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Fresh at (Winter) Farmers Markets This Week

Yes, the calendar does say it’s the middle of winter. But, looking at the fresh produce available at tailgates now, you’d think it was spring or summer here in Western North Carolina!
Asheville City Market South’s indoor winter market (Wednesdays from 2 until 6 pm at Biltmore Park Town Square) continued their grand opening last week with several new—and excited!—first-time participants, two of which brought produce galore. Blue Meadow Farms offered beets, broccoli, and a variety of greens. Jake’s Farm offered greens, too, along with Certified Organic turnips, sweet Cubanelle peppers, and herbs. Both vendors will bring more produce this week. Creasman Farms returned last week and will return again this Wednesday, February 1, with their picked-to-perfection apples. They also make fresh-baked apple pie, apple turnovers, and apple muffins. But if they’re what you’re after, you’ll want to get to market early. Last week, the sweet treats sold out before you could say, “Yum!”

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Fresh at (Winter) Farmers Markets This Week

Asheville City Market South‘s indoor winter market kicked off with a bang last week. Nine vendors took part in the grand opening…
Three Graces Dairy offered up a wide variety of flavored goat’s milk cheeses, as well as aged sheep’s milk, cow’s milk, and all the blends in between. Roots & Branches offered the perfect cheese vessel: artisan handmade crackers, including flavors like Kalamata olive. They had fresh-baked breads, too, as did Sweet Monkey Bakery, who even brought their scrumptiously soft whole wheat bagels.

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