Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

Turning your home into a haunted house? Or an homage to the harvest? Head to area tailgate markets this week for all your fall decorating needs.

Hugh Wright of Arbor Studios will set up shop at Asheville City Market with carved pumpkins. He can even create a custom piece on the spot to fit in perfectly with your decor. Other varieties of winter squash serve as great focal pieces, too; try sizable NC Candy Roasters, spotted recently from Firefly Farm (Asheville City Market, Montford Farmers Market, Yancey County Farmers Market). Or, Thatchmore Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market) offers a large gourd perfect for painting or turning into a birdhouse. Also look for bundles of colorful Indian corn, and even find bouquets of wheat from Gaining Ground Farm (Asheville City Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market, Montford Farmers Market) to “fallify” any setting.
But don’t overlook the reserved radish—for eating, not decorating, of course. In addition to those in the traditional red-pink hue, be on the lookout for black radishes from Flying Cloud Farm (Asheville City Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market, Montford Farmers Market) and white daikon radishes in a variety of sizes. At North Asheville Tailgate Market alone last weekend there was a broad range, from baby daikons from B and L Organic (French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market) to impressively large ones from Mountain Harvest Organics (North Asheville Tailgate Market, Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market).
Spring more your season? Start looking ahead with blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry plant starts that can go in the ground now.
Saturday, Jackson County Farmers Market will demonstrate the gasifier, a unique way of generating energy with wood; the market runs 9 am-noon. They’ll continue outdoors until November 3, when they head inside for the winter.
Oakley Farmers Market is winding down and will hold its final market of the season on Thursday, October 25, when they’ll throw a Harvest Festival from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. Expect apple cider, costume contests, raffles, music, and more. An autumn supper prepared with the products of market vendors will be available by donation. For details, visit oakleyfarmersmarket.com.
For market events and to find a market schedule – market closing dates and holiday/winter markets are currently being updated – visit our farmers market calendar or browse our online Local Food Guide.