“I remember shoveling fish guts, doing the hardest work on the farm,” recalls Wes Eason of Sunburst Trout Farms in Haywood County, NC. “If you’re the owner’s grandkid, you’re not getting the best jobs to start.” Wes is now a co-owner of the third-generation family business, alongside his brother, Ben, and mother, Sally. Sunburst Trout … Read more
Mother’s Day is Sunday and farmers markets are full of treats for the mother figures in your life—or to treat yourself! Fresh cut, local flowers are bringing a riot of color to markets right now. Look for peonies, ranunculus, poppies, snapdragons, and more. You can find bouquets from Blazing Star Flowers (East Asheville Tailgate Market), Carolina Flowers (Asheville City … Read more
“What’s happening now with Dillingham Family Farm is what I hoped would happen—that our children would become more involved,” says Brenda Dillingham. “I can transition out of things and know that the farm will continue on and that the grandchildren will be a part of that one day. That’s really important to me.” The Dillingham … Read more
Shortly after signing the papers on their dream farm property in Hayesville, NC, Salvador and Alyssa Moreno took a walk with their kids, ages six and four. They found what turned out to be an old American hazelnut variety. “I said, ‘I think it’s poisonous and it will definitely kill us,’” laughs Salvador. “But we … Read more
Things are ramping up at farmers tailgate markets! We’ve spotted several much-anticipated spring fruits and vegetables in the past week, including the first strawberries, asparagus, and, yes, ramps. Ramp mania has been going strong for several years, from foragers who fiercely protect their secret patches to chefs who dream up creative ways to use them. … Read more
Ready to up your egg dyeing game this spring? Whether you are decorating eggs as part of an Easter tradition or to celebrate other springtime rites, farmers tailgate markets have lots of options. Shop for an assortment of sizes—from tiny quail eggs to giant goose eggs—for a unique basket. If you visited Asheville City Market this past … Read more
There were a limited number of local turkeys available from Appalachian Grown farms this year, and those sold out by the end of October. So what if you didn’t reserve your bird early, but still want a local meat centerpiece for your Thanksgiving dinner? If you’re willing to get a little creative, you can find … Read more
Persimmons are a lovely fall treat, great for making baked goods, fruit leather, pudding, jam, and other sweets. But you can also use this autumnal fruit in more savory dishes. The fuyu variety of persimmon, which tastes similar to an apricot or date with notes of cinnamon, is great in salads, in stews, or roasted.
Late summer and early autumn produce continues to mingle on farmers tailgate market tables, giving shoppers a panoply of options. You can get ripe tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, okra, beans, and potatoes alongside winter squash, apples, the earliest sweet potatoes, and hardy greens like kale, collards, arugula, chard, and mustard. With this abundance, … Read more
We’ll have dry weather in the mountains for Labor Day, which means it’s safe to plan a few leisurely outdoor meals for the long weekend (or week). And just because we’re celebrating labor, doesn’t mean you should work too hard! Get everything you need at farmers tailgate markets to pull together a simple meal for … Read more