Bear Necessities Farm

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

nettles at farmers market

Pollen-induced spring allergies have seemed particularly high in our region this year. Many of us are searching for miracle cures to stop the sneezing. Farmers markets right now offer a few traditional herbal or food-based remedies for allergic reactions that might just work for you. (And even if they don’t, they’re delicious!) It might seem … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

peonies from Blazing Star Flowers

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

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

starts-from-BL-Organic_photo-by-Camilla-Calnan-Photography

With sunnier days and rising temperatures, many of us are eager to get our hands in the dirt in our home gardens. In addition to offering an abundance of local food, farmers tailgate markets are also a great place to get plant starts and pick up gardening tips. As markets open for spring and more … Read more

Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

ginger gold apples from Creasman Farms

This is the sweetest of times. The great mingling of late summer and early fall fruits is happening now at farmers tailgate markets! While many farms still have peaches, raspberries, blackberries, and even blueberries, we’re also starting to get the first pear and apple varieties. Figs have arrived and watermelons and cantaloupes are more widely available.  

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

raspberries

Steamy weather and intermittent thunderstorms can make cooking meals a real drag. Times like these call for a few refrigerator staples that can perk up a simple salad or help power through an afternoon lull. Luckily, fruit and berry season is kicking into gear at farmers tailgate markets. Beyond fresh eating and desserts, these are great for making zippy vinaigrettes and icy drinks.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

chicken and veggies from Fiddler's Green Farm

As temperatures continue to rise, more farmers and others vendors are returning to fill out farmers tailgate markets—and a few more markets are ready to open! Enka-Candler Tailgate Market, at the A-B Tech Small Business Center in Enka, opens this Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Black Mountain Tailgate Market will open next Saturday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to noon. (If you’re looking for a market outside of Buncombe County, here’s a full list of opening dates throughout the region.)

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

chestnut mushrooms from Black Trumpet Farm, photo by Camilla Calnan

Springtime brings on foraging dreams for many of us—returning to your favorite ramp patch or happening upon an elusive morel deep in the woods. But if you’re not able to wander off the path in search of these delights, farmers tailgate markets can also be great places to gather wild foods, in addition to cultivated spring crops.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

Nettles

One of the joys of shopping at farmers tailgate markets is getting to try things you would never find in a grocery store. That’s especially true in the spring, when a myriad of unique greens start to join the more tried-and-true spinach, arugula, and kale. Right now we’re excited to see the first stinging nettles, sorrel, and Tokyo bekana, among other greens. 

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

sour gherkins and cherry tomatoes 550x250

Hey, parents. How are you doing out there? We know the next few weeks may be tough (as if the past six months hadn’t already been difficult). Whether your family is heading back to in-person school, navigating distance learning, or trying to unravel the particulars of a hybrid system, healthy snack food might not be top of your mind. And that may be the case even if you don’t have kids in the house. But there are some simple things you can grab at farmers tailgate markets right now that might appeal even to picky or stressed-out eaters.

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Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week

For most of us, the Fourth of July is likely to feel a lot less spectacular this year. But that’s all the more reason to create your fireworks in the kitchen and celebrate what local farmers have at farmers tailgate markets right now. There isn’t a better time of year to be turning a colorful array of fruit into flavor-bursting pies, cobblers, and galettes.

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