“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall,” wrote Oscar Wilde, and that feels especially true this year. This past week’s cooler temperatures have brought the threat of frost to some of the higher-elevation farms in our region. While farmers tailgate markets have been seeing the transition to autumn for the past several weeks, suddenly cooler-weather crops are taking center stage. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are all still available, but in shorter supply. Here are a few things to start looking for instead.
Lee’s One Fortune Farm
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
From nettles to beet greens, amaranth to tatsoi, there are countless types of leafy greens you can buy at farmers tailgate markets that don’t generally appear at grocery stores. One variety in season right now is sweet potato greens, the abundant vines sprouting from the more commonly consumed tuber part of the plant.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Does having to wait make the last few fruits of summer taste all the sweeter? Find late season delights, including watermelon, cantaloupe, and figs, at farmers tailgate markets across Buncombe County.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Believe it or not, winter squash—butternut, delicata, kabocha, and more—is starting to show up on local farmers’ social media feeds. August is always a funny time of year. We’re still anticipating some of summer’s best treats (watermelon!), even as the first few autumnal crops make their way to farmers tailgate markets.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Farmers tailgate markets are hitting peak summer bounty. It’s hard to see beyond the myriad berries, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and squash. But if you’re seeking something a little different, there are a few lesser-known treasures popping up on market tables.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Eggplant has joined the colorful parade of produce available at farmers tailgate markets. You’ll find many varieties of this summer stalwart from now until early fall.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Summer stalwarts, including new potatoes, beans, okra, and peppers, are all coming in at farmers tailgate markets now. Tomatoes and cucumbers are picking up speed and we’ll continue to see plenty of zucchini and summer squash. Plus, all the greens (dark leafies, head lettuce, and salad mixes) that have been around since spring are still going strong. You don’t have to do much to enjoy this bounty, but here are a few easy-going suggestions.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Early summer brassicas are coming in at farmers tailgate markets across Buncombe County, including cabbage, broccoli, and kohlrabi. Cabbage and kohlrabi will be available throughout the summer and early fall, but broccoli will disappear during the hotter months, so make sure you get some now!
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
June has arrived and with it an exciting spread of new produce on farmers market tables—summer squash, snap peas, cherries, kohlrabi, broccoli, garlic scapes, baby beets, and even a few greenhouse-grown tomatoes and peppers. There are more vendors, too, as some farms are returning to market after the slower spring season. Several markets have been able to adjust their layout to accommodate additional spaces while still maintaining social distancing precautions. And starting today, you have another market to visit in Asheville. East Asheville Tailgate Market reopens this afternoon from 3 to 6 p.m. at Groce Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Rd.
Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week
Local bamboo shoots might not be an item you would expect to find on farmers market tables, but they’re available now, either fresh or pickled, from Lee’s One Fortune Farm, at ASAP Farmers Market (both Thursday and Saturday), Black Mountain Tailgate Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market, and River Arts District Farmers Market.