Take home some delicious local and/or organic food from an Asheville Farmer's Market.
Tailgate Farmer Markets (most open in late April)
Black Mountain Tailgate Market
Where: 500 Montreat Rd. (Hwy 9 N. at exit 64 off I-40), yard of UU Congregation. Black Mountain, NC
What: Our market is a seasonal Saturday morning community event. We have an array of vendors, including mostly organic and sustainable growers, of produce, plants and herbs. We have local bakers and other food preparation artisans, with hot coffee and other drinks available. We have several artisans, including pottery and jewelry, and handmade soaps, lotions, candles, and such. We enjoy seeing children play on the lawn while their parents or other adult supervisors shop. Pets are welcome if on a leash, as required by town ordinance. We are there on Saturday mornings, rain or shine.
When: Sat 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
French Broad Food Coop Tailgate Downtown Market
Where: 76 Biltmore Ave. next to the French Broad Food Co-op. Asheville, NC
What: Asheville's original all organic tailgate market, serving Asheville and surrounding communities on Saturday mornings since 1990. You will find freshly picked organic vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs and flower bouquets plus garden, herb and landscaping plants. Local honey, freshly baked breads from a wood fired brick oven, vegan and non-vegan baked treats, eggs, pies, goat cheeses, jams, mushrooms, and locally raised meats. Voted Asheville's Best Tailgate Market for over five years.
When: Sat 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM, Wed 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Greenlife Tailgate Markets
Where: Greenlife Grocery, 70 Merrimon Avenue, just north of the I-240 connector. Located just 1/4 mile north of downtown Asheville. Under the locust trees, next to the parking lot.
What: We offer a wide variety of sustainably grown vegetables, fruits, berries and plants. You will also find freshly baked treats, goat cheeses, herb and flower bouquets, and fresh fruit preserves. All the produce is local and freshly picked.
When: Sun 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
North Asheville Tailgate Market
Where: University of NC at Asheville: Enter the UNC Asheville campus at the traffic circle on W.T. Weaver Boulevard. Travel up the main drive and take the first right at the blue sign that reads Commuter/Faculty-Staff Parking Lot C.
What: The area's oldest market, we have over 30 members who offer a wide range of products, from the latest in gourmet organic vegetables to old-timey favorites like half runner beans and fried apple pies. We offer an abundance of fresh cut flowers, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, baked goods, brick oven baked breads, bedding and native plants, honey, farm fresh eggs as well as locally raised natural meats.
When: Sat 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Riceville Community Tailgate Market
Where: in the parking lot of the Riceville Community Center, next door to the Riceville Volunteer Fire Department, Asheville, NC
What: Enjoy the community atmosphere and beautiful setting of our market, which features local products. We offer sustainably-grown fruits and vegetables, as well as, eggs, herbs, cut flowers, potted plants, honey, chocolate, fresh baked goods and handmade crafts and products. The market opens late May and runs through late August.
When: Sat 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
West Asheville Tailgate Market
Where: Market is located on the grassy area at the rear of parking lot for West End Bakery. West Asheville, NC
What: West Asheville is the place to shop on a Wednesday afternoon. Vendor's tables are abundant with an array of vegetables, flowers, fruits, eggs and cheeses. Other spaces display plant starts for gardens and landscapes, baskets overflowing with soaps, salves, and lotions. Shelves are stocked with jams/jellies, herb vinegars/oils and baked goods. And if we do not have what you need, you can surely find it somewhere on the block. The West Asheville Tailgate Market is within short walking distance of bakeries/deli's, a coffee roaster, a food co-op, restaurants.
When: Wed 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Asheville City Market
Where: Buncombe County Cooperative Extension and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project have organized a market in the parking lot of the Asheville Public Works building on South Charlotte Street in downtown Asheville.
When: Sat 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Hendersonville County Tailgate Market
Where: 100 North King Street in downtown Hendersonville
When: Sat 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Haywood's Historic Farmers Market
Where: At HART Theatre, Pigeon Street
When: Wed & Sat 8 AM - 1:00 PM, Starts mid May
Madison Co. Farmers & Artisans Market
Where: Mars Hill College, off Dormitory Drive, near Pittman Dining Hall
When: Sat 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
More Local Food & Fun
The Historic Orchard at Altapass is a 100-year-old apple orchard turned Appalachian Cultural Center celebrating the people, music, art, and natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains in North Carolina. Built by the Clinchfield Railroad in 1908, the Orchard is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway with some amazing scenery. Enjoy mountain music, ice cream, homemade fudge, hayrides, Butterfly Conservation Center and their store with local mountain art, jams, jellies, sauces, sweets, gifts, and more. Each fall, pick a variety of apples from their trees, or choose from bags of apples harvested for you.
At Hickory Nut Gap Farm you will find animals raised in their natural outdoor environment. Pigs in the woods, cows on pasture eating grass and clover, multiple species grazing together, drinking clean spring water and living the good life with more than 200 acres of pasture. Stop by their Farm Store (open year round Wed-Sat, 1-5 and daily 9-6 from Sept-Nov) to buy grassfed beef and lamb, along with pork, chicken, eggs and apples. The farm store also has an array of locally made products, including Haw Creek Honey in flavors such as sourwood, locust, and wildflower, jams and jellies, and a fall pumpkin patch. Walk around the farm during store hours. During September and October their activities include a corn maze, pumpkin patch, frisbee golf, a hay pile, tether ball, apples, gifts, and freshly pressed apple cider. During this time, pick up a variety of their apples including Macintosh, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Staymen Winesap, Rome Beauty, Gala, and many, many more. They also sell apples from other local Hendersonville producers, some of which are organically certified. The farm is just 14 miles from downtown Asheville. Directions from Asheville: I-240 East, exit towards 74-A East, Bat Cave, Blue Ridge Parkway, Chimney Rock. Follow 74-A approximately 9 miles. Turn left on Sugar Hollow Rd. The farm store is the first building on the right.
Near Hickory Nut Gap Farm is Imladris Farm, a short drive from Asheville in the small community of Fairview. They are a small, family owned farm focusing on sustainable agriculture and quality products. Concentrating on the environment and early, simple methods, Imladris Farm is an inspiring destination. For seven generations the Marlowe family has been present on the land. Proprietors Wendy and Walter are enthusiastic to share their way of living. Take home their gourmet jams (Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Berry Best, and Apple Butter), naturally raised rabbit meat, free range eggs, and gift baskets. The farm tours are available year-round, $3/person (5 and under free) with a $3 credit available for anything you purchase that day. Call for tour times: 828-628-9377.
The Local Food Guide for the Asheville area is bigger (85 pages) with more farms (nearly 200), numerous sections (farm tourism, roadside stands, wineries, apples, organic growers, CSAs), festival and events listing, over three dozen tailgate markets, and better than ever! You can find the printed version throughout western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina and at visitors centers and libraries throughout the region.
During your visit, don't miss the Western North Carolina Farmer's Market. The market is conveniently near downtown Asheville, and between two major Interstate highways (I-40 & I-26 on Brevard Road). They are on a thirty-six-acre site with a beautiful panoramic view of the mountains and the Biltmore Estate. The market was first opened in 1977, and is now open all year round, and seven days a week. The public is invited to come here and enjoy the atmosphere and character of the mountains. Admission is free. The retail area features displays of high quality fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, jams, jellies, preserves, sourwood honey, and dozens of other farm fresh items. Inside you will also find a deli that offers sandwiches and ice cream. These buildings are open daily 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., April-October; 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., November-March.
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) is a non-profit organization that supports farmers and rural communities in the mountains of western North Carolina and the southern Appalachians by providing education, mentoring, promotion, web resources, and community and policy development. Our mission is to create and expand regional community-based and integrated food systems that are locally owned and controlled, environmentally sound, economically viable and health-promoting. Our vision is a future food system throughout the mountains of North Carolina and the southern Appalachians that provides a safe and nutritious food supply for all segments of society; that is produced, marketed and distributed in a manner that enhances human and environmental health; and that adds economic and social value to rural and urban communities.
Slow Food Asheville is part of the rapidly growing international movement. Food is part of our cultural identity, from rare animal breeds to heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables... from handcrafted wine and beer to farmhouse cheeses and other artisanal products. Slow Food works to preserve this identity, and to keep the connection between the food we eat and the land it comes from. Slow Food is an educational organization dedicated to preserving food traditions, celebrating the pleasures of the table, and embracing a slower, more harmonious rhythm of life.
Mountain Farm’s Annual Lavender Festival is held in mid June at Mountain Farm, a 24-acre sustainable organic farm in the shadows of Mount Mitchell. Owner Marilyn Cade started the festival in 2006 to showcase Mountain Farm, the only commercial lavender farm in the mountains of North Carolina. The festival allows folks to tour lavender fields, navigate a lavender labyrinth, participate in workshops on lavender wreath-making and culinary uses, and learn cultivation techniques. Other activities include children’s workshops, a festival café, baby-goat feeding, a petting zoo of llamas, sheep and rabbits, and a variety of arts and crafts vendors. Lavender-related items for sale range from bath & body products to teas, vinegars and honey, not to mention cookbooks and seasoned salts.
Three grocery stores near downtown Asheville carry a large organic food selection: EarthFare in the Westgate Shopping Center near the Patton Avenue/I-240 merge. Greenlife is on Merrimon Avenue near I-240. French Broad Food Co-op is a member-owned grocery open to the public at 90 Biltmore Avenue.
