It’s a sweet time to be in Western North Carolina. This past week has brought an abundance of newly arrived fruits to area farmers tailgate markets!
Peaches. The quintessential summer fruit is on the scene from Creasman Farms (Asheville City Market and River Arts District Farmers Market) and McConnell Farms (North Asheville Tailgate Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market, and Asheville City Market).
Blueberries. Second only to peaches as the perfect summer fruit (though this may be disputed, depending on who you ask), the very first blueberry crops are arriving from Is-a-bell Farm (Oakley Tailgate Market), Tucker’s Garden (West Asheville Tailgate Market and North Asheville Tailgate Market), Flying Cloud Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market and River Arts District Farmers Market), and Aardvark Farm (River Arts District Farmers Market and Yancey County Farmers Market).
Raspberries. Bear Necessities Farm (Asheville City Market and West Asheville Tailgate Market) had a few half-pints of raspberries this past week. Bet they’ll fly off his vendors table, though, so be sure to visit him early at market to get some.
Blackberries. Both McConnell Farms and Bear Necessities Farm had the first of these this past week. There will be sure to be more in the weeks to come! Farmers are saying this is going to be a great year for blackberry crops!
Cherries. In addition to peaches and blackberries, McConnell Farms has a different variety of cherries than they’ve had in the previous weeks. This type of cherry has mostly yellow skin with a touch of red, and though very sweet, there’s a hint of sourness to their flavor making them absolutely delicious!
Mulberries. Tucker’s Garden has a few of these at market now. The unique berries are a treat to eat, so don’t miss ‘em if you can!
And lastly, folks still have strawberries, including Bear Necessities Farm, Flying Cloud Farm, and others.
As we get further into spring and summer there will be a wider and wider array of fruits and vegetables. In addition to produce, you can always find a range of meats, cheeses, eggs, breads, baked goods, value added items, plant starts, fresh flowers, and other treats!
Area farmers tailgate markets take place throughout the region. As always, you can find information about farms, tailgate markets, and farm stands, including locations and hours, by visiting ASAP’s online Local Food Guide.
(Prepared by Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.)