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The WNC Farmers Market in Asheville is probably one of the first places that comes to mind for a pleasant visit on a spring or summer day. With just-picked fruits, lush flowers, and farm-fresh vegetables begging for attention, it�s only natural to head for the panoramic 36-acre site on a warm, sunny afternoon. But what happens when the weather turns cold and the North Wind whips up its own particular brand of fury on a December day? Perhaps surprisingly to some, the WNC Farmers Market is still a great destination � any month of the year � and the produce that is available now is fresh, seasonal, and ready to take home to the family.
Christmas trees, wreaths, and boughs of greenery are in high demand right now, and the traffic is brisk at the Farmers Market. It seems that almost every car, truck, and SUV leaving the Market has a tree, selected with great care, and painstakingly tied down to the roof. Vendors from all over Western North Carolina have a plentiful stock of locally grown Fraser firs, the tree of choice for Christmas trees in homes across the country. The Fraser fir, renowned for its evergreen fragrance, soft needles, dense branches, and characteristically beautiful shape, is perfectly at home in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and is a popular crop for many farmers throughout the region. Hand-decorated wreaths, made while you wait, are as fresh and fragrant as the trees themselves, and customers have the added pleasure of selecting the holly, pine cones, and other materials that adorn the wreaths that decorate many a front door, office, or home.
The late fall and winter months are traditionally the time of cabbages and dark greens, and the Farmers Market has an excellent supply of these healthy vegetables. Cabbages and greens are outstanding additions to homemade vegetable soup, a comforting and easy family supper on those long and cold nights that lie just ahead. A sweet and simple gift for friends, neighbors, babysitters, and party hostesses is a jar or two of the delicious jams, jellies, or relishes available in the retail section of the Farmers Market. Add a small basket or ribbon, and the colorful concoctions are pretty enough on their own � no wrapping needed! Summer�s bounty of almost any fruit or vegetable grown is available year-round in those little jars, and it is one gift that will almost surely be well received. In addition to the retail and wholesale areas in the Market, Jesse Israel & Sons Garden and Nursery Center is on site as well as the Moose Caf�, a restaurant with a menu full of tasty Southern fare (the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily). The WNC Farmers Market is located at 570 Brevard Road, Asheville, with easy access from I-40, I-240, and I-26. It is open 7 days a week; winter hours are 8 AM � 5 PM. For more information, please call 828-253-1691 or visit their web site, www.wncfarmersmarket.org. (Images provided by the WNC Farmers Market)
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With the holidays on most people�s minds right now, the Farmers Market is the perfect spot to find some sweet, crisp locally grown apples for use as teachers� gifts, stocking stuffers or in home-baked pies. Nothing can sweeten up a holiday family dinner like sweet potatoes, and they are in abundance right now. All sorts of nuts � hazelnuts, Brazils, walnuts, and pecans � are a time-honored holiday extravagance, and all are currently available at the Farmers Market, either is small amounts (in the retail section) or in 50-pound sacks (in the wholesale area).
