- Dave’s Raw Honey: Nothing says fall quite like a cup of hot tea sweetened with a spoonful of real local honey. So, Dave Cowart and other honey vendors will stick around (pun intended) area tailgate markets through the end of the season. Find Dave’s Raw Honey at the Montford Farmers Market and the North Asheville Tailgate Market, as well as the Holiday Bazaar held in December at the market’s UNCA location. Photos courtesy of ASAP and Maggie Cramer
- Flying Cloud Farm: Annie Louise Perkinson will have cool-weather veggies, from beets to winter squash, up for grabs until the last markets of the season. Find Flying Cloud at North Asheville Tailgate Market, Asheville City Market and the Montford Farmers Market.
- Sweetheart Bakery: Fall and winter markets are baked-good bonanzas. Look for all kinds of sweet treats — especially goodies made with fall finds like apples and sweet potatoes — from a variety of vendors. Aimee Mostwill of Sweetheart Bakery plans to have her cookies, scones, tarts and more at Asheville City Market, Montford Farmers Market and North Asheville Tailgate Market until the tents come down for the year.
- It’s time for turkey! Well, almost. It’s actually time to order your local turkey. East Fork Farm has sign-up sheets out at their market booths now. Find them at Asheville City Market, Montford Farmers Market and North Asheville Tailgate Market. Also look to Which Came First Farm at the Wednesday Co-op Tailgate Market next to the French Broad Food Co-op. As of press time, they had nearly 100 unclaimed birds. You can order yours at their market booth, or you can connect with them via Facebook or by calling 625-3402.
- B&L Organics: Barry Rubenstein of B&L Organic plans to set up at markets into November with turnips, radishes, and other fall produce. A long-time vendor of the Wednesday Co-op Market next to the French Broad Food Co-op, he shares that seafood vendors and farmers growing in greenhouses will ensure the market thrives through the end of the season.
- Firefly Farms: Okay, we’re teasing you a bit with these bright red tomatoes. But Elizabeth Gibbs and Scott Paquin of Firefly Farm will have displays just as stunning through the end of the season. Expect wreaths, beef, lots of leafy green veggies (they planted their high tunnel in mid-October), winter squash, and more. Find Firefly at the Montford Farmers Market, Asheville City Market, and occasionally the Yancey County Farmers Market.
- Simple Bread: Is there such a thing as a holiday meal without fresh-baked bread? We didn’t think so. Snag everything from rolls to baguettes at markets this season. You can be sure you’ll find loafs from vendor Nathan Morrison of Simple Bread at the West Asheville Tailgate Market and Montford Farmers Market as fall moves along.
It’s never too soon to start thinking of your Thanksgiving turkey. Many farmers will offer sign-up sheets at their tailgate booth in the coming weeks, so be sure to get on a list for your local bird.
But that’s not all you’ll find at markets right now. Here are some of the smiling faces you’ll find under autumn skies at your local tailgate market (for a complete list of markets and times, visit http://asap connections.org).
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