Grab rhubarb while you’re shopping—rhubarb and strawberries are a classic pie pairing. McConnell Farms (Asheville City Market Downtown and South, North Asheville Tailgate Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market) offers both at their booth, and both strawberries and rhubarb will be available into June (Asheville City Market Downtown will hold a strawberry festival June 1.) Asparagus, however, likely won’t stick around through next month. Many farmers sold the last of their spears this past weekend. So if you see some, be sure to snag them up.

Another seasonal item in abundance? Spring onions. Unlike scallions, spring onions have a small bulb that just hasn’t fully matured. Like scallions, they have edible green stalks. Enjoy them raw to experience their unique crispness and sweetness, or use them in your favorite recipe.

Greens abound, too. In addition to the more well-known leafy veggies like kale and spinach, look for lesser-known options. Several market vendors offer Asian greens now, nettles have been spotted at markets from French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market to Oakley Farmers Market, and Fork Mountain Farm (Madison County Farmers & Artisans Market, Weaverville Tailgate Market) has been offering up escarole.

In addition to kickstarting produce, April showers have brought May flowers. Look for beautiful bouquets from vendors like Fisher Branch Farm at Asheville City Market; they share that peonies and other spring favorites are on the way. Local eggs, cheeses, honey, meats, and tempeh can be found now, too.

On May 23, Oakley Farmers Market will hold its first annual family Spring Fling. Kids can enjoy a puppet show, a visit from Gladheart Farm’s baby goats, and more. Saturday, May 25, Jackson County Farmers Market will feature Family Art at the Market from 10 am to 2 pm, and City Lights Bookstore will hold storytime at 11 am.

To learn more about market events/find a market schedule, visit our farmers market calendar or browse our online Local Food Guide.

In addition to the abundance of asparagus, lettuce, and kale, spinach, and other leafy greens that have kicked off the season, find spring onions and pea shoots now—a sign that peas themselves aren’t far behind. Vendors like MiLo Acres (Black Mountain Tailgate Market, French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market) and Ivy Creek Family Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market, Weaverville Tailgate Market) offer the versatile veggie. Enjoy pea shoots raw in salads or cook them like a braising green; they need only a lightning-quick sauté to release their pea flavor.

Also look for early root veggies this week and in the weeks to come. Carrots, turnips, and beets were all spotted last weekend at Asheville City Market; carrots and turnips from New Moon Herbs Farm, turnips from Ol’ Turtle Farm, and beets from Earthlife Farm. Earthlife Farm also brought strawberries, another crop that’s heating up. Jake’s Farm (Asheville City Market, Black Mountain Tailgate Market, French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market) expects berries this week. At the Jackson County Farmers Market, Shelton Family Farm’s berries have arrived, and Full Sun Farm offered up a few pints at Montford Farmers Market last week (pictured above).

One local food loving all the wet weather? Mushrooms. Markets from Black Mountain Tailgate Market to French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market expect shiitakes this week. Lion’s mane mushrooms have been spotted at Montford Farmers Market. And, the Asheville Wild Foods Market has been bringing morels to Asheville City Market.

This week, Historic Marion Tailgate Market and East Asheville Tailgate Market open for their seasons, May 14 and 17, respectively. Waynesville Tailgate Market is now open, with their first Wednesday market happening this week, May 15. Mark your calendars now for Oakley Farmers Market’s Spring Fling on Thursday, May 23. The event, which runs 3:30-6:30 pm, will feature a visit from Gladheart Farm’s baby goats, live music, a puppet show, raffles, a flower-planting activity for children, and a fresh food demonstration for children thanks to Slow Food Asheville’s FEAST program. And that’s not all! Get full details at oakleyfarmersmarket.com.

To learn more about market events/find a market schedule, visit our farmers market calendar or browse our online Local Food Guide. Also check our post “Tailgate Tents Going Up” for a list of openings.

More vendors are bringing spinach and lettuce to market to join their other leafy greens, like chard, collards, and kale. Heads of heirloom Cracoviensis (pictured) and oakleaf lettuce varieties have already been spotted. Look for salad mixes now, too; Wildwood Herbal will offer the first cutting of their lettuce mix at Asheville City Market Downtown this Saturday.

Another great green for a spring salad? Watercress, which is loving all the rain. Long Valley Eco-biotic Farm offers the peppery member of the mustard/cruciferous family at several area markets: Madison County Farmers & Artisans Market, Weaverville Tailgate Market, and West Asheville Tailgate Market. The green is said to be at its flavor prime in the spring—not too spicy, just right. Jake’s Farm (Asheville City Market, Black Mountain Tailgate Market, French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market) has another member of the mustard family now: cabbage. But note, the local cabbage crop doesn’t begin hitting markets in significant quantities until June.

Strawberry season is starting! Vendors like Full Sun Farm (Montford Farmers Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market) expect berries this week. Finally Farm (Asheville City Market Downtown, Asheville City Market South, Montford Farmers Market, Oakley Farmers Market, West Asheville Tailgate Market) will also have strawberry starts so that you can grow your own.

Of course, that’s not all. Asparagus still abounds, and local cheeses, crafts, meats, mushrooms, radishes, spring onions, and more can be found. Need a Mother’s Day gift? Look for gorgeous spring blooms. The French Broad Food Co-op tailgate will offer orchids this Wednesday. Asheville City Market will celebrate mom Saturday with cut flowers, handmade chocolate “bouquets,” jewelry, bath products, and more.

Oakley Farmers Market opens for the season this week on Thursday, May 9, with a special opening day deal on chicken as well as a Mother’s Day gift activity for kids. Historic Marion Tailgate Market and East Asheville Tailgate Market follow next week, May 14 and 17, respectively.

To learn more about market events/find a market schedule, visit our farmers market calendar or browse our online Local Food Guide. Also check our post “Tailgate Tents Going Up” for a list of openings.

But don’t just shop produce vendors, asparagus addicts! Artisan food producers are incorporating the springtime staple, too. Look for items like asparagus and cheddar croissants from Farm & Sparrow (Asheville City Market, Black Mountain Tailgate Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market).

Kale is also kicking into high gear. Jake’s Farm (Asheville City Market, Black Mountain Tailgate Market, French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market) has been offering up bountiful baskets of the must-have green. And, multiple varieties of kale have been spotted at markets around the region. Jake’s also offered stinging nettles, another seasonal green, last Saturday at Asheville City Market Downtown.

Didn’t know you could eat stinging nettles? What about Japanese knotweed? You can, and Asheville Wild Foods Market offered the option at Asheville City Market Downtown last weekend. The young stems are edible and are said to taste similar to rhubarb—which can also be found at tailgates now. The foragers’ booth also began offering bamboo shoots.

Expect even more greens this week and in the coming weeks, including more widespread offerings of lettuce and spinach. And keep your eyes peeled for early spring garlic, or green garlic, from vendors like Ivy Creek Family Farm. As the season picks up, also find new vendors joining markets and additional markets opening.

Montford Farmers Market and Spruce Pine Farmers Market kick off Wednesday, May 1; Flat Rock Tailgate Market opens Thursday, May 2; and Black Mountain Tailgate Market and Mills River Farmers Market open Saturday, May 4.

To celebrate their opening, Montford Farmers Market is hosting a Garden Gala on May 1. Several vendors will sell vegetable and herb starts along with other plants, including Japanese and native irises. The market runs 2-6 pm and has new additions this year, including Simple Bread and the Ursa Minor Coffee Truck.

North Asheville Tailgate Market is dedicating their May 4 market to moms! At their Spring Fling/Mother’s Day Celebration (8 am-noon), find gifts like flower bouquets, jewelry, and pottery. B & L Organic plans to have a potting table so kids can pot up a special plant for Mom.

To learn more about market events/find a market schedule, visit our farmers market calendar or browse our online Local Food Guide. Also check our post “Tailgate Tents Going Up” for a list of openings.

If you’re after produce in general, get to your neighborhood market early this week. With the season still young, limited quantities of veggies are selling quickly.

A lucky few snagged asparagus from Ivy Creek Family Farm at North Asheville Tailgate Market this past Saturday. While the rest of Ivy Creek’s crop is heading into CSA boxes, McConnell Farms (also at North Asheville) should have plenty of asparagus for sale, along with rhubarb. McConnell Farms can also be found at West Asheville Tailgate Market and will join the roster of vendors at Asheville City Market Downtown and South soon. And Ivy Creek Family Farm will have other offerings this week—from spinach to their first turnips.

Greens are still available, with many coming from hoophouses. Thanks to the warmth inside their hoophouse, Mountain Harvest Organics (North Asheville Tailgate Market, Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market) has bunches of full-grown chard and collards.

Speaking of warm weather, longer, sun-drenched days mean more eggs are being laid. Look for chicken eggs from vendors at nearly every area tailgate, along with quail eggs from MiLo Acres at French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market.

Spring starts and plants are still available, too—from the expected to the unexpected. At North Asheville Tailgate Market, the Carnivorous Plant Connection offers bug-loving pitcher plants and sundews.

This Saturday, April 27, Asheville City Market Downtown will host their annual “Hard 2 Recycle” event in cooperation with Asheville GreenWorks. Shoppers can bring and recycle items like CFL light bulbs, cell phones, and small appliances that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Find more details at ashevillegreenworks.org.

Early May marks the start of many markets’ seasons, including Montford Farmers Market and Spruce Pine Farmers Market on Wednesday, May 1, and Flat Rock Tailgate Market on Thursday, May 2.

To learn more about market events/find a market schedule, visit our farmers market calendar or browse our online Local Food Guide. Also check our post “Tailgate Tents Going Up” for a list of openings.

While shopping, grab some green (i.e. plant starts) for your garden—from veggie starts to berry bushes to perennials. There are two plant days planned: April 23 3-6 pm at Historic Marion Tailgate Market (their season begins May 14) and April 20 8 am-1 pm at Asheville City Market. At ACM, expect spring planting and re-potting demos plus the opportunity to ask questions of Master Gardeners and the Asheville Blue Ridge Rose Society.

Spring onions and scallions can be found from farmers and artisan food producers now. Rio Bertolini’s (Asheville City Market Downtown and South) has a special spring onion pasta. Ramps are also ramping up (the cross between an onion and garlic can be wild-harvested or cultivated on forestland). FBFC Wednesday Tailgate Market reports that ramps will abound and notes they’re sure to be sustainably harvested. Speaking of wild foods, Asheville City Market has a new vendor this year: Asheville Wild Foods Market. The booth offers up tons of local wild edibles and is staffed by foraging experts.

They say that April showers bring May flowers, but the rain is bringing April blooms, too. Full Sun Farm offered stems of ranunculus in reds, oranges, pinks, and white at North Asheville Tailgate’s opening last Saturday. Expect more flowers to come.

Along with greens and plant starts, nothing says spring like asparagus and strawberries—both of which are still a bit of an unknown when it comes to which markets will have them and when. Farmers report asparagus is beginning to be harvested and may be available this week/weekend, and some farmers have limited quantities of strawberries. The berries were spotted at ACM this past weekend and are expected at the FBFC market this Wednesday (April 17) and beyond. Baby beets and turnips are also beginning to arrive in limited amounts.

One remnant of fall and winter does remain: sweet potatoes. Flying Cloud Farm (Asheville City Market, North Asheville Tailgate Market) will offer the storage crop until they run out. Of course, local meats, cheeses, eggs, honey, savory and sweet treats, and handcrafted artisan items can also be found.

Yancey County Farmers Market, Transylvania Tailgate Market, and Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market all open for their seasons this Saturday, April 20.

To learn more about market events/find a market schedule, visit our farmers market calendar or browse our online Local Food Guide. Also check our post “Tailgate Tents Going Up” for a list of openings.

Find a list of spring tailgate opening days below. Markets listed are all members of the Mountain Tailgate Market Association (MTMA), a collaborative group of farmer- and vendor-only area markets. For a complete list of the 90+ tailgates in the region, including their season start dates (a new feature for 2013!), visit our online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org. The 2013 print guide hits stands in late April.

MTMA Opening Dates

Asheville City Market: April 6, Saturdays 8 am-1 pm

Asheville City Market South: April 3, Wednesdays 1-5 pm

Bakersville Farmers Market: May 25, Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Black Mountain Tailgate Market: May 4, Saturdays 9 am-12 pm

East Asheville Tailgate Market: May 17, Fridays 3-6 pm

Flat Rock Tailgate Market: May 2, Thursdays 3-6 pm

French Broad Food Co-op Wednesday Tailgate Market: April 3, Wednesdays 2-6 pm

Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market: April 20, Wednesdays/Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Henderson County Tailgate Market: early spring TBA, Saturdays 7 am-12 pm

Historic Marion Tailgate Market: May 14, Tuesdays 3-6 pm, Saturdays 9 am-12 pm

Leicester Farmers Market: March 30, Saturdays 9 am-2 pm

Madison County Farmers & Artisans Market: April 6, Saturdays 9 am-1 pm

Mills River Farmers Market: May 4, Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Montford Farmers Market: May 1, Wednesdays 2-6 pm

North Asheville Tailgate Market: April 13, Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Oakley Farmers Market: May 9, Thursdays 3:30-6:30 pm

Spruce Pine Farmers Market: May 1, Wednesdays 2-5 pm

Transylvania Tailgate Market: April 20, Saturdays 8 am-12:30 pm

Waynesville Tailgate Market: May 15, Wednesdays/Saturdays 8 am-12 pm

Weaverville Tailgate Market: April 10, Wednesdays 2:30-6:30 pm

West Asheville Tailgate Market: April 9, Tuesdays 3:30-6:30 pm

Yancey County Farmers Market: April 20, Saturdays 8:30 am-12:30 pm

Tell us:  Which market(s) do you frequent for your local food fix?!

Asheville City Market (ACM) downtown hosts its last indoor winter market this Saturday, March 30 (10 am-1 pm). Expect the same goodness of the past several months—greens, cheeses, fresh-baked breads, and more. Also expect something new: the first fresh chickens of the season from Hominy Valley Farms!

This Saturday also marks Jackson County Farmers Market’s final indoor market at the Community Table (10 am-1 pm). Vendors plan to bring greens, eggs, meats, fresh-roasted coffee beans, and plenty of plant starts.

While ACM and the Jackson market say goodbye to their warm winter spaces this weekend (they both re-open outdoors on April 6), Leicester Farmers Market will say hello to customers again after a winter break. Beginning March 30, the Leicester market runs Saturdays 9 am-2 pm in the parking lot of Leicester Landing Shopping Center, 338 Leicester Rd.

The Neighborhood Y at Woodfin Winter Tailgate Market runs for two more Saturdays: March 30 and April 6 (both 10 am-12:30 pm). This weekend, find everything you need for your Easter and Passover tables + lots of veggies from new vendor Rise Up Rooted Farm and River Camp. Next weekend, say goodbye to the market with an outdoor Farmer Appreciation Day. The event will showcase growers that can be found this market season at North Asheville Tailgate Market and Weaverville Tailgate Market.

Asheville City Market South opens outdoors on Wednesday, April 3, with its largest selection of vendors ever and live music. We’ll have the details on more market openings for you next week, when we’ll kick off an exciting new season of Fresh at Farmers Markets This Week reports. In the meantime, check out our post Tailgate Tents Going Up for a roundup of markets with the earliest spring opening dates. And, head over to our Local Food Guide online where each tailgate market’s listing now includes their season start date!

According to Diane Saccone with the Neighborhood Y at Woodfin Winter Tailgate Market, vendors like Wildwood Herbal, John’s Berry Patch, Ardfield Farm, and Jake’s Farm will have a “full array of everything” Saturday! Also find Jake’s Farm and Wildwood Herbal at Asheville City Market this weekend.

The final Winter Market at Grow Down Home Market in Black Mountain on Saturday will also offer a nice selection of local produce and the opportunity to sign up for next year’s Winter Sun Farms CSA—to ensure you keep the fresh produce momentum going after this coming tailgate season. The market will run 10 am-1 pm; it will continue as a spring market every Saturday starting in April, changing to a Wednesday market in May. More details coming soon.

The Marion Tailgate Easter Market is bursting out for spring! Expect crafts and baked goods to help you celebrate Easter, along with locally grown house plants. The special market will be held Tuesday, March 19, from 3 to 6 pm and Saturday, March 23, from 10 am to 2 pm in the City of Marion parking lot at the intersection of Henderson and Logan. Check their Facebook page for updates.

If you’re a meat maniac, be sure to stop by and see John Bennett of Beulah Farm today or one of the next few Fridays in front of the French Broad Food Co-op. He’s been bringing a cooler each week full of beef, pork, and more (pictured above).

Find more details about these and other winter tailgates HERE; also find winter markets listed at our online farmers market calendar. Stay tuned for a list of spring tailgate opening dates.

At the Neighborhood Y at Woodfin Winter Tailgate Market—which plans to move outdoors this weekend thanks to the forecast of spring-like weather—expect greens from vendors Ivy Creek Family Farm and Mountain Harvest Organics. At Asheville City Market (ACM) downtown, jump over to Jake’s Farm’s booth to go greens. Find the leafy veggies at Jackson County Farmers Market, too, where we even hear there’s garlic now to help you make a quick and flavorful greens sauté. Expect more produce later in the month.

Looking for fresh-baked bread? Smoke Signals Baking with be at both ACM and the Woodfin market this week. Also at Woodfin Saturday, find Simple Bread and their sourdough and whole wheat options. Want the crispy crunch of a cracker? Choose Roots & Branches at ACM.

Even though spring is near, winter is still doing a number on our skin. Most area winter markets include vendors offering handcrafted personal care items. New to ACM this month is Sacred Mountain Herbals with their line of body care products. And, Faerie Made is back with soaps, salves, and more this weekend at the Y.

Missing Asheville City Market South’s indoor market, which finished its run last week? Good news! Nearly all the winter vendors can be found at Asheville City Market downtown, which continues through the month at the Haywood Park Hotel atrium.

Find more details about these and other winter tailgates HERE; also find winter markets listed at our online farmers market calendar.