ASAP’s Weekly Farmers Market Report - February 2, 2024

Fresh at Farmers Markets

: [link removed]
 


With more limited produce at markets, this time of year is a great opportunity to explore the wonderful meat vendors at market! Whether you’re looking for a local product to feature in your Super Bowl shareables, searching for more immunity boosting recipes to stave off a cold this winter, or just trying to support farmers markets throughout the season, local meat producers have plenty to offer! 

Bone broth may have seen a spike in popularity in recent years, but this age-old elixir has been consumed for centuries as a cure-all solution to supporting digestive and immune health. Bone broth can be found pre-made in stores, but you can make your own this winter with locally sourced ingredients! The leftovers from a chicken dinner can easily be made into a delicious and simple bone broth that can be enjoyed for weeks (and even months) after. Start by adding the bones and carcass leftover from a whole chicken into a large stock pot, along with a few lemon wedges, and some rosemary or other herbs for a little extra flavor. Top with about twelve cups of water, or until the pot’s contents are generously covered. Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, along with a bit of salt and pepper to season. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Now we arrive at the most time consuming part of making bone broth at home, where we’ll let the broth mixture simmer for 10 to 12 hours. This process can also be done in a crockpot on low. After simmering, strain and discard the bones. Enjoy immediately, or store in glass jars for later use. Bone broth can last a few days when refrigerated, or for a few months when frozen! You can also make bone broth from the bones from beef or pork! You can find a whole chicken from vendors like Good Wheel Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market : [link removed]), Dillingham Family Farm : [link removed] (Weaverville Tailgate Market : [link removed]), and Wild East Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville and River Arts District : [link removed] markets). Vendors like Crow Fly Farms : [link removed] (Asheville City Market : [link removed]) also sell pre-bundled lamb, pork, and beef bones to make bone broth with! 

With the abundance of local pork producers, pulled pork may be the perfect dish to share with friends and family at a Super Bowl party next weekend! Similar to bone broth, this crowd-pleaser is more time intensive, but the perfectly cooked, tender, and juicy result will absolutely be worth it! Start with four pounds of pork shoulder, trimming any excess fat and then cutting the shoulder into a few smaller pieces. In a small bowl, combine one tablespoon each of brown sugar and chili powder, and one teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub the spices all over the pork and let sit, preferably overnight. In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, add a few tablespoons of oil, then sear the meat on all sides. Pour half a cup of apple cider vinegar and one cup of apple cider around the pork in the dutch oven, cover with a lid, then cook in an oven for three hours at 300 degrees. After three hours, remove the lid and continue cooking for an additional one to two hours, until the pork is tender and easily pulled apart with a fork. Remove from the oven and shred the meat, adding in barbeque sauce if desired. Enjoy alone, served as a pulled pork sandwich, as a topping for nachos, as the base for a taco, and more! You can find pork from vendors like Sugar Hollow Farm : [link removed], Sugar Creek Meat : [link removed] (North Asheville and River Arts District markets), Hickory Nut Gap : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market), and Dry Ridge Farm : [link removed] (Asheville City Market)! 

At winter markets now you’ll also find carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, cabbage, kale, salad greens, winter squash, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Markets are also stocked with a variety of cheeses, rice, pasta, pastries, drinks, and prepared foods. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region, including winter hours, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide : [link removed].

Connect with ASAP

: [link removed] : [link removed] : [link removed] : [link removed] 
appalachiangrown.org : [link removed] | asapconnections.org : [link removed]
  

ASAP's mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters, and build healthy communities through connections to local food.
 

: [link removed]

2/3
Mushroom Production & Log Inoculation Workshop : [link removed]
 

2/10
Introduction to Pollinators : [link removed]

2/16
Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop : [link removed]

2/21-2/22
Winter Vegetable Conference : [link removed]

2/24
ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference : [link removed]

Find upcoming events (or post your own) at
asapconnections.org : [link removed].

News from ASAP

: [link removed] 
Save the Date for ASAP's CSA Fair!ASAP's annual CSA Fair : [link removed] will return Friday, March 8, from 3 to 5:30 at the YWCA of Asheville. This free, family-friendly event is a chance to meet farmers and learn about CSAs (or Community Supported Agriculture)—where you sign on for a "share" of a farm's harvest and get a weekly box of fresh produce or other farm goods. Look for a list of participating farms (which all offer pickup locations in Buncombe County) by Feb. 15.Want to learn more about how CSAs work and where else you can find CSA farms? Stay tuned to ASAP's social media for CSA Month! From Feb. 15-March 15, ASAP will highlight CSA farms and education : [link removed] to help you decide if a CSA is right for you.

Local Food and Farms in the News

Edible Asheville : [link removed] released part 2 of its investigative series on farmland preservation in Western North Carolina. Farmers Suzanne Nolter (Blazing Star Flowers), Aaron and Nicole Bradley (Colfax Creek Farm), and Jake Puckett (Crow Fly Farms) are interviewed in the piece and data from ASAP's Local Food Research Center is referenced. Says Jake Puckett, “Finding a way to get usable farmland into the hands of these people who want to farm is critical, or it’s just going to continue to disappear and we’ll have nothing but little mansions speckled across North Carolina.”



ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) - 306 W. Haywood Street - Asheville - NC - 28801

Subscribe to this newsletter:
[link removed]
Unsubscribe [email protected]:
[link removed]
Change your preferences:
[link removed]
Forward to a friend:
[link removed]
Report this email as spam:
[link removed]

This email was sent using MyNewsletterBuilder.com.