ASAP's Weekly Farmers Market Report - December 18, 2020

Fresh at Farmers Markets

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This week is your last opportunity to shop at farmers tailgate markets in 2020. You have plenty of chances. On Saturday, visit ASAP Farmers Market : [link removed] (9 a.m. to noon) or North Asheville Tailgate Market’s Holiday Bazaar : [link removed] (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.). On Tuesday, West Asheville Tailgate Market : [link removed] runs 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. And on Wednesday, you can shop at Weaverville Tailgate Market : [link removed] (2 to 5 p.m.). North, West, and Weaverville will then close for the season. ASAP Farmers Market will resume at A-B Tech on Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and River Arts District Farmers Market : [link removed] will return to Pleb Urban Winery Jan. 6. (Note that this newsletter will go on hiatus for the next two weeks and return Jan. 8.) 
 
Markets still have plenty of what you need to serve a fancy holiday feast or a few frosty-weather treats. Look for brussels sprouts from Highgate Farm : [link removed] (West Asheville Tailgate Market) or Gaining Ground Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market) to serve alongside a centerpiece roast. Sample a few cheeses from Lane in the Woods, a new cheesemaking venture (find them at Weaverville Tailgate Market). And, of course, you’ll need some apple cider to simmer on the stove with spices (or spirits). Get it from Creasman Farms : [link removed] (ASAP Farmers Market and North Asheville Tailgate Market) or McConnell Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market and West Asheville Tailgate Market). 
 
Need few family projects to power you through the weeks ahead? Consider making tamales. A traditional Mexican Christmastime food, these tasty corn-husk-wrapped goodies take some time to assemble, but can be frozen for quick and easy dinners all winter (if they last that long). Shredded meat, cooked long and slow and tossed with a red or green chile sauce, is the most common filling (although cheese, beans, sweet potato, or winter squash are certainly options for vegetarians). Look for pork shoulder from Dry Ridge Farm : [link removed] or Warren Wilson College Farm : [link removed] at ASAP Farmers Market, Hickory Nut Gap Farm : [link removed] at North Asheville Tailgate Market, or Dillingham Family Farm : [link removed] (Weaverville Tailgate Market). You can get fresh cilantro from Full Sun Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market) and Lee’s One Fortune Farm : [link removed] (ASAP Farmers Market and West Asheville Tailgate Market). Bonus points if you have dried chiles from earlier in the season that you can use for the sauce!
 
Prefer a sweeter treat? Take your gingerbread house or cookies up a notch by using fresh, local ginger in place of the dried spice. If you’re using a recipe with ground ginger, double or triple the amount, since the fresh spice is less concentrated. Look for fresh ginger from Lee’s One Fortune Farm. Check to see if Flying Cloud Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market) has any of its sorghum molasses left. And, of course, use local eggs. 
 
At markets now you’ll also find greens, including spinach, chard, kale, and lettuce; root veggies like potatoes, turnips, sweet potatoes, and beets; and more produce like winter squash, apples;, and mushrooms. You can still pick up holiday decor, including wreaths, boughs, and bouquets, as well as last-minute stocking stuffers, like hot sauce, spice mixes, chocolate, coffee, and much more. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region, including special holiday hours, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide : [link removed].

Double SNAP Increases SNAP Participation at Farmers Markets

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In a recent survey : [link removed] of markets and shoppers, ASAP found that the Double SNAP program has dramatically increased SNAP customers and sales at the eight participating farmers markets : [link removed]. The program is providing vital access to fresh, healthy food during a challenging time, as well as bringing in more income for local farmers and food businesses.
 
Help support Double SNAP in 2021 by making a donation : [link removed] to ASAP today.

Connect with Us

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appalachiangrown.org : [link removed] | fromhere.org : [link removed]
asapconnections.org : [link removed] | growing- : [link removed] : [link removed]
 
Donate to support local food, strong farms, and healthy communities today! : [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.

Upcoming Events

12/19
Polk Winter Farmer’s Market : [link removed]
 

2/25-2/27
ASAP’s Business of Farming Virtual Conference : [link removed] the Air

: [link removed] Harold and Nancy Long grow heirloom seeds on their 40-acre farm in Murphy, North Carolina. Hear how they support and sustain Cherokee agricultural traditions each fall in this week’s Growing Local : [link removed]. You can listen to all Growing Local episodes on SoundCloud : [link removed], iTunes : [link removed], or on ASAP's website : [link removed] & Farm News

Holiday and winter farmers markets are featured in the Mountain Xpress : [link removed] and WNC Magazine : [link removed]. 

WNC Magazine : [link removed] includes Looking Glass Creamery in a feature on chefs and artisan producers looking on the bright side for 2020.

The Asheville Citizen Times names several farms and local food producers in its holiday shopping roundup of 62 local female-made goods : [link removed].

Smoky Mountain News : [link removed] took a look at the rise in food insecurity in Western North Carolina and talked to several organizations working to alleviate hunger in their communities. Several of ASAP's Appalachian Farms Feeding Families partnerships were featured.


Morning Ag Clips : [link removed] featured the increase in SNAP sales at farmers markets due to Double SNAP.



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

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