ASAP's Weekly Farmers Market Report - September 2, 2022

Fresh at Farmers Markets

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Labor Day is coming up, and one of the best ways to relax during the long weekend is to grab everything you need at the farmers market to make a few easy meals! Try throwing together a simple tomato salad to share with friends and family, or grilling out in the evenings with the plethora of meat (or vegetable) options offered by vendors at markets! 
 
And don’t forgot that Southside Community Farmers Market : [link removed] will have its monthly farmers market this Sunday, Sept. 4, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Edgington Center. Stop by and support our community’s BIPOC farmers. Look for fresh produce, such as green beans, tomatoes, peppers, okra, sweet corn, and malabar spinach, plus cut flowers and herbs!
 
While we might be growing tired of tomatoes, they’ll still be around to enjoy for a few more months! This panzanella salad is the perfect recipe to keep using the beautiful (and delicious) heirloom tomato varieties offered this time of year, as well as other farmers market produce. This light and refreshing dish can be served for lunch or as a side to other Italian-inspired dishes. Start with half a loaf of bread, cut into one-inch cubes, then toss with two tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 9-12 minutes until toasted. A sturdy bread like sourdough works best for making your croutons. This is also a great way to utilize bread that is more on the stale side. In a small bowl, combine half a cup of extra virgin olive oil, one-fourth cup of red wine vinegar, two grated garlic gloves, and salt and pepper to taste to make your dressing. In a larger bowl, mix together two pounds of ripe tomatoes (cut into bite sized pieces), eight ounces of halved mozzarella pearls, half of a sliced red onion, and half a cup of coarsely chopped basil leaves. Add the cooled croutons and drizzle on dressing, then gently toss to combine. 
 
You can find plenty of tomato varieties for this recipe from Gaining Ground Farm : [link removed], Full Sun Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville : [link removed] and River Arts District : [link removed] markets), Highgate Farm : [link removed] (West Asheville : [link removed], River Arts District and Black Mountain : [link removed] markets), Bear Necessities Farm : [link removed] (West and Asheville City : [link removed]), and many other vendors! To make your croutons, look for sourdough bread sold by Simple Bread : [link removed] (West and Asheville City markets) and or High Top Bread Company (East : [link removed] and North Asheville markets) or gluten-free options from Urban Peasants (River Arts District Farmers Market).
 
For your grilling needs this weekend, we thought it would be a good time to highlight all of the wonderful meat vendors at farmers markets! Look for chicken and beef products from Dillingham Family Farm : [link removed] (Weaverville Tailgate Market : [link removed]); pork and beef from Dry Ridge Farm : [link removed] (North, West, and Asheville City markets); and whole chickens from both The Wild Way Farm : [link removed] (West and North Asheville markets) and Good Wheel Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market).
 
At farmers markets now you’ll also find apples, peaches, pears, figs, melons, okra, tomatoes, eggplant, summer and winter squash, cucumbers, garlic, potatoes, beets, leafy greens, mushrooms, and much more. Markets are stocked with a variety of meats, cheese, rice, pasta, bread, drinks, and prepared foods. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide atappalachiangrown.org : [link removed].

Save the Date for NC Crunch!

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The North Carolina Crunch : [link removed] celebrates National Farm to School Month in October, but you don't have to be a student or educator to participate! Anyone can join in by crunching into a locally grown apple at noon on Wednesday, October 19 (or another day during the month of October). Find resources for how schools, farmers, businesses, or other groups can get involved on the Growing Minds website : [link removed], including:
Sign up : [link removed] your class, school, or entire district.Host a Crunch at your farmers market in October.Crunch at home or in the office with your family/co-workers. Set up a Crunch photo booth at your business and encourage customers to post selfies.Do you work at a restaurant? Feature a local apple recipe on your menu.Plan an employee field trip to a u-pick apple farm : [link removed] pictures of your Crunch on social media with the hashtags #NCCrunch and #F2SMonth.Register : [link removed] your event to get additional resources. No event is too small to register and you can skip the questions for schools if your event will not be held in a school.  NC Crunch is co-sponsored by NC Farm to Preschool Network : [link removed] and Farm to School Coalition of NC : [link removed].

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

9/3
September Barn Dance – Zydeco Ya Ya : [link removed]

9/4-9/11
Autumn Planting Lavender & Orchard : [link removed]
 

9/6
Henderson County Commission Meeting : [link removed]
 

9/7
2023 WNC AgOptions Information Session : [link removed]

Chestnut x Crow Fly Farms Whole Hog Wine Dinner : [link removed]
 

9/10
Painting Class on the Farm : [link removed]
 

A Savory Shindig : [link removed]
 

9/11
First Annual HarvestFest : [link removed]
 

9/14
Raising Backyard Chickens : [link removed]

9/16-9/17
Carolina Jubilee : [link removed]
 

9/17-9/18
ASAP’s 2022 Farm Tour : [link removed]

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

Local Food &  Farm News

Noble Cider is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an event on Sept. 17, reports the Asheville Citizen Times : [link removed]. The cidery has relied on local growers, like Lewis Creek Farms, to produce its hard ciders, mead, wine, and spritzers. "Quality apples are the key to great cider," founder and cider maker Lief Stevens said in a news release. "It's very important to us to have a consistent source of fresh-pressed local apple juice."
 

Franny’s Pasta & Prana food truck is up and running and serving hemp pasta, reports the Mountain Xpress : [link removed]. The mobile business is a joint effort from Franny Tacy, owner and CEO of Franny’s Farmacy and Franny’s Farm, and Mike Ptaszek, chef and yoga instructor, known to local farmers market shoppers for selling Rio Bertolini pasta. 
“Our goal is to highlight the hemp plant as a nutritious ingredient in everyday food and beverage options for health and wellness, so we can better feed and educate our community on nutrition and sustainability,” said Tacy.
 

WLOS : [link removed] reports that the 76th Annual NC Apple Festival, which takes place this weekend, will kick off a bumper crop for apple growers in the region. "It's very encouraging, and, actually, the whole year has been. We are recovering from a lot of issues that we had over the last couple of years, and so far, it's been a great year," said Kathryn McConnell of McConnell Farms.



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

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