ASAP's Weekly Farmers Market Report - January 17, 2020

Fresh at Farmers Markets

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We’re finally in for some colder nights this coming week, so it’s a good time to stock up on stew ingredients to fortify you against the chill. Whether your preferred simmering method involves an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or good, old-fashioned Dutch oven, your first step is to gather everything you can at a winter farmers tailgate market. We’ve got a few ideas to get you started.
 
The warming spices of a Middle Eastern tagine (coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika) are a great match for sweet potatoes and cauliflower, both available from Ten Mile Farm : [link removed] (Asheville City Market–Winter : [link removed]). Round it out with chickpeas and add a bit of dried fruit, like apricots or golden raisins, and green olives. Top with cilantro (from Lee’s One Fortune Farm : [link removed] at Asheville City Market–Winter and River Arts District Winter Market : [link removed]) and a dollop of yogurt and serve over couscous or rice.
 

Grab some greens for a hearty white bean soup. You can find bunches of kale and mustard greens from Highgate Farm : [link removed] (River Arts District Winter Market), collards from Wildwood Herbal : [link removed], Jake’s Farm : [link removed], or New Moon Herbs Farm : [link removed] (Asheville City Market–Winter), and rapini from Lee’s One Fortune. Whether you are using a meat or vegetarian stock, adding hard cheese rind to this base gives it richness. Look for hard cheeses at Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery at Asheville City Market–Winter. Fennel, available from Ten Mile Farm, is another nice addition, alongside onions and garlic. And if you want to include meat, you can’t go wrong with Italian pork sausage from Dry Ridge Farm : [link removed] or Hickory Nut Gap Farm : [link removed] (both at Asheville City Market–Winter).
 

And since this is Asheville, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention at least one stew that makes use of that bottle of beer hiding at the back of the fridge. If it is, perchance, a stout, porter, or other dark beer, we suggest an Irish beef stew filled with root vegetables like carrots, turnips, and potatoes, available from multiple farms. Chuck, brisket, shank, oxtail, and short ribs are all great cuts for a beef stew (check for availability with Dry Ridge and Hickory Nut Gap), and you can start by browning your meat with bacon or bacon drippings. Remove the meat, cook onions and garlic, then return it to the pot with vegetables, your beer, and beef or chicken broth, and simmer slowly for several hours, until the meat is tender. Enjoy with buttered bread from one of the many bakers at markets, including J Bread, Simple Bread, and Crust Never Sleeps : [link removed] at Asheville City Market–Winter, and Walnut Schoolhouse and Urban Peasants (gluten free) at River Arts District Winter Market. 

 

Area farmers tailgate markets take place throughout the region, even through the winter. As always, you can find information about farms, tailgate markets, and farm stands, including locations and hours, by visiting ASAP’s online Local Food Guide at appalachiangrown.org : [link removed].

Save the Date for 2020 CSA Fairs!

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CSA fairs are great opportunities to find out about CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) : [link removed] programs in your community and see if there is one that is a good fit for you. There are three fairs scheduled for the Appalachian Grown region this year. Find one near you!
 
Farm Fresh Appalachia CSA Fair : [link removed]
Saturday, Feb. 29, 10 am-1 pm, Kingsport Farmers Market
Presented by Appalachian RC&D Council with CSA farms from Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
 
Asheville CSA Fair : [link removed]
Thursday, March 12, 3-6 pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., Presented by ASAP with CSA farms offering pickup locations in Buncombe Co., NC.
 
High Country CSA Fair : [link removed]
Thursday, March 26, 4-6 pm, Leon Levine Hall of Health Sciences, Boone, NC
Presented by ASAP, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, and Beaver College of Health Sciences at Appalachian State University, with farms offering pickup locations in the High Country, NC.

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

1/18
2020 Ginseng Tasting and Auction : [link removed]

1/19
Improving Farm Communications : [link removed]
 

1/20
Foothills Region Producers’ Cooperative Meeting : [link removed]
 

1/21
Madison County Garden Club : [link removed]
 

1/22
Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference : [link removed]
 

1/27
Readying the Farm for Tax Season : [link removed]
 

1/31
Holistic Crop Management: A Holistic Approach to Soil Health : [link removed]
 

2/1
Holistic Crop Management: Managing Weeds Holistically : [link removed]

2/22
ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference : [link removed]
 

View the full calendar : [link removed] of events.

ASAP on the Air

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Hear how the Wehr family turned a beekeeping hobby into a thriving business that provides honey and mead to Graham County, NC and beyond on 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].

Local Food & Farms in the News

The Asheville Food Fan Awards, presented by Stu Helm on Jan. 27, will honor some of the 2019's local food highlights. This year's awards include a category for Farmer of the Year, alongside Chef of the Year, Best New Restaurant, Best Use of Fungus, and many more. Read more in the Asheville Citizen-Times : [link removed], The Laurel of Asheville : [link removed], and Edible Asheville : [link removed].
 

Edible Asheville's winter issue devotes space to farmers : [link removed] who have returned to family land in Western North Carolina, including Jamie Swofferd (The Chef's Farmer), Mary Carroll Dodd (Red Scout Farm), and Marie Williamson (Bluebird Farm).
 

The same issue of Edible Asheville also looks at winter garden planning : [link removed] and the story of an Asheville woman : [link removed] who sourced all of her food for a month within 50 miles.



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

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