ASAP’s Weekly Farmers Market Report - January 16, 2026

Fresh at Farmers Markets

While we have fully entered the cold months, you can still find fresh, winter-season produce at Buncombe County farmers tailgate markets—just be sure to get there early before they sell out! Find a variety of greens, cabbages, potatoes, and root crops like radishes and beets along with other goods you can find year-round including meats, eggs, cheese, ferments, and valued-added goods.
 

Did you make a resolution to eat more local food in 2026? Whether you set new year intentions or not, a big fresh salad can be a great way to bring a bit of brightness and earth-made sunshine into your meals through the winter season. If you’re eating many soups, salads can make a great pairing or be a good change of pace with the crunch on our palettes. Winter greens thrive this time of year–they like it on the chilly side. Plus, winter veggies, especially greens, tend to be on the sweeter side as the sugars help them keep warm out in the cold.
 

Why should summer vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers get all the salad credit? There are plenty of delicious and nourishing ingredients to add in the winter–cubed and roasted squash and sweet potatoes, beets and turnips, celery root and rutibaga. Find these produce items and more from winter growers Lee’s One Fortune Farm : [link removed] (Asheville City : [link removed], River Arts District : [link removed], and Weaverville : [link removed] markets), Gaining Ground Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market : [link removed]), and Wild East Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville and River Arts District markets).
 

Winter Greens Farm : [link removed] (Asheville City and River Arts District markets) specializes in growing winter salad and cooking greens. Winter Greens, Thatchmore : [link removed]. (North Asheville Tailgate Market), and Wild East have your salad greens covered this time of year.
 

Try out a mix of greens for your salad like butter lettuce, arugula, spinach, kale, mizuna, miners lettuce, and watercress. You can go the classic Caesar route and make homemade sourdough croutons with bread from Hominy (North Asheville and River Arts District markets) or High Top (Asheville City, North Asheville, and Weaverville markets). Or, you can go the decadent route with roasted sweet potatoes, sliced apples from McConnell Farms (North Asheville Tailgate Market), crumbled feta from Spinning Spider Creamery : [link removed] (North Asheville and River Arts District markets), nuts like walnuts or pecans, and a homemade sorghum dijon vinaigrette. Add fresh sliced radishes for a pop of color and crunch or use some things you preserved from the summer like sundried tomatoes or pickled banana peppers. You can also pick up chicken from Good Wheel Farm : [link removed] (North Asheville Tailgate Market) for an added protein boost. If you don’t feel like making your own dressing, Ali Rae Foods has a variety of delicious seasonal dressings including herby ranch, lemon vinaigrette, Caesar, and more.
 

Also, note that during this time of year, markets may need to make adjustments or cancellations due to unpredictable weather. Keep up-to-date with your favorite markets through their social media and newsletters.
 

Area farmers tailgate markets take place throughout the region. 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].

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]

1/22
Henderson County Land Summit : [link removed]
 

1/23
Madison County Land Summit : [link removed]
 

1/24
Bare Roots & Live Stakes Class : [link removed]
 

1/31
Fermentation for Class Beginners (with Queeney Foods LLC) : [link removed]
 

Love Your Fruit Trees, Learn to Prune : [link removed]
 

2/13
Share the Love with Root Cause Farm : [link removed]
 

2/21
An Introduction to Southern Appalachian Wildflowers : [link removed]
 

2/21
Fermentation Class for Beginners (with Queeney Foods LLC) : [link removed]
 

2/28
ASAP's Business of Farming Conference : [link removed]


3/6-8
Organic Growers School 2026 Spring Conference : [link removed]
 

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

News from ASAP

Looking for a food or farm related job and internships? This time of year farmers and farmers markets start posting openings using ASAP's Classified Ads : [link removed]. Search for positions and respond directly to listings at asapconnections.org/classified-ads/ : [link removed]. : [link removed]
 

You can also sign up to get a weekly digest email of Classified Ads or post a listing of your own at the same web address above.



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.