Locals of Transylvania County know what an amazing asset the Transylvania Farmer’s Market is to our community, which is why the Opening Day for the season is such a big deal. This Saturday, April 18th, from 8:00am to 12:00pm, the Market will be bustling with local vendors of produce, meats, crafts, and more – and there will be an Earth Day celebration too.
This awesome Farmer’s Market includes a diverse group of vendors, who offer some fantastic locally grown and raised options. There is locally raised beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs (including duck and quail), and lamb for the carnivores. In the produce department, there is an expansive variety of options including traditional veggies, berries, herbs, and mushrooms. There are locally made goat cheeses, soaps, yarn, wool, baked goods, plants, jewelry, wood-crafted items, dog treats, cut flowers, jams and jellies, crafts, and many other goodies.
Leslie Logemann, the Market Manager, has been diligently working to prepare for the opening. “We are really excited about the 2015 season of the Transylvania Farmer’s Market. We’ve been working hard over the winter and we’ll be opening up with lots of the favorite vendors, and some great new vendors too – over 60 in total! In addition to Wild Indigo Catering, local favorites who offer amazing breakfast biscuits and burritos, we have two food trucks joining this year that will be adding even more delicious breakfast food to the mix,” enthuses Logemann. The Oskar Blues CHUBwagon and the Chameleon Catering & Mobile Food trucks will be welcome additions to the breakfast offerings.
The opening day will include a plant-a-seed station at the new Cooperative Extension Master Gardener’s booth – and they will be at the market every first and third Saturday to answer any gardening questions. The Market will be working in collaboration with the Transylvania County Hunger Coalition to present a seed potato giveaway as well. At the Market information booth, there will be free bags of seed potatoes, along with an opportunity to learn more about this joint program that will be running in 2015.
“Be sure to stop by the market info booth also to draw for free market goodies and to sign up for the Best Beard Contest,” adds Logemann. The beard contest will determine who grew the best winter beard, and prizes will be awarded in two categories: “Mountain Man” for the wild and wooly, and “Dapper Dan” for the stylish gentlemen. Sign ups are at the Market booth between 8:00am and 10:00 am, and judging and prizes will be awarded shortly thereafter.
Starting at 9:00am, the trio of Crooked Pine will entertain market visitors with their traditional, original, and old time music. “If you’re unable to make it this Saturday to enjoy the vendors and entertainment, then check out our other events planned this year in addition to our regular Saturday markets,” reminds Logemann. “We’ll even have a walking group starting from the Market booth at 9:00am every Saturday morning, which will be a wonderful opportunity to meet others from the community while taking one of three walking route options through Downtown Brevard,” she adds.
Other new additions this year will improve the aesthetics of the Market space and help with the comfort of Market visitors. “The Market lot is getting a bit of a facelift this year, thanks to some amazing sponsors. We have a fun new bike rack going in courtesy of Mlay Insurance and made by local sculptor J. Aaron Alderman, mulch has been added to beautify things was donated by 35 Degrees North Landscaping, and picnic tables have been added, courtesy of Transylvania County Farm Bureau,” says Logemann.
For more information on the Transylvania Farmer’s Market, including their events calendar and a list of participating vendors, visit their website at www.transylvaniafarmersmarket.com
