The economy may be wilting, but tailgate markets around Asheville are flourishing. From the new issue of Verve magazine:
Community support for local agriculture is strong in Western North Carolina, and the markets have been popular for years. Sales at Asheville’s downtown City Market were up 18 percent in 2010, says Maggie Cramer of Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, and this year, the market expects an average of some 50 vendors a week. With extras like live music, local farmer’s markets are an appealing atmosphere for buyers—and for sellers who may not be ready to launch a brick-and-mortar store. For some startups, farmer’s markets are also a way to test customers’ reactions. Which means the markets now have a whole lot more to offer than baby bok choy.