APRIL 2, 2009 ISSUE
Ashe County Farmers’ Market to Open April 11
The Ashe County Farmers’ Market, opening April 11, features more than 100 vendors. Photo by Frederica Georgia
Get your tote bags ready. The Ashe County Farmers’ Market opens to the public on Saturday, April 11. The market, located on the Back Street in downtown West Jefferson, will be open every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be open through October. After the second Wednesday in July, they’ll begin opening on Wednesdays, according to market manager John Smyre.
Smyre is new to the business this year. He took over after last year’s manager Patti Shay went to work for local vendor Carol Coulter.
“Patti did a good job keeping everything going,” said Smyre. “I’m hoping I can do the same.”
He’ll certainly have his hands full. Last year, more than 100 vendors brought their wholesome fruit and vegetables, farm-fresh meat and eggs, fresh herbs and flowers, and all sorts of arts, crafts and music to the market. Smyre said even more will be there this year.
The market, one of the most active farmers’ markets in the region, has plenty to be proud of.
According to the market website, www.ashefarmersmarket.com, the market received an award from the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce last spring in recognition of its new enclosed addition to the market’s shelter.
And four of the Ashe Farmers’ Market vendors won awards at the 2008 North Carolina State Fair for their “homegrown and handmade products.” Joe Stanley received two blue ribbons for his Wolf River and Northern Spy apples, Mary Stanley won a blue ribbon for her homemade sour cherry preserves, Opal Essick of Nathans Creek won second place for her apple butter and Wilma Kreider’s spicy homemade red salsa took third place out of 35 entries.
Even without all this attention, Smyre would still expect a crowd. “We have a good time,” he said. “It’s really just a great place to meet new people and visit with each other.”
Carol Coulter agrees. “The market is a fun, social place,” she said. “I really love seeing all the customers intrigued by the vendors and what they’re offering.”
Coulter herself is one of the most intriguing vendors—or at least what she’s selling is. In addition to her usual goat cheese, eggs, mixed greens and spinach, she offers a special kind of fertilizer made from guano, or bat feces.
“We have an enormous bat box on the farm that holds about a thousand or so bats and we just collect the droppings every so often,” Coulter said. They compost it for a while to reduce the level of nitrogen. This makes it safe for gardening. She said she’s never seen anything work better as fertilizer.
The 2009 Board of Directors for the Ashe County Farmer’s Market are Joe Stanley, president; Hollis Wild, vice president; Linda Bennett, secretary; and Luther Krider, treasurer.
For more information, click to www.ashefarmersmarket.com.
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