Our Farmers

There is no cuisine without gardens and farmers. The words “local” & “organic”, seen only in grassroots grocery stores, and markets, 20 years ago, are now common at our local tailgates and farmer’s markets, thanks to the demand we’ve created. This transition to locally grown foods has helped to provide support to local farmers, enhance our regional economy, and rekindle our love affair with great food.

Since my early days exploring the gardens & barns of my grand parents farm, I have realized the necessity of locally grown food. The fields and farm animals of Appalachia have educated me, as a chef and a locavore, to truly appreciate the meaning of “sustainability”. These basic needs represent the honor of what we strive for in our daily cooking here at The Market Place.

The tradition of “farm-to-table” is central to our kitchen. Today we are fortunate for the wonderful tailgate markets, which we visit twice a week in season. Also for the other wonderful producers that delivery to our doorstep – Sunburst Trout, Spinning Spider Creamery, Spring House Meats, The Nichols Farm, Blue Hill Farms and the local gatherers, like Alan Muskat ‘The Mushroom Man’. The circle broadens into Tennessee, now that Tom Michaels is producing Tuber melanosporum in his hazelnut and oak orchards – the Perigord truffle.

Here are few of the farmers & artisan producers we source from in the Asheville area.  The list is growing every year as new farms emerge.

• Gaining Ground Farm
• Rise Up Rooted Farm
• Brasstown Farm
• Hickory Nut Gap Farm
• Sunburst Trout Farm
• Looking Glass Creamery
• Spinning Spider Creamery
• Three Graces Dairy
• Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams
• Cruze Dairy
• Farside Farms
• Barber Orchard
• Apple Brandy Beef
• East Fork Farm
• Mountain Memories Farm
• Full Sun Farm
• Green Toe Ground Farm
• Jake’s Farm
• Haw Creek Honey Apiary
• The Mushroom Ranch
• Myco Gardens
• Rogue Harbor Farm
• Ten Mile Farm
• Warren Wilson College Farm