Fresh & Local

Summer 2022

Fresh & Local: A small-town WNC farmers market draws masses

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For many rural localities, farmers markets have long been both a source of local sustenance and a social hub. In West Jefferson, with its slim population of 1,500, the Ashe County Farmers Market is no exception. Driving by, one could almost mistake the covered expanse for a picnic shelter if not for the throngs of people meandering through.

What makes this market special: crowds of market-goers routinely number close to half of the town’s population. Special events, such as their all-day Christmas in July market, draw a thousand visitors—quite the number in a town of its size.

Each Saturday from April to October, forty vendors provide tables of fresh greens and handmade goods. Find garden-fresh veggies, in-season fruits, sweet-smelling baked goods and breads, and local artisans offering unique crafts from soap to woodworking. Live music pulses through the market, sounds of guitars and fiddles carrying into the adjacent buildings that make up West Jefferson’s quaint downtown.