Last Updated on April 7, 2023
One of the many ways we Live Abundantly in WNC is through access to the many local food and artisan goods available in our slice of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A long growing season and mild winters provide bountiful harvests of produce, dairy, and other farm products for people across Western North Carolina.
Our farmers are our neighbors, and they are our friends. Knowing exactly where local produce, meat, eggs, and cheese come from is a luxury we try not to take for granted. The Asheville area alone supports 17 local tailgate markets full of food, plant, and artisan goods vendors. Many more dot the region. In addition, locals can grab products on their way home from one of the area’s many popular roadside farm stands. Located on or near the farms whose produce they offer, farm stands are small setups selling food at the peak of freshness.
Visiting a few of our local farms is a fun way to gain an appreciation for how lucky we are to live here. Their bucolic locations make them ideal to visit on a sunny afternoon by car or by bike. But with more than 107 different roadside stands, where do you start?
ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project) recommends planning your farm tour before you begin. Choose three to four farms per day if you plan to tour them during your visit, and allow for at least an hour at each.
Here’s a list of our favorite free farm stand tours grouped into three delicious themes.
Cheese farms with roadside stands:
Spend an afternoon soaking up the beauty of WNC and sampling some of the best handmade cheese being made in the South. The WNC Cheese Trail allows you to connect directly with cheesemakers, see where your favorite cheeses are crafted, and buy straight from the producers. These award-winning cheesemakers produce a wide variety of both goat milk and cow milk cheeses:
- Spinning Spider Creamery – 4717 East Fork Road, Marshall
- Randall Cove Farm – 96 Randall Cove Road, Leicester
- Rooster Head – 1200 Old Hendersonville Highway, Brevard
- Looking Glass Creamery – 59 Noble Road, Fairview
The cheesemaking community in WNC is vibrant and growing—come see for yourself! Watch these short videos about the WNC Cheese Trail. Then, map your route to the farm stands listed above.
View all local roadside stands that offer local cheese.
Roadside farm stands that sell honey:
Asheville has long been known as Beer City USA, but did you know we’re also Bee City USA? In 2012, Asheville became the first to accept the title and responsibility of being an official Bee City, launching a national movement. This commitment to creating more sustainable habitats for bees and other pollinators echoes throughout WNC. From rural beekeepers to urban apiarists, our community values its local environment and works hard to protect it. These pollinator-friendly farm stands offer a variety of sustainable local honeys alongside their standard produce and meats:
- Laughing River Farm – 60 Laughing River Road, Mars Hill
- Hickory Nut Gap Farm – 57 Sugar Hollow Road, Fairview
- Johnson Family Farm – 1202 Kanuga Road, Hendersonville
- Queens Produce and Berry Farm – 858 Davidson River Road, Pisgah Forest
Bees are just one of WNC’s local pollinators. Watch these short videos about Bee City USA. Then, map your route to the farm stands listed above.
View all local roadside stands that offer local honey.
Roadside stands at “U-pick” farms:
Did you know that Henderson County grows 85% of all the apples that come from North Carolina? And yet, apples are only one of many cash crops grown across the region. During peak season, many local farms allow you to come and pick your own produce at the height of flavor and flowers at the height of fragrance. These “U-Pick” farms, as they call themselves, offer a wide variety of apples, berries, flowers, and more:
- The Berry Farm – 2260 Revere Road, Marshall
- Franny’s Farm – 22 Franny’s Farm Road, Leicester
- Far Flung Farm – 3142 Beaverdam Road, Canton
- Overmountain Vineyards and Winery – 2014 Sandy Plains Road, Tryon
Learn more about where local produce like Henderson County’s apples goes. Watch this short video about local hard ciders. Then, map your route to the farm stands listed above.
View all local roadside stands that offer “U-Pick” opportunities.
Learn more about local farms from your Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks REALTORⓇ
At Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks, we appreciate the work our local farmers do every year to provide sustenance for ourselves and our communities. We encourage you to patronize local farms, road stands, and farmers markets to help sustain one of our region’s valuable industries.
If you are not sure which local farmers markets are the best for your needs, our agents are here to help. Reach out to your Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks agent today.
