Locally Grown. Community Cultivated.
2025 Market Season:
SPRING MARKETS:
March 1 - April 12
10 am - 1 pm
At: White Horse Black Mountain
MAIN SEASON:
May 3 - November 22
9 am - 12 pm
At: First Baptist Church, Black Mountain
HOLIDAY MARKETS:
NO 2025 HOLIDAY MARKETS
We've all heard it before. Food is LOVE. We know it. And we believe that nourishing our community is an expression of love.
As our country reverberates with the shock of no SNAP funding as of November 1, the Black Mountain Tailgate Market is working with fellow charitable organiz
If you need assistance, we want to help. If you can offer assistance, we humbly ask for your generosity.
BMTM is fundraising to support those in our local community facing food insecurity, either due to SNAP cuts or due to furloughs and layoffs for federal workers. We’ve already received pledges from a few organizations and individuals to match donations up to $3,000. We are accepting donations online 24/7 and in person at our Saturday markets so that, together, we can get food into homes that might otherwise go without.
Buncombe County has almost 30,000 residents enrolled in SNAP. McDowell County has another 7,000. That’s over 10% and 15% of the two counties’ respective populations. We must know that the folks who rely on food access programs like SNAP are our family and friends, our colleagues and classmates. They are our neighbors. In a time of unprecedented uncertainty, we have the collective power to nourish our community - to cultivate something beautiful out of chaos, and to combat fear with hope.
Here are a few ways we will be working to serve our community during this crisis:
- We are establishing a Free Food Pantry near the information booth for the last four markets of the season. Please consider bringing a few non-perishable goods to the market by November 22nd. Participants who bring 10 non-perishable goods to the table will receive a free BMTM sticker!
- A few generous donors will match $3000 in donations. These funds will be used to facilitate direct purchases of locally grown and made food products from our vendors to offset the loss of EBT/SNAP purchases and to support rural families who rely on food access programs to make ends meet. Marketgoers can donate in person and through our website.
- We are crafting a long-term strategic plan so that our organization can maximize its impact and meet the emerging needs of our broader community right here and now, and in future times of economic hardship.
Please give whatever you can. Whether you give through BMTM or another organization, we thank you for every effort to nourish our neighbors.
Sincerely,
The Black Mountain Tailgate Market Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers
The Market
Black Mountain Tailgate Market is a seasonal community event featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs, and locally handcrafted treasures! During the Main Market Season, every Saturday from May through November, we gather with the intent of supporting our local farmers and artisans - transforming our little corner of the world into something truly remarkable!
Our Mission
The mission of Black Mountain Tailgate Market is to provide inclusive and engaging educational programming centered around health, wellness, sustainability, and nutrition; to promote food equity through food access programs; to support local farms, artisans, and collaborating non-profit organizations through charitable donations; and to provide a platform for farmers, food producers, and artisans to sell their products directly to consumers in a friendly, family-oriented environment.
Post-Helene Recovery
On September 28th, our beloved Appalachian Mountains were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Now deemed a "Geological Disaster," the storm eroded at shorelines and destroyed towns, neighborhoods, homes, and lives. Its effects will be felt throughout the region for years to come, and our people will never be the same.
Catastrophe calls us to action. We must rise to the challenges set before us. Therefore, we're doing everything possible to support our vibrant community. Currently, our recovery efforts include our Mutual Aid Fund, and a new "Pay It Forward" Program which ensures that EVERYONE has access to nutrient-rich, Farm-Fresh, and Locally-produced food.
Food Access Resources:
Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry
Haywood Street Congregation Downtown Welcome Table
Asheville Poverty Initiative - 12 Baskets Cafe
YMCA of WNC - Mobile Food Markets
If you need food assistance, please contact Jacqueline Smith at: Jacqueline@blackmountainmarket.org
Our Vision
The Black Mountain Tailgate Market was created to provide a cooperative and organized marketing alternative for small scale agricultural and specialty products. We strive to improve the variety, taste and freshness of products available to customers in Western North Carolina.
We intend to build strong relationships between consumers and vendors by insisting on honesty and transparency in all aspects of the creation of products. We believe that healthy economies start from the ground up and that there are inherent benefits for the customer, producer, and community when food is grown, purchased and consumed locally.
The goal of the Black Mountain Tailgate Market is to continue to grow, nourish, and inspire community by bringing together farms, local businesses, families and organizations to encourage investment in the ecological and economic movement of “buying local.”
Please consider supporting our work through monetary donations and by voting for BMTM the best little farmers market in America!
It's easy! Just click HERE!
TO SUPPORT
local food growers and artisans by increasing visibility of their brands and products.
TO BUILD
a resilient local economy by connecting producers and consumers.
TO ENSURE
the health and well-being of our community by expanding access to nutritious, locally grown food.
TO CONNECT
our community to sustainable agriculture and local food through multi-sensory educational programming.