Chef Rick Caine usually works his culinary skills at Frasers restaurant downtown, but today he's taking it outside for a pre-Father's Day grilling demonstration at the Ashe County Farmers' Market.
He'll be cooking up beef, pork and chicken -- all from animals raised in Ashe County.
Everything at the Ashe County Farmers' Market is from Ashe County, and the market is becoming an important economic boost for the exhibitors and the town alike.
"It's growing," said exhibitor Hollis Wild, who sells tomato plants, herbs and ornamental trees and shrubs. "We're trying to make it interesting so more people want to come. It has helped create a sense of place for West Jefferson."
The market has generated $44,000 in revenues so far this season, since opening in April.
By mid-July, the number of vendors will double, and organizers expect to have about 700 to 800 visitors on Saturdays.
Many folks grab a cup of coffee downtown then head over to socialize and shop at the market. Caine's demonstration today will get under way about 9 a.m., and the samples will be ready about midmorning, Wild said.
Because so many tourists visit West Jefferson and Ashe County, the Farmers' Market has a blend of regulars mingling with people from Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Charlotte and beyond.
The Ashe County Farmers' Market is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through the end of October on Backstreet in West Jefferson. It'll be open for the same hours on Wednesdays starting on July 15.
Mid-July is when more produce starts coming in and the crowds pick up, said the market's new manager John Smyre.
But they already have lettuces, mixed greens, carrots, radishes, herbs, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, spring onions, fresh cherries and potatoes. They also offer homemade mustards, honey, culinary vinegar, goat cheese, free-range eggs and fresh whole chickens, grass-fed beef, cakes, pies -- as well as quilts, soaps, walking sticks, birdhouses, tables, chairs and more.
Last Saturday, more than 500 people came to the farmers market. The 40 vendors there reported that they sold a combined $4,800 worth of goods. Smyre said that vendors also get lots of leads from people who call or place special orders later.
The farmers market will be open on July 4 during the town's annual Christmas in July celebration. It will also offer grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and be open 5 to 8 p.m. on the second Friday on each month during downtown art-gallery crawls.
Throughout the season, they will have special events such as the blueberry pie baking contest and tomato day, and another cooking demonstration by Caine. The events are listed on the Web site, at www.ashefarmersmarket.com.
Wild is looking forward to seeing what Caine does today, after observing what he did with grilled vegetables during a demonstration last season.
"We had people last year who said, ‘I don't like eggplant,' and he went, ‘Try this,'" she said. "They would go, ‘Oh, this is wonderful.'"
■ Monte Mitchell can be reached in Wilkesboro at 336-667-5691 or at mmitchell@wsjournal.com.
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