Around here, a farmers market is often called a tailgate market, a holdover from the days when growers sold straight off the back of the truck.

The name stuck, and the spirit did too.

The WNC Farmers Market on the south side of the city runs year-round and is the big one, part retail, part wholesale, open most days.

It is the place to load up on apples in fall, and the mountain apples here are the real reason to go.

The smaller tailgate markets are where the character lives.

Most run one morning a week, spring through fall, in a church lot or a parking lot or a patch of grass.

You will find the farmer who grew the lettuce standing right there, happy to tell you when it was picked.

Bring a tote bag and small bills, because not every table takes a card.

Get there early for the good tomatoes, because the regulars know and they move fast.

Beyond produce, you will see local honey, goat cheese, sourdough, cut flowers, and someone selling very good hot sauce.

Many markets take SNAP and often double it, so good food reaches more tables.

Fall is peak season, with squash, greens, and cider showing up all at once.

Prices are fair, and the money stays in the county, which is the whole point.

Chat with the vendors, because they will tell you what is best that week better than any sign.

Go hungry, go early, and plan to come home with more than you meant to.