Black Mountain Tailgate Market competes for national recognition

Local nonprofit organization seeks another to finish in America’s Farmers Market Celebration

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 24, 2026

The Black Mountain Tailgate Market, which first in N.C. and seventh in the nation in the 2025 America’s Farmer’s Market Celebration, is hoping to improve its performance in the ongoing contest. Voting will be open through Sept. 30. Photo by Fred McCormick

When more than 1,200 organizations competed last year in the America’s Farmer’s Market Celebration, none in the state of N.C. received more votes than the Black Mountain Tailgate Market, which finished seventh in the country.

As the annual contest returns for its 18th year, with voting open through Wednesday, Sept. 30, the local nonprofit organization is again rallying community support.

Organized each year by the American Farmland Trust, the AFMC ranks the top farmer’s markets in the U.S. by public vote, awarding a total of $15,000 in cash prizes to the top 10 in the nation. The BMTM received $1,000 in 2025, when it directed the funding toward its Nourish Appalachia Project, a multifaceted community food access initiative that supports local farmers, food produces and area residents experiencing food insecurity.

Through its Farm & Food Buyback Iniative, BMTM purchased surplus produce, proteins and healthy pantry staples from local food producers and redirected those foods to trusted community partners, including Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry and Appalachian Community Relief. The program provides an additional market for local farmers and producers while helping ensure that locally grown and produced food reaches families who need it.

This year, BMTM is furthering its commitment with the launch of Buncombe County’s only Triple SNAP match, made possible through community support for the Nourish Appalachia Project. The initiative allows eligible SNAP shoppers to receive match of up to three times on qualifying purchases, as funding allows, helping make healthy, locally produced food more accessible to families while keeping those dollars circulating within the local food economy.

“Our community pushes us to explore possibilities, carve out new pathways, and stay engaged. Accolades, like compliments, are challenges,” said Jacqueline Smith, director of Black Mountain Tailgate Market. “Titles and awards are lovely, but what matters most is what  we do with the resources and recognition we are able to garner. To turn this kind of recognition into food on the tables of our neighbors and support for the farmers and food producers who feed our region is a win-win for the community. Hopefully, our efforts translate to tangibles, and we can continue the important work of acting as a safety net in times of uncertainty.”

BMTM is hoping to build on last year’s momentum with a top three finish nationally in 2026.

The placement would provide additional prize funding that BMTM intends to put toward its Nourish Appalachia food access work, helping the organization continue providing support into the winter months, when local families can face increased food insecurity and local farmers and producers need reliable markets for their goods.

Community members can cast one vote per person, per voting cycle at markets.farmland.org. Voting requires only a name and email address; no additional personal data is collected through the voting process.

“Farmers markets are certainly more that the sum of their parts,” Smith said. “They are places where farmers, neighbors, families, artists, musicians, and community organizations come together. We want to make sure that everyone in the Greater Swannanoa Valley has the opportunity to participate in the local food movement...  and that our farmers have a community strong enough to sustain them.”