Watauga Farmers’ Market is first in state

Watauga Farmers’ Market is first in state Categories: Community Events News News, Politics Watauga Farmers’ Market is first in state Kait Honeycutt, Reporter October 14, 2026 Sydney Willis Patrons of Watauga County Farmers’ Market shop for flowers on Aug. 29. Watauga County Farmers’ Market was in the top three in the North Carolina category for America’s Farmers Market Celebration run by American Farmland Trust. It’s a chance for any farmers market in the country to be nominated and invite the community around them to vote for a chance to gain national recognition. The farmers market just celebrated 53 years of being open, originally beginning in 1974. The market runs every Saturday morning from April through November, and vendors start setting up before dawn so the public can come shop for local produce or crafts. Michelle Dineen Smith, the market director, said the market has been self-governed and funded by the vendors who have kept it going for generations. The market has been a producers-only operation for years and hosts donation stands for groups like Casting Bread, FARM Cafe and Hunger and Health Coalition. They also accept electronic benefit transfer stamp cards from community members who want to buy fresh meats, dairy, pastries, fruits and vegetables. “We’re so grateful to be able to do those partnerships,” Dineen Smith said. “It hugely impacted families being able to utilize those benefits and bring home more local food.” Dineen Smith said the whole market has taken it upon itself to campaign for this honor. During the duration of the poll, Watauga County Farmers’ Market has run closely against the nearby Black Mountain Tailgate Market, which won the North Carolina category last year. Dineen Smith said they’re coming back as the defending champions, but it’s all in friendly competition. Rachael Salmon, a vendor at the market, started visiting the farmers market in 2003. She started selling as a vendor the next year. Salmon sells local photography and said she loves getting to talk to the local community and tourists about Boone and the market. Salmon said being nominated is a “blessing to all of the artists and farmers” who come to the market and they deserve recognition because “we all work so hard so that everybody can have an amazing experience.” Dineen Smith said the thought of winning is something that would be honoring to all the generations of farmers, vendors and volunteers who have collectively built the market into what it is today. She also said the market has received a lot of incredible support from the community and visitors along the way. Springhouse Farm’s display sign at Watauga County Farmers’ Market Aug. 29. (Sydney Willis) “We’re by the community, for the community, which is something we can take pride in because our vendors have created this market and made it what it is,” Dineen Smith said. Alexis Hartsell, a vendor who attended App State, started selling at the market when her friend opened Resupply, a company that sells refills of shampoo, conditioner and soap to locals made with homemade products. She bought the company a couple of years ago and has been running it ever since. Hartsell received feedback from the community that it could be hard for them to bring their refill bottles to the market on Saturdays. She then sought to open up a brick-and-mortar store, Boone Fillery, that just celebrated its second anniversary. Hartsell said the farmers market deserved to be No. 1 in North Carolina and winning would be such a proud moment for them. “Boone is one of a kind; our farmers market has been around for over 50 years now,” Hartsell said. “There’s a lot of history here in addition to it being such a great farmers market, so I think we’re a Boone staple.” Terena Cheesman, a community patron, started attending the market a year ago after her family moved from Texas to Boone. She said she enjoys the farmers market because of the seasonal flowers, calm atmosphere and the chance to catch up with friends she hasn’t seen in a while. Cheesman also said the market has so much to offer visitors, like handicrafts, a variety of produce and all kinds of food. She notices the sense of community between vendors and patrons that makes the market stand out. “I think it would represent North Carolina in such a wonderful way. The spirit of community and all the wonderful things here are incredible,” Cheesman said. “Where else do you get to see all of this in one spot?” The voting period ended on Sept. 30 as Watauga County Farmer’s Market came into first place for the state’s category, officially holding the title of North Carolina’s favorite farmers market. View Story Comments 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Leave a Comment Tags: community News Watauga County Farmers Market Donate to The Appalachian $400 $2,500 Contributed Our Goal We hope you appreciated this article! Before you move on, please consider supporting The Appalachian's award-winning journalism. The bulk of our operational expenses — including printing, website hosting, training, and entering our work into competitions — is dependent upon advertising revenue and donations. We cannot exist without the support, whether financial or otherwise, of our fellow departments on campus, our local and regional businesses, and donations of time and money from alumni, parents, subscribers and friends. If you would prefer to make a tax-deductible donation or a recurring monthly gift, please give to The Appalachian Student News Fund through the university here: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/54088/donations/new?designation_id=faa93386& Donate About the Contributors Kait Honeycutt, Reporter Kait Honeycutt (she/her) is a junior digital journalism major from Burnsville, NC. This is her second year with The Appalachian. Mady Helt, Reporter Mady Helt (she/her) is a senior in Biology, from Jacksonville, N.C. This is her second year at The Appalachian, you can find her featured on both the Photo Desk and the Arts and Culture Department. Sydney Willis, Associate Photo Editor Sydney Willis (she/her) is a commercial photography major from Clayton, North Carolina. This is her first year with The Appalachian.