Asheville, NC - July 22, 2024 - Southside Community Farm announced their next BIPOC Farmers Market will take place on August 4th from 12-3pm at the Arthur R. Edington Center (133 Livingston Street, Asheville). As the only BIPOC farmers market in the city, it is open to the public and features local Black and Brown vendors. Marketgoers will find items such as fresh juices, teas, baked goods, sauces, flowers, herbs, natural body care products, in addition to the farm’s freshly harvested produce.
“Our farmers market always feels like a family reunion,” says Farm Manager Chloe Moore. “Besides being fun and inviting, the market serves an important role by supporting business owners of color while bringing fresh food into the Southside neighborhood.”
The market, which is held in the parking lot at the Edington Center, is wheelchair accessible, accepts EBT as well as Fresh Bucks, and has on-street parking nearby. Attendees are also encouraged to visit and explore the farm during their visit.
As they reach the height of the harvest season, the farm is bustling with activity: harvesting, hiring, teaching youth programs and more. Since its establishment in 2014, Southside Community Farm has continued to expand its programming year after year, including the much-anticipated BIPOC market which launched in 2020. The outdoor market runs May-October on the first Sunday of each month and has become a vibrant space for community connection, cultural exchange, and sustainable agriculture.
“In my time as a vendor at the Southside Community Farms, I have experienced some of the most creative minds and warmest people,” says Stacy Joseph, owner of Wadadli Dessert Oasis. “I find this market and the visual that is presented [very empowering] ( italics). Not only empowering to myself, but also to the children who attend and see that they too can visualize, express their talents, manifest, and be in community with others who will uplift and support them.”
As they celebrate 10 years in operation in the Southside neighborhood, the farm has made a significant impact in their mission to establish and sustain Black food sovereignty while celebrating culturally diverse foodways and cultures.
6,200 servings (over 2,000 lbs) of fresh fruits and vegetables harvested in 2023, 75% of harvest provided for free to the community
6 EBT accessible BIPOC Farmers Markets each year since 2020, featuring unique BIPOC farms and businesses
6 BIPOC Garden Days each year featuring free herbal medicine workshops, which will double in 2024
20+ unique local farms and food businesses supported directly by Southside Community Farm each year (at least 10 are BIPOC businesses)
20+ free food boxes per week provided in 20-week Food Box program to BIPOC Southside residents - boxes include fresh vegetables, eggs, and other local products
“This is the essence of community. This is precisely why this market is essential,” adds Joseph.
Additionally, Southside Community Farm is currently hosting a raffle to raise funds for the organization’s free food programs, with 100% of the proceeds underwriting their Southside Food Fridge, South French Food Fridge, and Feed AVL Food Boxes. Winners will be drawn the week of August 11th.
About Southside Community Farm
As a Black-led nonprofit organization in a historically segregated Black neighborhood, Southside Community Farm seeks to prioritize the needs of Black people and other community members of color while celebrating diverse cultures and foodways. Their mission is not only to feed people, but to co-create a web of food sovereignty in which community members have tangible power over their local food system. This mission includes creating and supporting avenues of education, climate resilience, food access, seed sovereignty, small-scale economic viability, joy, rest, healing, and more. Their 2023 impact report can be found here.
Southside Community Farm has operated on land that is owned by another party for the last 10 years, and recent events have illuminated the possible need to relocate from this land in the future. SCF is working to preserve their active farm space and access a permanent home for the farm. To learn more and support these efforts, visit their campaign.