The Charlotte Tailgate Farmers Market is now commonly referred to as "The Tailgate" because that other name is a mouthful and we like to keep things simple. However, it has recently been brought to our attention that "The Tailgate" implies something sports-related, which we are not unless eating extremely tasty food or buying locally crafted items is a sport.
If you are looking at this page, then we're guessing that you wonder where we are. And who we are. Or maybe you just have some time on your hands, and we hope that you'll come hang out and help us build a community of in-the-know localvores.
The where is easy – we are at 100 West Park Avenue, in the generous space across from Phat Burrito and beside the new Common Market. Or just down the way from Price’s Chicken Coop, depending on your favorite culinary point of reference in SouthEnd.
Who we are is more complicated to explain because the same thing that happened to the word “organic” a few years back – and even to the words “farmers market” - is happening to the word “local” – it is being leveraged by big business as a marketing tactic.
However, The Tailgate is truly a local farmers market. The farmers are local, the farm goods are local, and mostly sustainably grown. Sustainable is a less sexy word than “organic” but it means the same thing without the certification.
Local by our definition is within 50 or so miles, and definitely close enough for the farmer to have a relationship with his or her customers. Close enough that it is not a stretch for the farms to get to market regularly, and YOU can even go visit their farms without making it a day trip. In fact, the farmers encourage that with a call ahead. For planning purposes.
We are open on Tuesday evenings from 4 pm to 7 pm, and Saturday mornings 9 am to 1 pm. You can park on the lot, and invite your friends in South Charlotte to take the light rail to the Bland or East/West stations to meet you there.
if you live or work within a reasonable distance from The Tailgate, you have a real opportunity here to buy food that is not of questionable origin. In the face of the food security issues in the news we should all be huddled with the vendors under the tent that is thankfully still standing in the midst of all of this crazy weather.
Come see for yourself. If you are NEW to local food farmers markets, check your expectations at the proverbial door, because markets with trucked-in produce have created an unrealistic picture of what it means to eat locally and seasonally. Those markets definitely have a place in our food system, but they aren’t local.
Local food tastes better. Once you taste a farm fresh egg or greens that were harvest a few hours before market you’ll wonder how you ever tolerated the homogenous version from the big box grocers. Come see us. We're a party for a new generation of eaters.