MCDOWELL COUNTY MARKET

McDowell County, North Carolina Farmers Market — Buy & Sell Local Crops Near You

🌽 From Marion to and Old Fort, McDowell County gardeners, small farms and home cooks post their extra harvest here for people nearby. Watch for local apples when it comes into season in North Carolina. It's free to post, there's no cut taken, and local farm food carries no sales tax.

Farming in McDowell County by the Numbers

McDowell County has 298 farms on 17,041 acres (about 57 acres each). Together they sold $17.4 million of farm products in 2022, led by poultry & eggs, nursery & greenhouse plants and vegetables.

Orchards and vineyards here grow apples and grapes, and local fields produce tomatoes, sweet corn, bell peppers and green beans. Beekeepers tend about 536 honey bee colonies.

45 farms in McDowell County already sell straight to the public, about $969,000 a year in direct sales. Crop Market gives them, and every backyard grower, a free way to reach more neighbors.

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.

Farm Life in McDowell County

McDowell County farms and homesteads keep 1,590 head of cattle, 321 goats and 300 horses and ponies. Grass-fed beef sold by the quarter or half is a common way ranchers sell direct.

About 491 people run or help run farms in McDowell County, with an average age of 58. 40% of them are women. 35 are under 35 - the next generation of local growers. 10 farms earn money from agritourism - things like u-pick fields, pumpkin patches, farm stays and corn mazes.

Where McDowell County stands out: it ranks #14 of 90 NC counties for honey bee colonies.