Left to Right: Josh Crawford, Miranda Crawford, Robin Crawford, and Tom Crawford
It was Florida’s sweltering summers that drove Robin and Tom Crawford north in 1995, when they set up a humble produce stand under a tent behind the Exxon station in Cashiers.
One summer later, the crowds demanded more space, and by 1997 the Crawfords had built a permanent home: Cashiers Farmers Market. Over the years, the building stretched in every direction – upstairs, basement, back and side – until there was nowhere left to expand.
Those early days offered little more than crates of produce and a single block of hoop cheese.
Today, the market has become a showcase of the region’s best: local meats from Brasstown and Providence Farms, Carolina trout, seafood delivered five days a week, and a cheese case that tempts even the most disciplined shopper. At the bakery counter, pies and cookies share space with 800 loaves of bread each week from Tracy at Lotsa Loaves – a delivery that has become part of the town’s rhythm.
In 2006, the Crawfords opened On the Side, their barbecue kitchen – and so much more.
What began as a humble lunch counter has turned into a destination, where pork shoulders and briskets spend hours over the smoke before meeting house-made coleslaw, potato salad, and creamy mac ‘n cheese. But it doesn’t stop at barbecue. Wednesdays and Fridays have become weekly rituals: fried chicken one day, burgers the next. Beginning with the Thanksgiving opening, On the Side will stay open through the end of December. Hours vary, so the website is the surest guide.
Prepared foods are now one of the market’s quiet strengths. Grab-and-go casseroles, soups, and sides are tucked into coolers, many made from “perfectly imperfect” produce that finds new life as hearty comfort food. For families juggling guests or vacationers on the run, it’s a dependable way to put dinner on the table without fuss.
Miranda, Robin’s daughter, moved to Cashiers in 2004, and today she and her husband Josh manage the market, carrying forward the family’s vision while adding their own touches. A business once managed by four now requires twenty employees during the height of summer. And when the market rests in winter, Josh shifts gears to run Cashiers Firewood, delivering seasoned wood to keep mountain cabins warm.
And then there are the golden retrievers. From the very beginning, the Crawfords have always had one – or two, or five — on hand. Listed on the website with titles like “Head Greeter,” “Lime Thief,” and “Con Artist/Head Beggar,” these dogs greet customers, charm children, and have inspired their own line of shirts and sweatshirts. Some people visit just to see them, and the Crawfords understand.
Though the main season runs April through October, November brings a cherished encore. Beginning November 19, the market reopens for ten days, just in time for Thanksgiving. Smoked turkeys, fresh pies, and classic sides fill the shelves, ready for the holiday table. Pre-orders are required, with details posted online.
Three decades on, Cashiers Farmers Market has become a family-run institution that has grown with its town, expanded its shelves with care, and kept its welcome easy. From those modest beginnings under a tent behind a gas station, the Crawfords have created something now inextricably linked with Cashiers itself – a place so inviting and engaging that it’s likely drawn more than a few visitors back as seasonal or year-round residents.
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