The Hendersonville Farmers Market has long served as a launchpad for small businesses, providing a vital platform for local entrepreneurs to grow and scale their operations. By connecting makers, artisans, and food producers with a loyal customer base, the market fosters a dynamic ecosystem that supports sustainable economic growth in the region. For businesses like Homemade Pasta Noodles and Mini Batch Bakery, the farmers market has been instrumental in helping them transition from humble market booths to thriving brick-and-mortar locations. 

Launa Tierney, owner of Homemade Pasta Noodles, started her business with the idea of offering hands-on pasta-making classes in her home. However, the pandemic put those plans on hold. “My kids said why don’t you just set up a booth at your local farmers market,” she said. They figured even if she didn’t sell “one noodle” she’d still be able to promote her pasta classes. Tierney took their advice and became a vendor at the Hendersonville Farmers Market, where her homemade pasta quickly became popular. 

According to its 2024 Annual Report, the Hendersonville Farmers Market attracts an average of 1,100 customers each Saturday, with each spending about $40. The exposure helped Tierney build a strong customer base.

After a couple of years, the demand for the Pasta Lady’s product and classes outgrew her home, prompting her to seek a brick-and-mortar location. “The biggest financial challenge was being able to afford rent,” Tierney said. “I could not afford Main Street and I didn’t want to be too far outside of town.” 

She eventually found a space on Maple Street in Hendersonville’s Seventh Avenue District. The space needed significant work but the landlord was willing to offer her a reduced first-year rent. Now, Homemade Pasta Noodles at 719 Maple Street in Hendersonville has become a local staple. Despite her new location, Tierney still values her connection to the farmers market. “I still have the Farmers Market customer base that looks for their homemade pasta every week,” she said. “I enjoy being at the farmers market and visiting with locals and visitors to our community.”

Mini Batch Bakery's journey to the Seventh Avenue District was similarly fueled by farmers market success. Stacy Fields, the owner and lead baker, and her family moved to Henderson County in 2014 and established a raspberry farm in 2016. The family began selling fresh berries at local markets, eventually expanding to baked goods, jams, and vinegar. 

“The exposure at the farmers markets was the way we grew a customer base large enough to even feel like we could try a brick and mortar,” Fields said. “It was years of experience talking to customers and selling our products that helped us refine and develop our offerings.”

In 2022, Fields and her family remodeled a space on Seventh Avenue to accommodate their growing bakery business. The financial challenge of the transition included the cost of remodeling and purchasing equipment, but they managed to navigate it by using personal savings and buying used equipment. “Jumping from one or two days a week at farmers markets to six days a week at the storefront was definitely a huge jump for us,” she said. “Never had we done this particular set up before and there were growing pains.” 

Despite the difficulties, the bakery has thrived in its new location at 404 Seventh Avenue East in Hendersonville, with Fields noting that many of their loyal customers from the farmers market still support them.

The Hendersonville Farmers Market hosts 88 vendors, with 75% of them coming from within Henderson County, and 30 vendors participating full season. This strong, local vendor base has made the market a prime location for building customer relationships. “If it wasn’t for the market, we would not have survived the reconstruction of Seventh Avenue last year,” said Fields. “It is a fact.” 

Beyond building relationships with local customers, the market has provided critical financial support for families in need. In 2024, the market distributed over $3,900 in Ffarm Ffresh Produce Pprescription tokens and more than $3,000 in Double Up Food Bucks, a program that doubles SNAP purchases for eligible customers. The market's dedication to providing access to healthy foods makes it even more integral to the community’s well-being and the businesses that operate there.

For Tierney and Fields, the farmers market was a launchpad for success.​​ Their success stories are a testament to the powerful impact the market has in nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit of the region. 

The Hendersonville Farmers Market takes place at 650 Maple Street every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. until October.