Flying Cloud Farm U-Pick Wildflowers: Asheville, NC

When I happened upon Flying Cloud Farm U-Pick Flower Fields and farm stand outside of Asheville, NC, I was instantly smitten.

I’ve driven this long stretch of road through Fairview more times than I know. Some of my first jobs were in Asheville, and I would drive past acres of farmland in Fairview to get to the “big city.” It never failed to bring a smile to my face when I passed rolling fields of grass that were home to black and white cows, horses or crops being grown.

So when I spotted a roadside stand tucked back from the road, I made my mom take a sharp turn off of the road (sorry, Mom!) as we almost passed it by. I was curious as to what Flying Cloud Farm’s roadside stand might have.

The self-service roadside farm stand uses an honor system to sell crops grown with organic methods to locals and visitors.

There were vegetables and fruits for sale inside covered boxes. They’re replenished throughout the day. The prices were amazing. (To compare – conventionally grown zucchini was $1.69 a lb. at Ingles. I got a massive zucchini about a pound or more for $1.)

There are even recipe cards for the taking! How sweet is that?! Find more online in their recipe archives.

What touched my heart even more was the honor system and ways to pay. Don’t have cash? You can blend old fashioned principles with modern technology by going home and logging onto Paypal to make your transaction.

Then I saw the flower fields, and the scissors nearby to go pick your own wildflowers. I seriously wanted to cry (in a good way!).

Strolling through the wildflower fields, as bees and butterflies fluttered around, my mom and I carefully chose a rainbow of zinnias and dahlias to take home.

We cut the stems, stuffed them into a Red solo cup (a cooler of water was provided in the stand to nourish the freshly cut flowers) and soon had a gorgeous flower bouquet to bring home.

Flying Cloud Farm is just one of several U-Pick Flower Farms near Asheville, NC.