Tag Archives: blackberries

Peak Season for Local Farm Food

Hot market, but oh-so-cool local farm food. It’s the peak season for the best of summer veggies and that made it worth the while to brave the nasty heat last Saturday and come out to the market. The FFM looked like a foodie’s dream come true – tomatoes of all varieties, sweet corn on the cob, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, okra, blueberries, blackberries, carrots, green beans, peaches – you name it and it was there. The very best in fresh food straight from Tennessee farms.

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Squash and tomatoes from Allenbrook Farm

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New arrival of Tennessee Corn from Kirkview Farm

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Farm Fresh produce from Colbert Farm

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Fresh picked squash and zucchini from Sturbridge Farm

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Beautiful Okra from Colbert Farm

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Fresh picked Blueberries from Blue Honey Farm

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Sweet peaches from Kirkview Farm

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Bountiful CSA’s from Delvin Farms

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Fresh farm produce from Beaverdam Creek Farm

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Peas and lima’s from Kirkview Farm

Even though it was a hot, sweltering kind of day last Saturday, everyone seemed to be handling the heat with no problem. Lots of smiles and lots of people at the FFM, so naturally we had to take some photos. Did we catch you smiling? Take a look at the market’s big photo gallery and find out!

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Loving a farm Sunflower

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Found the perfect 2 tomatoes I like!

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Hank resupplying organic potatoes

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Karen’s wonderful tasting Tomato Pie from Norton Family Farm

Tomatoes large and small, red or yellow, heirloom or standard varieties – it really is tomato season at the market. We love tomatoes and the different recipes you can use them in, like the tomato pies that Norton Farm had this past Saturday. A ripe juicy tomato straight from the garden is the ultimate summer treat and that’s why we celebrate the tomato. July 26th, join in the fun at the Franklin Farmers Market TomatoFest. Our friends from Amerigo know a thing or two about tomatoes and they’ll be demonstrating the different ways to use tomatoes in delicious recipes. There will be heirloom tomatoes to sample, demos on seed saving and a fun kids’ area too. It’s all happening July 26th – TomatoFest at the FFM!

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Juicy just picked red tomatoes from Colbert Farm

August brings Farm Fresh Produce to Franklin Farmers Market

Ha! The forecast was for a 30% chance of afternoon rain, but apparently nobody told Mother Nature. It was a cloudy day, with off and on rain. But that did not stop anyone from coming to Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday. After all, it is the tip-top of the summer season, when just about any produce you could possibly want is ripe and ready.

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Farm Sweet Carrots from Norton Family Farm

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Grapes from Rainbow Hill Farm

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Fresh Salad Ingredients

Bell peppers and chili peppers; tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes and corn too.

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Multi colored Peppers from Gardner Grove Farm

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Silver Queen Sweet Corn

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Beaverdam Creek Farm Tomatoes

Cantaloupes were the big star of the show at the market and fresh peaches were also snatched up in a hurry.

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Delvin Farm Cantaloupes have arrived!

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Fresh Peaches from Rainbow Hill Farm

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Heirloom Tomatoes from Bloomsbury Farm

But while this is the high season for delicious summer produce and fruits, it’s almost the end of the road for some of the fresh veggies and fruits. Blueberry season is coming to an end and blackberries won’t be around much longer either, so if you are a big berry lover, head to the market this upcoming Saturday.  And if you are not sure what to do with all of that delicious fresh food, check out the market’s first cookbook, “Eating In Season.” You’ll find lots of great recipes from the market’s farmers and customers. It’s become very popular and is moving fast, so get yours at the market soon!

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Multi colored Peppers from Gardner Grove Farm

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Farm Fresh from Jones Mill Farm

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Ice Cold Chocolate Milk from Hatcher Family Dairy

Of course, the highlight of the day was the little junior farmers taking a field trip around the market. They were the students from the market’s Growing Kids Educational Garden in the Park at Harlinsdale Farm and they had a big time touring the market and talking to the farmers. The kids also made off with some great market goodies too, including corn from the King Family Farm, cucumbers from Zadock the Natural Farmer, peaches from Kirkview Farm and to top it off, chocolate milk from the Hatcher Dairy Farm.

And finally, mark your calendars for August 24th. That’s the date for the Franklin Farmers Market’s popular Watermelon Festival, presented this year by our good friends at the Williamson Herald and Southern Exposure Magazine. It’s a big sweet seed-spittin’ day of fun for the whole family!

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Farm Fresh from Pilgrims Produce

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Potatoes from Sturbridge Farm

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Fresh Basil from Colvin Family Farm

As always you can view pictures from this past Saturday’s market by clicking on “Photo’s” on the market website.  Or just click here to see if you are in any of the pictures.     https://franklinfarmersmarket.com/gallery/

Summer Fruits and Vegetables now in Full Supply

Hazy, hot and humid…. Those three words are the best way to describe the month of July. But there’s a payoff for putting up with the muggy weather, because it’s a great time to be at the Franklin Farmers Market. July is the high season for summer vegetables and fruits.

Evan Produce

Evans Produce

TN Farmers Market

Bloomsbury Farm

Kirkview Farm Watermelons

Kirkview Farm Watermelons

This past Saturday, hot weather favorites such as sweet corn were plentiful and more farmers had watermelons ripe and ready at the market. Plus delicious, sweet and juicy cantaloupes could be found too. You could practically get a natural sugar rush because of all of the delicious fruits, like peaches, blueberries and blackberries from our Tennessee farms.

Sliver Queen Corn

Fresh picked Sliver Queen Corn

Cantaloupes

Fresh Cantaloupes

Beaverdam Creek Farm

Beaverdam Creek Farm delivers first farm fresh corn for 2013

Blue Honey Farms fresh blueberries and syrup

Kirkview Peaches

Kirkview Farm Peaches

People were snatching up bags of peaches from Kirkview Farm.  They are great peaches, but do you know how to make them even better? Put them in a paper bag, fold down the top of the bag and just let it sit on the counter for a day or so. That helps the peaches to fully ripen and become the juicy sweet treat we all love.

Steamy hot July days make it tough to be outside, but people at the farmers market found delicious ways to cool down, like drinking cold limeade from Miss Lucy’s Kitchen and eating the sweet ice cold gelato from Hatcher Family Dairy.

Fresh Cucumber

Future vegetarian?

Ellie's Doughnuts

Ellie’s Doughnuts

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Ice Cold Limeade from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Hatcher Gelato from Hatcher Family Dairy cows…So creamy and wonderful!

So visiting the Franklin Farmers Market in July is actually a good thing. Maybe we should change those three words describing July from hot, hazy and humid to sweet, delicious and yummy!

Market Flowers

Market Flowers

Farm Fresh Peppers

Farm Fresh Peppers

Franklin Farmers Market

Farm fresh veggies, jams and preserves

Bloomsbury Farm

Bloomsbury Farm fresh vegetables and herbs

Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

Franklin TN

Another busy Saturday at the Franklin Farmers Market…come visit!

Heavy Rain visits the Farmers Market and Farms across Middle Tennessee

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Rain can’t keep away CSA customers

Rain, rain go away, come again some other day. We need rain to help the crops grow. However, what fell last week was a little more than we wanted. But it didn’t stop the farmers from getting out there and picking the best in fresh,Tennessee produce. And it didn’t stop the Franklin Farmers Market or our loyal customers either. Thanks to everyone who visited the market this past Saturday.

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The market information booth was rain prepared

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Families seemed to enjoy the rainy day

Despite the downpour, quite a crowd came out to get delicious veggies, such as carrots, cabbage and okra. More ripe and juicy tomatoes were at the market too, plus some unripe ones that were perfect for fried green tomato sandwiches.

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Okra now in supply

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Jones Mill Farm Heirloom tomatoes

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Beaverdam Creek Farm and their CSA baskets

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Blue Honey Farms Blueberries

Blackberries and blueberries were snatched up, along with yummy sweet peaches. And the first ears of corn were spotted at the market too. By the way, all of you corn lovers, take note: Rumor has it that the King family farm will have delicious Silver Queen corn this upcoming Saturday.

Fresh Blackberries from Kirkview Farm

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1st Corn of 2013

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Fresh Eggs from our youngest Farmer

And welcome to a new farmer at the Franklin Farmers Market. The fresh eggs that Zach Whitler brought to market went fast this past Saturday. And even though he’s only 11 years old, Zach already has quite the brood of chickens, such as Silkies, Leghorns and Ameraucanas, producing multi-colored eggs that are almost too pretty to eat. If you missed out on Zach’s eggs, don’t worry. He’ll be back at the market this Saturday, along with the sunshine we’ve been missing!

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Jones Mill Farm Onions and Heirloom tomatoes

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Norton Family Farm cherry tomatoes

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This market visitor is so happy she found just what she was looking for!

Tennessee Tomatoes and Blackberries arrive at Farmers Market

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Fresh Blackberries make their entrance for 2013!

The Word for the Day is…

Actually it’s two words: Tomatoes and blackberries! The very first tomatoes for the summer season were available at the Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday from Rocky Glade Farm. It wasn’t a huge amount, but who cares? They were the first real Tennessee tomatoes of the year and everybody wanted one.

There were the blackberries.

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Rocky Glade Farm had Tomatoes that sold out fast

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This girl is all smiles over farm fresh blueberries and tomatoes

Kelley’s Berry Farm had the first pick of their crop of blackberries and so did the Colbert Family Farm. Again, the first of the season and not in a huge amount, but within the next couple weeks, the number of blackberries will grow much larger.  Summer has officially started and with the warm weather and sunshine, more and more crops are ready for picking and enjoying, so what’s available at market changes each week.

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Kirkview Farm is loaded with summer produce

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The Green Beans and Cabbage are all so beautiful

The market was pretty busy this past Saturday. We even had a tour of folks from Kentucky. The Kentucky State Agriculture Department’s Roadside Market Tour brought a busload of people into visit and they had nothing but good things to say about your market.

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The Kentucky Roadside Market Tour visiting on Sat.

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Market Manager Deb Grant visiting with Kentucky tour

And finally, everyone kept asking about the photo of the kids with the tractor in the market’s newsletter last Thursday. Those little “farmers” are all part of the Growing Kids Educational Garden classes that we conduct at the Park in Harlinsdale Farm just across from The Factory on Franklin Road. The classes take place every Thursday at the garden and the kids get to learn about such things good bugs and bad bugs, why worms are a good thing and the scoop on how cow poop can make a garden grow. Lots of hands-on activities too and classes are free. Registration for July classes is open now. Find out more by clicking on Kids section of the market website. Come see us next Saturday at the market!

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As always Beaverdam Creek Farm has a large variety of Tennessee Farm Fresh Produce and CSA’s

New Tennessee Farm Fresh Food Now Arriving to Market

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Lettuces, Carrots and Radishes

Blue skies, beautiful weather and delicious Tennessee Farm fresh food… who could ask for anything more? Yesterday was the perfect day at the Franklin Farmers Market. There were lots of tasty fresh veggies like cabbage, beets and delicious green beans. Cucumbers are coming in season too, plus squash and greens. And even though strawberry season is just about over, it won’t be too much longer before blackberries and blueberries start showing up at the farmers market.  It was great to see everyone at our Farmers Market on Saturday! Even some of our Growing Kids Garden students dropped by to say hello.

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Onions, Carrots, Cabbages and Beets

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Fresh Squash now at the Market

You know how we say it’s good to use one of the other entrances into the market? Here’s proof of why we say that.

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Franklin Police directing traffic on Liberty Pike

The traffic on Liberty Pike at the main entrance to the market was backed up and the parking lot in that area was jammed. But folks coming into the market from other entrances had it much easier. So next Saturday, why not try the Franklin Road entrance and use the parking spaces on that side of The Factory. Chances are good that if you use a different entrance into the market, you won’t be delayed in traffic.

And a big thank you to everyone who observed the market’s official opening time. A lot of you early birds like to get to market first to make sure you get the tasty food you want. But the market’s opening time is 8am and we ask that you do not come into the market until it officially begins. The reason why is simple: It’s for your safety. There are farmers and vendors still setting up and moving into market right up to opening time. So shopping begins at 8am. Just listen for the bell signaling that market is open!

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Fresh Romaine Lettuce

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Norton Farm Cucumbers

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Beaverdam Creek Farm Fresh Veggies

Finally here’s a little something that you need to know… There’s a special day coming up soon at the Franklin Farmers Market in Williamson County and you don’t want to miss it! Look for details later this week.

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Cauliflower and Broccoli in plentiful supply

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Farm Fresh Squash and Zucchini’s

Hatcher Dairy Farm on NBC Today Show with Al Roker!

Did you get to see the Hatcher Family on the NBC Today Show yesterday morning? If you missed Al Roker of the Today Show broadcasting from the Hatcher Family Dairy Farm in College Grove, Tennessee, here are a few links to coverage of the show broadcast from the Hatcher Family Dairy.  What great weather for a special NBC Today Show segment with Al Roker direct from the Hatcher Family Farm!

Charlie Hatcher told me last week how excited they were that Sharon had entered a contest called “Wake Up With Al” 2 weeks ago.  After entering Hatcher Family Dairy online into the “Wake Up With Al” contest Sharon Hatcher received a phone call within a few hours asking them to be available for an interview.  From there, Charlie says it all happened so fast.  Congrats to the Hatcher Family on representing Middle Tennessee and Tennessee Farmers so well!  We are all so proud to have Hatcher Family Dairy as part of the Franklin Farmers Market!

Real Farmers!   Real Food!   Real Good!

Video of The Today Show broadcast


Watch it at Today.com

Charlie Hatcher Shares the Experience

Related Links

If you find any more footage from the Today Show segment “Wake Up With Al”, please email us and we will add it here.