Tag Archives: broccoli

Fresh Food at Farmers Market Every Saturday

Every Saturday before the Franklin Farmers Market opens, there’s always a crowd gathered at the entrance into the market, waiting eagerly to get in and grab all of their fresh food favorites.

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Sweet Cherry Tomatoes from Norton Family Farms

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Certified Organic produce from Delvin Farms

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Sweet peppers from Colvin Family Farm

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Welcome back Rocky Glade Farm!

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Music City Strings

But this past Saturday, people were not in such a hurry to get into the market because of the sweet sound of violins playing. The Music City Strings students were performing at the entrance to the market, playing such favorites as the Tennessee Waltz and Rocky Top. This special group of musicians range in age from pre-school to high school and they’ve played for audiences all over Middle Tennessee. The Music City Strings have now been invited to join a 2015 concert tour in Europe to represent the culture and music of Tennessee. If you missed their performance this past Saturday, mark your calendar for October 25th when they’ll be back at the market. Good food and good music at the Franklin Farmers Market – It’s the perfect combination for a great day.

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Beautiful Music fills the market on Saturday

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A special group of young people playing violins

It’s always colorful at the FFM, because of the large amount of fresh, local produce. Bright red tomatoes, yellow squash, green peppers, broccoli – the wide variety of vegetables makes for a big rainbow of color.

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Red Tomatoes from Evans Produce

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Sweet Peppers from Bloomsbury Farm

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Fresh picked broccoli from Rocky Glade Farm

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Fresh spinach and kale from Kirkview Farm

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Butternut Squash from Delvin Farms

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Locally grown squash from See Sun and May Lo Fresh Produce

But now, with the beautiful purples, yellows and burgundies of mums along the varying shades of delicious apples, the colors at the market have changed.

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Beautiful fall mums now in market

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Fresh Apples from Rainbow Hill Farm

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Finding a special Pumpkin

There are gourds with green stripes and star-shaped squash with polka dots. Orange pumpkins can be found all over too. But it’s not just orange pumpkins. Some are white and some are green. There are pumpkins that look downright warty and others that have stripes. There are pumpkins that you can hold in the palm of your hand and a few that probably weigh more than you do. And with those all of those pumpkins, we know that scarecrows are just around the corner. Lots of scarecrows. Every October, the Invasion of the Scarecrows happens and this year’s invasion takes place on October 18th. It’s a fun day for the kids, with a special pumpkin patch and the Perfect Pumpkin Painting booth. There’s tricks and treats and funny Halloween face-painting too and the best part is, it’s all free for the kids. As always, there’s plenty of delicious fresh food from your favorite farmers at the market too. And from big and tall to short and small, there are scarecrows are everywhere. The Invasion of the Scarecrows takes place October 18th!

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Fall colors all over market

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Any size or color pumpkins now in market

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Best Tennessee pumpkin crop in years

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Barnwood Pumpkin Patch sign from Tom the Furniture Guy

Who and what did the market paparazzi catch on camera this past Saturday at the market? Find out with a look at the FFM photo gallery!

Summer Farmers Market loaded with Fresh Vegetables

Every day at the farmers market is a good day, but at this time of the year, it’s even better with summer fresh vegetables from local Tennessee farmers. You can practically bet that every time the FFM is open, you’re going to find something new to eat. For example, the first blueberries of the season were at the market this past Saturday. And so were the first tomatoes. People were lining up, anxious to get a bite of real tomatoes and other fresh vegetables.

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Blueberries from Pilgrims Produce

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Organic tomatoes from Delvin Farms

Broccoli, squash, radishes, potatoes, lettuce, and herbs – it was all at the market. The warm Tennessee weather is really making the gardens grow providing some of the best fresh vegetables in recent years.

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Organic grown Broccoli from Delvin Farms

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Farm fresh zucchini from Kirkview Farm

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Multi colored carrots and radishes from Bloomsbury Farm

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Potatoes, peas and tomatoes from Pilgrims Produce

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Fresh picked herbs from Bloomsbury Farm

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Green beans right from the farm from Napier Farm

grill day slider2And a lot of you were getting ready for a big backyard grill out too, with tender cuts of meat from our farmers. If you have not tasted the beef, chicken, pork and lamb the FFM farmers have, you don’t know what you’re missing. Next Saturday, you’ll get your chance to find out what we’re talking about. On June 14th, the Hearth and Grill Shop and Chef Michael Martin of Whole Foods will come together for Grill Day at the Franklin Farmers Market. This is your chance to taste the best meat you’ll ever find and it’s all from the local meat farmers at the FFM. Big Green Egg Grills, the choice of grill masters everywhere will be used for the beef, pork, chicken, lamb and sausage seasoned and seared to perfection by Chef Michael.

Once you’ve tasted what our local farms have, you’ll know why meat from the FFM is so popular.  You can view market pictures here.

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So we’ll say it again – this is the time of the year when there’s something delicious and new to eat every week at the market… Wonder what you’ll find next Saturday?

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Sweet farm carrots are a healthy snack at the FFM

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Beautiful yellow squash from Kirkview Farm

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Farm Fresh Eggs from Moon Shadow Farm

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Beautiful Sun Flowers grace market Saturday

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Fresh veggies from Beaverdam Creek Farm

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Cucumbers and Green onions from Napier Farm

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Nineteenth-Century French heirloom carrots from Bloomsbury farm are a favorite of gourmet chefs

Squash, Cucumbers and Tomatoes Enter Market!

Chilly with gray skies and a little sprinkle of rain here and there – doesn’t sound like a great day at the market, does it? But despite the weather, this past Saturday was a good day at the FFM. After all, there were lots of good late spring vegetables, such as broccoli, green onions and asparagus.

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Delicious asparagus

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Fresh green onions

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In this corner, everything needed for a salad!

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A colorful display of turnips, shallots and radishes

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Early season green beans

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A springtime favorite – green peas

And there was a little hint of the good things to come with some early cucumbers, squash and tomatoes – yes, tomatoes! Those hoop houses the farmers use can really speed up the growing times on veggies.

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Early tomatoes from Napier Farm

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How about a cool cucumber?

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Fresh radishes to munch

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Bloomsbury Farm lettuce

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Nothing like the flavor of onions

Of course, there were strawberries too – lots of them. It’s definitely berry time in Tennessee. As we do every year at the FFM, we celebrate the arrival of strawberries with our annual Strawberry Festival. It takes place next Saturday (May 24th) and the weather is predicted to be sunny and warm – perfect for a day of homemade strawberry shortcakes, games for the kids and the Barnyard Petting Zoo.

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Strawberry time in Tennessee!

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We agree – eat locally grown food

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Mark your calendar!

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Grill Day has been rescheduled for June 7th

Lots of folks were also going home Saturday with delicious cuts of meat, stocking up early for their backyard Memorial Day grilling to kick off summer in a delicious fashion. Speaking of grilling, the market’s Grill Day has been rescheduled to June 7th and hopefully the weather will match the great taste of the pork, beef, lamb and chicken from our meat farmers.

Chef Jeff Lunsford of the Hearth and Grill Shop will use his skills to grill lip-smacking samples for you to enjoy.

And finally, we notice this past Saturday that there’s more of the sweet treats at the market too, such as delicious Greek pastries and incredibly decadent toffee. We saw you munching. Confession time – we did the same thing! So yeah, it was less than perfect weather at the market. But it was still a great delicious day at the FFM!

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Sweet treats at the FFM to enjoy

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The first of the summer squash now at market

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Fresh, locally grown food and a day at the Franklin Farmers Market always make people happy! 

Spring like weather brings large crowd for Farm Fresh Food

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Fresh picked mixed lettuces from Norton Family Farm

Isn’t it funny how the weather can affect your mood? Days of cold, cloudy weather can really bring you down, but when that first bright sunshiny day pops up, it’s amazing to see all the happy faces out and about. That’s the way it was this past Saturday at the Franklin Farmers Market. There was a big bunch of people all over the place, talking, smiling and picking up some of the best in fresh food from local farms that you could ever find.  There were vegetables like sweet crunchy carrots and fresh lettuce for salads, along with sweet potatoes and herbs to spice things up a bit.

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Fresh eggs and produce from the Somethin’ to do Farm

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Sweet carrots from Norton Family Farm

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A proud Grandma with her new twin baby girls!

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Farm raised beef from River Cottage Farm

And then there were all types of soups, baked goods and sweets to take home.

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Home baked pies from Pappa C Pies

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Pretzels from BB’s Gourmet Pretzels

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Sunshine cookies from Flying S Farm

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Farm made preserves from Flyring S Farm

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Hummus, pimento and chicken salads from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Fresh baked breads from Twin Forks Farm

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Home made Hummus from the Hummus Chick

All very delicious, but we’re anxiously waiting for the first real spring veggie to show up. There’s a whole lot of back and forth with the weather in March. It could be freezing cold one day and in the 70’s the next. But the official first day of spring is now just 3 days away and very soon, the first of the spring vegetables will be ripe and ready. We talked to all of the farmers at the market this past Saturday, asking about their spring crops. And after doing so, we’re betting that asparagus will be the first spring veggie to make an appearance at the market. Then again, broccoli or snow peas could surprise us and show up a bit early. But whichever one shows up first, it doesn’t matter. We’re just like you are…. Hungry for spring!

FFM No DogsSaturday was the perfect day to be outside walking the dog, so we understand why some folks brought their dogs with them to the market. Unfortunately, the Franklin Farmers Market is not the place for the dogs. As much as we love them ourselves, dogs are no longer allowed at the market due to health and safety concerns.  We’re asking everyone to please respect the market’s policy – don’t bring your pets to market!

That great sunshine on Saturday is the type of weather that makes you want to play in the dirt. We’re talking gardening. And we’re inviting your kids to play in the dirt and learn a little something about their food and the environment.  The class schedule for our Growing Kids Educational Garden is now posted on the Kids section of our website. Classes begin in April and are designed for kids from pre-k to 3rd grade. And the classes are free! It’s a great way for your kids to learn where their food really comes from, with hands-on fun in the garden. Click here to get details and sign up for classes. Learn to Grow – Grow to Learn!

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Over 20 new signs from Tom the Furniture Guy

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Judy’s homemade soups from Jones Mill Farm

What the Farmers Market has for your Thanksgiving Shopping List

Thanksgiving gives us the chance to eat ourselves silly, with a big spread of delicious food. So get ready to pig out! Make those yummy holiday recipes with healthy fresh produce, meats and dairy from the Franklin Farmers Market and you’ll feel a little less guilty about stuffing yourself this Thanksgiving.

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Triple L Ranch great tasting hen right out of the oven!

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Saturday will be a day of Families doing their Thanksgiving shopping

Here’s a handy shopping list of some of the goodies you’ll find from the farmers at the market this Saturday to create the best Thanksgiving dinner ever.

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  • Beets – delicious roasted with honey!
  • Broccoli – a broccoli casserole hits the spot.
  • Cabbage – try it grilled or sautéed
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower – pick up some fresh cheese and drizzle over the cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Chard
  • Chives
  • Greens – lots of winter greens available now
  • Leeks
  • Lettuce
  • Mushrooms
  • Onions
  • Potatoes – Got to have mashed potatoes with gravy
  • Radishes
  • Shallots
  • Squash/Pumpkins
  • Sweet Potatoes – sweet ‘tater casserole is a must!
  • Turnips
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Fresh Herbs and Lettuces from Rocky Glade Farm

Pick up fresh cheese at the market. Moonshadow Farm has delicious varieties of Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese and Noble Springs Dairy has fantastic goat cheese in different flavors. Hatcher Family Dairy Farm has the milk, cream and buttermilk you need for your recipes and the kids would love some Hatcher chocolate milk with Thanksgiving dinner.

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Farm Fresh Harvest from Pilgrims Produce

Don’t forget the eggs you need for special Thanksgiving desserts. Moonshadow Farm, River Cottage Farm, Gardners Grove and Triple L Ranch are just a few of the farms with fresh eggs at the market.

Who says you have to eat turkey on Thanksgiving? From chicken to beef or ham, you can find the meat you want at the market. Check out Triple L Ranch, Bear Creek Farm, West Wind Farm, Peaceful Pastures, River Cottage, Gardner Grove and Beaverdam Creek Farm for the cuts of meat you want. Johnson’s Honey Farm and Pilgrim’s Produce have the honey you need to spread on fresh rolls. And if you don’t feel like doing all the baking, you can pick up delicious breads, pastries, cakes and more at the market. Norton Family Farm, Lucy’s Kitchen and Jones Mill Farms have what you need. Jams, jellies and preserves can be found at the market too.

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Fresh Baked Breads from Flying S Farm

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Jams, Jellies and Preserves from Jones Mill Farm

So go ahead…. Eat it up! Happy Thanksgiving from the Franklin Farmers Market.

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Fresh Lettuces and root vegetables from Zadok the Natural Farmer

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Wonderful Thanksgiving fresh picked veggies from Paradise Produce

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Rocky Glade at your service!

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Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes and Honey from Pilgrims Produce

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Beaverdam Creek fresh Veggies

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Organic Fennel from Delvin Farms

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Winter Vegetables and Homemade Soups make for Nutritious Family Meals

What happen to the sunshine and 60-something degree weather that was forecast? No matter, we still had good food at the market last Saturday. Broccoli and winter greens; carrots, radishes, turnips and lettuce were plentiful. We even came across a few cherry tomatoes from Delvin Farms.

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Fresh cut Broccoli from Kirkview Farm

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Beautiful farm fresh lettuces from Zadok the Natural Farmer

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Organic Cherry Tomatoes from Delvin Farms

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Sweet Potatoes from Rocky Glade Farm

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Turnip Greens, Radishes, Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash and so many winter greens!

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Carl and son ready to serve you each market Saturday

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Golden Yellow Baby Mangel Beets  from Paradise Produce

Lucy’s Kitchen and Jones Mill Farm had delicious varieties of soups and great fresh breads… the perfect winter supper!

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More Homemade Soups from Jones Mill Farm

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Fresh Baked Breads from Jones Mill Farm

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Homemade Soups from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Farm Meats from River Cottage Farm

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Triple L Ranch provides local farm Beef, Chicken and Sausages right off the farm.

Check the calendar. It won’t be long for before the holidays arrive and you know what that means… lots of yummy sweets! One of the biggest hits at the market Saturday was Noble Springs Farm’s new goat cheese fudge. That’s right… goat cheese fudge and boy, is it sweet and rich with chocolate. It was a full house at the market. Besides all of the farms, there were quite a few artisans with unique crafts that would make the perfect Christmas gift.

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Great tasting Fudge made with Goat Milk from Noble Springs Dairy

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Many different varieties of Goat Cheese from Noble Springs Dairy

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Sweet little dogs!

A lot of people were stopping at the info booth to let us know what they thought about having dogs at the market.  Hundreds of you have filled out the dog survey form or emailed your opinions on whether dogs should be allowed or banned at the market.  One of the biggest complaints about having dogs at the market is about sanitary concerns, while others say they’ve never seen any dogs relieving themselves in the market. Unfortunately, we found out first hand on Saturday that it does happen. While a customer was at the market info booth filling out the survey form, her dog decided it was a good place to potty! We love dogs, but there are some issues with having them at market. How can we solve them? You’ve got until November 30th to tell us whether dogs should be allowed or banned from the market and give us your ideas of what else could be done. Either stop by the market booth to fill out the survey or send an email to lisa@franklinfarmersmarket.com and let us know what you think.  A decision on the dogs will be announced the first week of December.

2013-charity-driveAnd we also had a lot of people asking this past Saturday about the blanket, coat and winter clothing drive that will be taking place at the market soon.  The Franklin Farmers Market is happy to be a part of the “Love Will Keep Us Warm” charity drive to help those in need stay warm this winter. You can drop off your donation of gently used or new blankets, sweaters, coats, hats  and more at the market on November 30th or on December 7th .  If you are unable to bring your donation to the market on those dates, you can visit other drop off locations on different dates in Rutherford and Williamson Counties. For more information, email dottie@mixtapeanthology.com or norabp78@yahoo.com . Share the warmth!

You can visit pictures from this past Saturday’s market by clicking here.  So much beautiful produce in the market now!

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Enjoying Community at the Franklin Farmers Market is a Traditional Family Activity for many local Tennessee Families

 

New Fall Events Coming to Farmers Market

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Norton Family Farm Fresh Carrots

Fall is definitely in the air. At the market this past Saturday, it was a bit cool with a light breeze, making it the perfect morning to stroll around with a warm doughnut and a cup of hot coffee from Ellie’s Doughnuts.

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Flying S Farm White Chocolate Friendship Bread

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Pumplin Rolls sell out fast from Norton Family Farm

Other signs of fall at the market too, like the first appearance of winter squash, more root veggies, apple cider…

…and lots of pumpkins.

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A Pumpkin Helper

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Cinderella Pumpkins

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King Farm Pumpkins Invade the FFM

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Small Pumpkins for young visitors

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King Farm Flat Bed Trailer Filled with Pumpkins of all colors and sizes

But the thing that tells us that fall is really here is the big question we’re asked every year – When do you close down for winter? The answer is, we don’t. The Franklin Farmers Market goes on year-round. Surprised? You’re not alone. A lot of folks wonder how a farmers market that’s dedicated to food from local farms can be open during the winter. In Tennessee, our winters are a bit milder and that allows farmers to extend their warm weather crops a little longer.

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Beautiful Tomatoes still in good supply

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Beaverdam Creek Farm Fall Eggplant

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Trish holding a CSA from Beaverdam Creek Farm

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Bloomsbury Farm Wheat Grass and Beets

And a number of farmers now use “tunnels” which consists of metal frames with plastic stretch over them. The plants are in the garden patch like they normally would be but the protection of the tunnel keeps frost from killing the plants. And finally, there are quite a few vegetables that prefer to grow in cool weather, like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage or carrots and potatoes.  The winter season for the Franklin Farmers Market begins in November.

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Fall Mums and Custom Baskets from Bloomin’ Baskets

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Fresh Jams and Preserves from Jones Mill Farms

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Brenda of Moonshadow Farm hosting Kenny of Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese

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Pilgrims Produce with their fall produce selection

Meat lovers, rejoice! Next Saturday, October 5th is the Day of the Grill at the market with samples of tender beef, pork, chicken and lamb from our Tennessee meat farms at the market. Enjoy tasty bites of meat from Triple L Ranch, Bear Creek Farm, West Wind Farm, Peaceful Pastures, River Cottage Farm and Beaverdam Creek Farm.  Chef Jeff Lunsford will use his talents on the grill to prepare the delicious samples.  Chef Jeff is a grill expert extraordinaire from The Hearth and Grill Shop. The Hearth and Grill Shop is locally owned and has been Middle Tennessee’s favorite spot for top-notch grills for over 40 years. This is your chance to enjoy mouthwatering samples of meat grilled to perfection on a Big Green Egg Smoker & Grill, which considered by many to be the best grill ever made. Don’t miss it… next Saturday, the Day of the Grill at the Franklin Farmers Market!

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Persimmons bring a smile to Lauren of Bloomsbury Farm

Giant smiling pumpkins and tiny little scarecrows were spotted at the market this past Saturday and they were all pointing to one thing… The Invasion of the Scarecrows is coming soon with lots of fun for the family. How about a kids pumpkin patch, funny face painting and a pumpkin decoration booth? And the best part is it’s free. It’s happening on October 19th  – The Invasion of the Scarecrows at the Franklin Farmers Market.  Presented by our good friends at Williamson Medical Center.

Visit our Photo Gallery to view pictures from this past Saturday’s Market and all Saturday Markets since May of this year.