Tag Archives: cabbage

Winter Produce, Canned Goods, Fresh Baked Food and Tennessee Maple Syrup!

Franklin Farmers Market

Snow covered Franklin Farmers Market sign

First, we say thanks to everyone who came out to the Franklin Farmers Market during the recent blizzard. Okay, we’re exaggerating, but the snow did fall during the first hour of the market this past Saturday. Of course, that made munching on a warm sweet treat from Ellie’s Old Fashion Doughnuts or Crêpe A Diem’s Bacon Bella crêpe even better. And when it’s a cold winter’s day, it’s just natural to crave comfort foods, like a warm bowl of homemade soup or fried chicken and biscuits. That’s why River Cottage Farm’s chickens were so popular, along with homemade breads from Jones Mill Farm.

Charlie Hatcher crepe

Charlie Hatcher enjoying a crepe

Franklin Farmers Winter Market

This little one was bundled up tight between Mom and Dad

Ellie's Old Fashioned Doughnuts

Ellie’s Old Fashioned Doughnuts hot and fresh

Lucy's Kitchen Soups

Lucy’s Kitchen soups ready for you tummy

Jones Mill Fresh Baked Breads

Jones Mill fresh baked breads are great with farm made soups

Even though the winter veggies at the market are tasty and fresh, some of you are getting a little anxious for warmer weather and the garden goodies that go with it.  Everyone’s a little hungry for spring, but we do have a solution to getting the most out of winter veggies and liven things up for your taste buds.  Just be a little creative. Use your imagination and prepare the carrots, cabbage, squash or other winter vegetables in different ways. From soups to salads, main dishes and even desserts, you can find recipes for hundreds of different ways to prepare winter veggies.

Hummus Chick Hummus

Hummus Chick Hummus is always fresh from her kitchen

Kennys Farmhouse Cheese

Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese are provided by Moonshadow Farm

Jones Mill Flourless Chocolate Cake

Jones Mill Flourless Chocolate Cake with a touch of Expresso

Jones Mill Chicken Salad

Jones Mill chicken salad and pimento salad are fresh made right from Judy’s kitchen

Tennessee Free Range Eggs

Tennessee Free Range Eggs from Pilgrims Produce

Farm Ground Corn Meal

Farm Ground Corn Meal and Grits from Beaverdam Creek Farm

To get you started, we’ve got a recipe for you. Pick up some butternut squash and carrots on your next trip to the Franklin Farmers Market and prepare this special Butternut Squash & Carrot Soup. It’s mouthwatering delicious!

Tennessee Maple Syrup

Tennessee Maple Syrup from Pilgrims Produce

And here’s something else to put on the list when you come back to the market – Tennessee maple syrup. That’s right – it’s Tennessee maple syrup, not Vermont or Canada. It is lip-smacking delicious for pancakes and waffles, but don’t dilly-dally about picking up a bottle. Pilgrims Produce Farm only tapped about 20 gallons of maple syrup this year, so it going to go quickly!

And finally, here’s another thought about spring – it’s time to get the kids in the garden. Look for information on the Growing Kids Educational Garden at the end of February. It’s a delicious way for kids to learn more about food, nutrition and the environment. Think Spring! And don’t forget to check out Saturday’s market day pictures.

Lucy's Kitchen Muffins

Lucy’s Kitchen Muffins always fresh baked

Flying S Farm

Catherine of Flying S Farms delivering an order of Valentine Day Cookies

Beaverdam Creek Soap

Beaverdam Creek Soap

 

Go Farm Fresh for Super Bowl Sunday Snacks

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Kirkview Farm fresh cabbage, carrots, squash and potatoes

Saturday at the Franklin Farmers Market was windy and chilly; Sunday was sunny and very pleasant and today we’re back to shivering and freezing. At least the weather hasn’t kept our farmers from growing tasty winter vegetables for you.

We saw a lot of people taking home goodies like cabbage and carrots, beets and winter squash from such farms as Delvin Farms, Paradise Produce and Kirkview Farm.

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Delvin Farm organic cabagges

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Paradise Produce winter greens, carrots and beets

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Flying S Farm Supper Bowl Cookies…Place you order now!

And many of you are already thinking Super Bowl Sunday snacks. There were plenty of folks stopping to sample the tasty goodies from BB’s Gourmet Pretzels which are perfect for munching in front of the TV. And did you see Flying S Farms’ Super Bowl cookies?  Too cool!

Goat cheese from Noble Springs Dairy is also a good choice to make delicious snacks for football days.

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Goat cheeses from Noble Spring Farms

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Organic Salza from Delvin Farms for Super Bowl Sunday

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Fresh made kitchen salads and pimento cheese spread from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Lucy’s homemade soups

biscuit sandwiches

Hot biscuit sandwiches from Biscuit Love

Of course, when the weather is cold like it has been this month, there are some delicious ways to stay warm at market.

There are the hot delicious biscuit sandwiches from Biscuit Love, sweet warm treats from Ellie’s Old Fashion Doughnuts and the absolute best homemade rolls with Triple L Sausage patties from Jones Mill Farms.

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Muffins and cinnamon rolls from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Home baked cookies from Flying S Farm

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Fresh made Ellie’s Old Fashioned Doughnuts

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Hand knitted Alpaca Fleece garments from Legacy Acres

But the other big hit at the market this past Saturday had nothing to do with food. Legacy Acres Alpaca Farm booth was the place to be. Alpaca fleece is very soft and extremely warm. All the hats, gloves, scarves and other Alpaca goodies from Legacy Acres can make a chilly day downright pleasant.

All in all, this January is the coldest we’ve had in a long time but that hasn’t stopped the smiles at the market every Saturday. Take a look at the market’s photo gallery and see if we caught you or someone you know smiling at the market. Our thanks to you for coming out on chilly days to the FFM and supporting Tennessee farmers!

You can visit our Saturday market photos to see who was at market.

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Everyone’s best friend was a propane heater on Saturday!

Baby Calf has a Name and Farmers bring Farm Fresh Produce to Market

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It was another cold day at the FFM

Mother Nature has been a bit grumpy and unpredictable this winter. The chilly wind blowing through the Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday was proof of that. It’s the sort of weather that calls for a good dose of comfort food and that’s what everyone was getting at the market. Instant warm-ups, like those hot doughnuts from Ellie’s Old Fashion Doughnuts or Jones Mill Farm’s sourdough rolls with Triple L Sausage definitely qualified as comfort food. So did the hot chocolate from Ridiculous Chocolate and warm freshly prepared cornbread, made with Beaverdam Creek Farm’s special mill stone ground cornmeal.

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Warm doughnuts and hot coffee from Ellie’s

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Stone Ground Cornmeal and Grits from Beaverdam Creek Farm

Veggies, like potatoes and cabbage to make homemade soups. Great meats, like a chuck roast for a warm delicious meal.

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Organic Cabbage from Delvin Farms

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Delvin Farms Organic Potatoes

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Tender tasty fresh beef from Bear Creek Farm

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Homemade soups from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Kenny’s Cheeses from Moonshadow Farm

And the vivid orange carrots and green Brussels sprouts offered a little tease of spring with their bright colors.

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Garlic, Turnips and Tomato Sauce from Delvin Farms

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Winter Squash from Delvin Farms

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Delvin Farms Brussels Sprouts

Here’s a question for you: You don’t see any flowers growing or green leaves on trees, so how do vegetables grow during the winter? We overheard that very question being asked at the market this past Saturday. Are those veggies grown somewhere else in warmer weather and then shipped in to Tennessee? The answer to that question is no. Some vegetables, such as cabbage grow much better in cooler weather. But when the weather gets a little cold, row covers and hoop houses go over the top of the plants to protect them. The coverings help the plants to get a little more warmth from the sun and protection from frost too. So what you see in the FFM during the winter really is grown on a local farm.

Buttermilk

Call me Buttermilk!

And finally, the voting is over and the little calf at Triple L Ranch is no longer without a name. Say hello to Buttermilk. The top seven names in the Name the Calf contest were Ollie, Jasper, Ace, Leo, Oliver, Bartholomew and Buttermilk. Who submitted the winning name? It was actually Ann Lee of Triple L Ranch. Ann put the name Buttermilk in the poll as a little joke, because the calf is neither a heifer nor a dairy cow. But that kind of backfired, because Buttermilk was voted as the favorite name for calf.  The runner-up in the contest was the name Bartholomew, which was submitted by Savana Stroud. So the Lee family has awarded the prize of a day at the Triple L Ranch to Savana. Our thanks to everyone who voted in the Name the Calf contest!

The Franklin Farmers Market is community driven Saturday morning farmers market bringing together the best local farmers in the state of Tennessee.  Visit our photo gallery and farmer profiles to learn more about Tennessee farm fresh produce and meats.

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Fresh lettuces from Paradise Produce

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Farm fresh eggs from River Cottage

 

Sunshine brings out Tennesseans for Winter Farm Fresh Foods!

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Sunshine brought happy smiles from everyone at the market on Saturday!

Sunshine, smiling faces and the best in farm fresh foods from local farms – there’s not a better way to start the day and that’s what type of day it was at the market this past Saturday. What a difference a week can make! No more nasty polar vortex weather to deal with and that brought lots of happy people out the FFM.  Quite a few of our farmers sold out of their fresh winter produce.

Brussels sprouts and cabbage, colorful carrots and potatoes were going home with smiling customers as well as baskets of fresh apples.

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Paradise Produce

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Pilgrims Produce

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Kirkview Farm

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Farm Fresh Veggies for the week is a good thing

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Kirkview Farm still has crisp sweet apples!

Fresh baked goods, grits, eggs, pecans and tender local beef, pork and chicken – it was all at the market Saturday.  And we spotted some of you taking home fresh green kale for salads or maybe to make that crazy good kale fudge pops recipe we told you about last week.

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Lucy of Lucy’s Kitchen enjoying the sun

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Tennessee pecans from the Diggs Family Farm

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Flying S Farm sweet treats

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Homemade soups from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Organic locally made baby food by Chubby Bunny

Speaking of recipes, some of you have been asking about the market’s Eating in Season cookbook and where you can get a copy of it. The cookbook booth is on winter break, but you can still pick up a copy of Eating in Season at the market. You’ll find the cookbooks at the Norton Family Farm booth. And while you are there, pick up some of the Norton’s famous fresh lettuce or delicious baked goods, like Karen Norton’s fantastic biscotti – perfect with a fresh cup of coffee!

And finally, we also spotted quite a few of you stopping by to ask the folks at Triple L Ranch about the name of their new four-legged family member. But they don’t know, because voting for the calf’s name isn’t over with yet. This Saturday, January 18th the polls will close, so you need to get your vote in now and pick the name for the little fellow. Should he be named Bartholomew or is Jasper a better name? What about Ollie or Buttermilk? You make the choice. Vote now!

The Franklin Farmers Market is community driven Saturday morning farmers market bringing together the best local farmers in the state of Tennessee.  Visit our photo gallery and farmer profiles to learn more about Tennessee farm fresh produce and meats

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An excited market customer buying her first Miniature by Phillip, hand crafted by a local artisan

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Custom barn wood signs by Tom the Furniture Guy

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Folk art on a sunny day

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Muffns from Lucy’s Kitchen brings a smile

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We’re just happy to be at the market!

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Hatcher’s Chocolate Milk

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Nothing sweeter than local honey from Johnson’s Honey Farm.  Great for hot winter drinks!

Winter Vegetables, Meats and Soups make for great Farm Fresh Meals

It was a cold and windy day, but that didn’t bother us at the Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday. Okay, that’s not quite true because it was really chilly, but it certainly didn’t keep our farmers from bringing you the best in winter vegetables, like carrots, squash and potatoes.

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Winter greens from Paradise Produce

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Carrots, collards, cabbage and potatoes from Kirkview Farm

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Fresh organic cabbage from Delvin Farm

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Tennessee farm grown lettuces from Norton Family Farm

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Tennessee families picking up farm fresh produce

And even though it was a cold day, there was plenty at the market to warm you up. Lots of folks were munching warm treats from Ellie’s Old Fashion Donuts or enjoying one of Jones Mill Farms’ hot homemade rolls with Triple L Sausage.

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Gotta have my Ellie’s Old Fashioned Doughnut!

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Fresh baked, hot and ready Sourdough roll with Triple L Sausage from Jones Mill Farm

And there were lots of veggies that people were taking home to create their own warm comfort food. For example, fresh carrots from Paradise Produce, along with cabbage from Delvin Farms were being bought to make homemade soup.  You can view pictures from Saturday’s market here.

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Just picked Carrots, Kale, lettuces and spinach from Paradise Produce

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Fresh beets from Paradise Produce

Those who didn’t want to make their own took a delicious shortcut and took home some of Flying S Farms yummy soups. There’s nothing quite like a bowl of hot grits to warm you up and bags of Beaverdam Creek Farm’s stone-ground grits were being snatched up in a hurry. So yes, it was cold and windy, but the trip to the market was worth it to load up ongood food for chilly winter weather.

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After market lunch of Triple L Ranch Ribeye, Delvin Farm organic Brussels Sprouts and Potato Soup from Jones Mill Farm…Nothing better on a cold day!

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Farm Preserves, Jams and Jellies from Jones Mill Farm

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Farm baked Breads from Jones Mill Farm

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Fresh Baked Pies from Geraldine

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Kenny’s Cheeses from Moonshadow Farm

It’s a new year and with it comes a few reminders from the market – First, winter market hours have changed. The winter market is now open from 9am – noon and will remain that way until spring. Second, the “no dogs at the market” rule is now in effect, so please leave your pets at home. And third, don’t forget to vote for the best name for the little calf at Triple L Ranch. You can get the complete story on the calf and vote for his name by clicking here.

Finally, it is with great sadness that we say goodbye to one of our own at the market. Ed Johnson, the patriarch of Johnson’s Honey Farm passed away this weekend.  Having the best honey in Tennessee was a passion of Mr. Johnson’s and it showed in the honey his bees produced. Bees have been a part of Mr. Johnson’s farm since 1918, making Paula Morton, his daughter and familiar figure at the market a 3rd generation beekeeper.  Our hearts, prayers and sympathies go out to the Johnson family.

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Ed Johnson of Johnson’s Honey Farm will be missed by the entire state of Tennessee and beyond, including farmers from all over the world. His family will continue his legacy.

Local Farmers providing Fresh Lettuce, Spinach and other Vegetables this Winter!

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Fresh lettuce from the Norton Family Farm

Salads are a summer treat, right? So how can there be fresh picked lettuce and spinach at the Franklin Farmers Market on a cold winter’s day? Just ask the market’s reigning lettuce master, Jim Norton.  This past Saturday at the market, it was cold. Very cold. But the Norton Family Farm had beautiful tasty lettuce and spinach. How was that possible?

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Norton Farm’s tender fresh spinach

You can find lettuce and spinach from the Norton farm practically year-round at the market because of the loose-leaf varieties of lettuce and spinach that Jim plants in succession and the use of hoop houses and row covers to protect the lettuce crops from weather and insects.  So even though we’ve had plenty of cold days this December, the Norton lettuce and spinach crop continues to thrive.

There were also plenty of winter veggies at the market this past Saturday too, such as winter squash, sweet ‘taters and Brussels sprouts.

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Winter Squash

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Delvin Farm’s cabbage

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Winter veggies from Paradise Produce Farm

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Checking out the vegetables from Pilgrim’s Produce

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A wide variety of winter veggies to choose from

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Freshly baked!

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Soups from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Lots of yummy jellies from the Norton Family Farm

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Tasty Brussels sprouts at the Franklin Farmers Market

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Put some green in your diet!

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The market’s “Eating in Season” cookbook

Eating vegetables year round is a healthy way to stay in shape. But maybe you are not quite sure what to do with a bunch of beets or a head of cabbage. You can find an easy solution to fixing meals with winter vegetables at the market. Pick up a copy of the FFM’s cookbook, “Eating in Season”. It has recipes for each season of the year. Let’s say that you picked up a turnip at the market but were not quite sure what to do with it in the kitchen. The Eating in Season cookbook has a recipe for Baked Turnip Fries that will leave you begging for more. You can pick up a copy of the Eating in Season cookbook through the winter season at the Norton Family Farm booth. It’s just $15 (plus tax) and it can make every meal, year-round delicious.

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Lots of goodies from Lucy’s Kitchen

On this Wednesday, we say goodbye to 2013 and hello to the New Year. And with the new year, come a couple of changes at the Franklin Farmers Market.  Starting January 4th, dogs will no longer be allowed at the market, so please leave your pets at home when visiting the market. Secondly, the market’s winter hours will change. As of January 4th, the Franklin Farmers Market will begin opening at 9am and close at noon. Those hours will remain in place until the start of the spring/summer season at the market.

As we close out this year, the farmers and the vendors at the Franklin Farmers Market want to express their appreciation to everyone who came to the market and made 2013 a record-breaking successful year.  We are very grateful for your support of local farms. Thank you!

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Tom the Barn Wood Sign Guy’s unique creations

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Antlers natural treats for your four-legged friends

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Loading up on a great variety of freshly baked breads from Jones Mill Farms

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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Market Customers Enjoying New Winter Vegetables for Home Cooking!

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Chef Vinny of Saffire restaurant handing out Butternut Squash Bisque

You know how we been saying that winter vegetables are good to eat and tasty too? That you should try different recipes to see how good veggies like turnips, beets, cabbage and squash can really be? Well, we proved our point this past Saturday at the market with help from Chef Vinny of Saffire. With a mixture of butternut squash, maple cream, fried sage and other delicious ingredients, he created a warm winter soup that was literally lip-smacking good.

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Preparation of Butternut Squash from the morning market

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Yum! Yum! Hot Butternut Squash Bisque prepared by Chef Vinny

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Chef Vinny giving out free samples!

Chef Vinny’s butternut squash bisque went so fast, he had to quickly create another pot of it. Saffire is well known for the mouthwatering dishes served there and now we know why. Chef Vinny will be back at the Franklin Farmers Market this winter to prepare another scrumptious dish featuring winter veggies. You can get his butternut squash bisque recipe on Saffire’s facebook page.

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Yes, it is Yum! Yum!  Good!!!

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Homemade Farm Soups from Flying S Farm

And pick up a copy of the market’s “Eating in Season” cookbook for lots of delicious recipes, including our own version of Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. You can pick up Eating in Season at our special cookbook stand or at the market info booth every Saturday.

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Winter Root Veggies from Paradise Produce

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Delvin Farms Organic Cauliflower

Franklin Farmers Market Recipe Book "Eating in Seasons"

Franklin Farmers Market Recipe Book “Eating in Season” available on Saturday’s at the FFM

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Market visitors voting on allowing dogs at the market

We asked for you to tell us how you feel about dogs at the market and you’ve been doing some big talkin’. Hundreds of you have emailed or filled out our survey form at the market to tell us whether dogs should be allowed or banned at the market. With big crowds and lots of dogs at the market, there are concerns over sanitary and safety issues that affect not just people but dogs too. What do you think? Through November 30th, you can express your opinion and suggestions on dealing the dog issue. Just email lisa@franklinfarmersmarket or stop by the market info booth on Saturdays. The market board will announce their decision the first week of December.

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Fresh baked bread from Flying S Farm

The chilly weather at the market and the forecast for snow flurries later this week made us think about the holidays which are fast approaching. Thanksgiving is just about 3 weeks away and shortly after that, the big man with the white beard and reindeer will be showing up. The market is the place for delicious food and unique gifts for loved ones.

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Franklin Family picking up CSA from Delvin Farms

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Winter Greens from Zadock the Natural Farmer

2013-charity-drive

But this holiday season, it’s also the place to give to those who need your help. Beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 30th, the Franklin Farmers Market will kick off the “Love Will Keep Us Warm” charity drive to collect blankets, coats, scarves, gloves and more to keep those in need to protected from winter’s cold weather. Maybe you have a coat you don’t wear anymore or a blanket that’s been tucked away in storage for a while. Donate them and keep someone warm for the winter. Watch for more information on our website and in the market’s ‘farm fresh’ newsletter soon.

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Farm Fresh Root Vegetables Carrots, Cabbage, Turnips, Sweet Potatoes now at Market!

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It was a Cold October Morning

Too cold for market? Ha! We laugh in the face of winter weather. Yes, it was cold this past Saturday. But munching a warm doughnut from Ellie’s Doughnuts while sipping hot coffee always makes a cold morning at the market much better. Lots of us also enjoyed a hot roll with sausage from Jones Mill Farms or noshed on a huge yummy muffin from Lucy’s Kitchen at the market, making that chilly weather not so bad after all.

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Roast was busy selling Hot Coffee

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Lucy’s Kitchen helped keep everyone fed

You can certainly tell the weather is changing just by looking at the fresh veggies at the market. Winter root vegetables, like turnips and sweet potatoes are plentiful. Collard greens are back at the market and so is cabbage.

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Beautiful Sweet Carrots from Norton Family Farm

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A beautiful Crop of Sweet Potatoes from Colbert Farm

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Sweet White Turnips from Colvin Family Farm

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Wonderful fresh lettuces from Zadok the Natural Farmer

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Fresh Picked Ginger from Earth Advocates

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White and Black Carrots and Red Radishes from Colvin Family Farm

But summer veggies are not quite gone yet. The last of the tomatoes are hanging on, with cherry and plum tomatoes still available from farmers with hoop houses to protect them from the frost.

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Fresh Green Beans from Norton Family Farm

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Large Radishes from Kirkview Farm

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Red and Green Tomatoes still in good supply

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The Eating in Season Cookbook has great recipes for Fall

There are a couple of things that do change with the cooler weather at the market. You can always get meats from local farms, fresh baked goods and vegetables at the market no matter if it’s summer or winter. But the selection of vegetables grown locally does change with the drop in the temperatures. If you are not sure what qualifies as a winter vegetable, stop by the market’s info table and pick up a free copy of Local Table magazine so you can see the big seasonality chart.

Number two, the hours at the market change.  Starting November 2nd, the opening hour will still be 8am, but the market will close at noon. Cold weather is no big deal. Just get the fuzzy socks and mittens ready.

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Soft hand knitted Alpaca ski caps from from Legacy Acres Alpaca

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Custom barnwood signs from Tom the Furniture Guy

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Deb missing Cecil

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My ears are warm!

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Fresh Picked Ginger from Earth Advocates

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Delvin Farms CSA Pick Up

Winter market has begun!

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.