Tag Archives: CSA program

Fresh Lettuce, Spring Flowers and Local Farm CSA Sign Ups

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Colorful spring flowers from Blooming Baskets

There’s nothing better than that first splash of bright color in the spring. The shades of purple and yellow on sweet pansies and Dutch iris and the beautiful pink of blooming hyacinth could all be found at the Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday. The spring season is not quite a week old and it’s not as warm as we would like for it to be yet, but it doesn’t matter. Everyone seems to be happy about the official change of the seasons on the calendar. Overall, it was just a colorful day at the market. Besides the early spring blooms, there were bright orange and yellow carrots along with the greens of lettuce. There were big splashes of color from local artwork too. You could even see hints around the market that a visit from the Easter bunny would be happening soon. So while the temperatures may be a bit cooler than usual, spring is definitely here and that makes our farmers and everyone else very happy.

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Kirkview Farm’s tasty greens

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Fresh carrots from Norton Farm

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Norton Farm’s lettuce

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Potatoes and squash from Kirkview Farm

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As you can see, carrots are not always orange!

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Eggs from Somethin’ To Do Farm

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Crepe A Diem’s dishes are  popular!

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Blooming Baskets’ beautiful flowers

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Young plants from Kirkview Farm

So think about this for a minute – March is almost over, April is knocking on the door and before you know it, May will be here. And along with that warmer weather come the vegetables and fruit you’ve been craving since last summer. Of course, you are not the only one that’s longing for the taste of strawberries or tender young asparagus. There’s always a mad dash for fresh food at the market. But you can be one step ahead of everyone else by getting a CSA from your favorite farmer. A CSA automatically gives you the best in fresh food that’s available. Many of the farmers are signing up people up for a CSA now. Look for CSA signs at the farm booths around the market or just ask your favorite farmer if he or she has a CSA program.

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Fresh breads from Flying S Farm

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Sweet jam from Jones Mill Farms

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Hatcher Dairy’s goodies

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Delicious soups from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese is always great!

kids2And with the arrival of spring, we’ve started playing in the dirt. The preparation of the Growing Kids garden has begun and soon, a lot of young gardeners will be planting and learning about food and the environment. Classes at the Growing Kids Educational Garden are free and designed for kids from Pre-K to 3rd grade. It’s a hands-on, creative fun way to find out where food really comes from. Get more info on the Growing Kids garden and to register for classes. The first class at the kids’ garden is scheduled for April 22nd!

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Organics in Motion makes garden soil great

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Seedlings to plant from Paradise Produce

Check out what was in market this past Saturday by visiting our FFM website Photo Gallery.

Finally! March is Here and Spring is in Sight!

So the sun wasn’t shining at the market this past Saturday, but nobody seemed to care. Why? Because it was the first day of March which means spring is just around the corner and we can kiss that polar vortex weather goodbye. And while it won’t be long before you start seeing spring veggies, there are still plenty of tasty winter vegetables to be found. There were lots of winter greens at the market on Saturday to enjoy, along with the ingredients for a fresh salad of tender just picked lettuce, carrots and radishes.

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Norton Family Farm just picked lettuce mix

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Farm Fresh Carrots from Norton Family Farm

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Beautiful fresh lettuces, kale, radishes and herbs from Rocky Glade Farm

And while a lot of you were picking up fresh vegetables from the market farms, we saw plenty of you munching on sweets too, such as muffins, donuts and cookies as you walked around the market.

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Fresh Baked Cookies by Dozen

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Flying S Farm Apple pies

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Oh so good!  An Ellie’s Old Fashioned Doughnut fan

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Kirkview Farm Kale, Carrots and Butternut Squash

The official first day of spring is March 20th, but you don’t need a calendar to tell you that spring is fast approaching. All you have to do is look around the market and see all of the farms with CSA signs. Now’s the time to sign up for a CSA share from your favorite farm so that you’ll get a weekly box of the best, in-season fruits and vegetables throughout the spring and summer. Many of the farms a CSA program, so look for their CSA signs or ask if they offer CSA’s.

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Greg Brown, owner of Ford Lincoln of Franklin , our new Corporate Sponsor for 2014 with market management and farmers

And it’s now official – Ford Lincoln of Franklin is the first corporate sponsor of the Franklin Farmers Market. The Franklin Farmers Market is a non-profit 501(c)5 agricultural organization and with all of the support from the great sponsors of the market, we are able to help local farms to keep growing. And it also helps us bring great events to the market, such as the FFM Strawberry Festival and supports projects such as the Growing Kids Educational Garden. Our sincere thanks to Greg Brown, owner of Ford-Lincoln of Franklin – Welcome to the market family!

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Alpaca hand knitted ski caps by Legacy Acres Alpaca Farm

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Hand made Soy Candles by Intoxicating Aromas

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Custom creation of Miniatures by Phillip

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Red Rooster painted on real barn wood by Tom the Furniture Guy