Tag Archives: Fresh Lettuce

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.

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

Blue Skies and Warm Weather bring out New Customers to Farmers Market

Never mind that one week ago, we had snow and ice on the ground. Saturday, it was sunshine and pleasant temperatures at the market. We even spotted a few folks dressed in t-shirts and shorts happily strolling around the market. It was a good day to grab great fresh food. Colorful carrots, apples and squash were plentiful, along with tender fresh lettuce.

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Fresh Carrots from Norton Family Farm

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Just picked kale from Kirkview Farm

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Squash and carrots from Kirkview Farm

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Fresh eggs from Moonshadow Farm

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Homemade soups from Lucy’s Kitchen

Lots of dairy goods and sweet treats too, such as cookies, pies and muffins were being snatched up and not all of it was making it out of the market. We spied some of you happily munching away while you walked around.

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Home baked cookies from Dozen

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Fresh made hummus from Hummus Chick

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A young shopper with her basket

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Handcrafted Jewelry from Rockin’ Robbin Ranch Design

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Antler dinnerware from Antlers

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Maple Pecan Bars from Flying S Farm

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Farm made goat soap from Totty’s Bend Farm and Dairy

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Barwood Signs from Tom the Furniture Guy

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Nursery Plants from Earth Advocates Research Farm

And what is it about sunshine and warmer temperatures that make us want to fire up the grill? There seemed to be quite a few of you walking out of the market with steaks or hamburger to grill out. The official first day of spring is just 10 days away and we’re ready for the greening of trees and lawns, along with the beauty of spring flowers. Everybody got a little tease of spring at the market, with early blooming plants with bright flowers. All in all, we have to say it really was the perfect sunny day at the market!

With warmer temperatures and sunshine comes the urge to start digging in the dirt. You know what we’re talking about. It’s time to get gardens in shape and start growing. And while gardens can take a lot of work, it’s a great place for kids to learn a lot. Things like where food really comes from or why ladybugs are super heroes in a garden. With classes like the Poop Pot Project and Doing the Worm Wiggle, kids can learn a lot in the market’s Growing Kids Educational Garden this spring. It’s a fun, hands-on way to learn about the environment, nutrition and how things grow. The free classes at the garden begin on April 22nd and are designed for kids pre-k through 3rd grade. Registration for April and May classes begins today. Get more info about the Growing Kids garden and download registration forms by clicking here. Learn to Grow – Grow to Learn!

Want to see more pictures from this past Saturday’s market?  Just click here.

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Farm ground cornmeal from Beaverdam Creek Farm

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Fresh made granola

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