Kirkview Farms Archives - Franklin Farmers Market

Customers browse young garden plant seedlings from local farms

Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day. That old nursery rhyme could have been used to describe how we all felt about last Saturday morning. It felt like a wet, winter day but all it took was one step under the Franklin Farmers Market shed to know that spring is really here. All you had to do was to take a look around and see the signs of spring popping up all over the place. Of course, there were lots of good veggies, like greens and sweet carrots perfect for a good salad. And we saw several of you buying cuts of tender meat to throw on the grill soon.

Kale and Carrots from Kirkview Farm

Fresh spinach, lettuces and eggs from Somethin’ to do Farm

Karen so proud of her local grown sweet carrots

Newly harvested celery from Rocky Glade Farm

A sample CSA basket from Beaverdam Creek Farm

Farm grown leaks from Pilgrims Produce

Fresh heads of lettuce just picked from Rocky Glade Farm

But there also blooms of color and garden plant seedlings everywhere, perfect to plant for a little backyard garden. We always know warmer weather is just around the corner when Purple Tree Farm is back at market with veggie plant seedlings and beautiful hanging baskets. Or when we see the bedding plants and bright marigolds from Kirkview Farms and the healthy plant slips from Paradise Produce. Then there were the lavender and rosemary plants from Earth Advocates Research Farm and the blooms of their beautiful Lenten Roses.

Many choices of garden

Red Beet plants for your home garden from Paradise Farm

Beautiful flowering plants from Earth Advocate Research Farm

Marigold plants from Kirkview Farm

Lush green ferns from Purple Tree Farm

Tomato plants from Kirkview Farm

Lettuces and swill chard starts

With all of the signs of spring at the market, we got a few questions about the market’s Growing Kids Educational Garden this past Saturday too. Veggies, fruits and flowers will soon be growing in the kids’ garden which is just across Franklin Road in the Park at Harlinsdale Farm. This is the 4^th year for the garden classes, which are perfect for teaching kids about the environment and where food really comes from. Classes begin on April 22^nd and are designed for kids Pre-K to 3^rd grade. And it’s all free! Get more info on the classes for April & May on the Kids’ page.

And finally with the warmer days of spring, comes a change in the market hours. Starting this upcoming weekend on April 5^th, the Franklin Farmers Market will open one hour earlier. Market hours in April will be 8am to noon each Saturday, giving you longer hours to visit the market. Yes, spring has definitely arrived! Visit Saturday Photos to see what was in market.

Someone is happy Spring has Sprung!

Local Tennessean’s come together at the Franklin Farmers Market every Saturday morning see good friends and buy farm fresh food

The Totally Terrific Tomat-Oh voting table had lots of activity to select this years winners

I now have new favorites!

And the word for the day was Tomato, with a capital T. There were tomatoes everywhere you looked – red tomatoes and yellow ones; striped and purple tomatoes; big and small, heirlooms and traditional favorites. It was all part of TomatoFest at the Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday.

So many different Tomato varieties for tasting

Not only did the farms have oodles of delicious tomatoes to pick from, but there were also lots of tomato samples to try along with scrumptious bites of Italian tomato-based dishes from Amerigo.

Nothing better than Fresh made Salsa from Amerigo

Plus there was the special TomatoFest salsa, made with fresh tomatoes straight from the Allenbrooke Farm. It was truly a tomato-lover’s heaven at the market.

Amerigo Chefs Paul and Steven

Allenbrooke Farm Tomatoes

Preparation of Tomato Jam

Tomato Samples anyone?

Sharon & Jenny presenting over 15 different Tomato varieties to sample

Besides all of the great tomatoes, everyone got the chance to learn how to save tomato and other vegetable seeds. Saving seeds is important as it allows us to preserve heirloom seeds’ genetic diversity.

So much interest in Tomato Seed Saving

Farmer Zadok Johnson explaining the art of Seed Saving

Seeds are the beginning of our existence, our nourishment and how we grow our vegetables

The Johnson Family answering questions about the tomato and its seeds

Beaverdam Creek Farm wins 1st Place

But maybe the best thing about TomatoFest was the Totally Terrific Tomat-Oh! Contest between the farmers at the market. There was certainly a lot beautiful heirloom varieties entered in the contest, but the best were the ones that showed just how creative our farmers can be. The overall grand prize winner came from Beaverdam Creek Farm. It featured a “pineapple” heirloom tomato with a parrot fashioned out of a real pineapple! Kirkview Farms nailed down second place with a couple of tomatoes enjoying the day on the “beach”… surf’s up, dudes! And third place went to Flying S Farms, with their miniature farm scene, complete with a little harvest bucket filled tiny “spoon” tomatoes!

Kirkview Farms wins 2nd Place

Flying S Farm wins 3rd Place

Our thanks to Amerigo Italian Restaurant for sponsoring TomatoFest and to everyone who came out for a fun and tasty day at the Franklin Farmers Market. Tomatoes rule!

Professor Tomato

RV Tomato Protection

1st Place winner Beaverdam Creek Farm

View pictures of the entire TomatoFest day here

Tag Archives: Kirkview Farms

Garden Plants and Early Veggies Welcome Spring 2014!

TomatoFest Visitors Enjoy Tomatoes, Food, Contests and Tomato Seed Saving