Tag Archives: pumpkins

Fresh Food at Farmers Market Every Saturday

September 29, 2014

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.

Sweet Cherry Tomatoes from Norton Family Farms

Certified Organic produce from Delvin Farms

Sweet peppers from Colvin Family Farm

Welcome back Rocky Glade Farm!

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.

Beautiful Music fills the market on Saturday

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.

Red Tomatoes from Evans Produce

Sweet Peppers from Bloomsbury Farm

Fresh picked broccoli from Rocky Glade Farm

Fresh spinach and kale from Kirkview Farm

Butternut Squash from Delvin Farms

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.

Beautiful fall mums now in market

Fresh Apples from Rainbow Hill Farm

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!

Fall colors all over market

Any size or color pumpkins now in market

Best Tennessee pumpkin crop in years

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!

Fresh Farm Produce, Pumpkins, Great Food and Coffee!

October 14, 2013

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A fall display from Time Travelers

We have to admit, it was a little chilly Saturday when the market first opened. But a cup of coffee paired with some sweet, warm Ellie’s Doughnuts made everything okay. And even with a lot of fall festivals going on, there were still plenty of people wandering around the market and we’ve now figured out why. The Franklin Farmers Market is not only the best place for fresh food from local farms; it’s a great spot to socialize on Saturday mornings.

Maybe you pick up a yummy sourdough roll with sausage from Jones Mill Farm or you head over to the Biscuit Love truck for a bite of breakfast to munch while roaming the market. Chances are that you’ll run into a neighbor or an old friend who’s doing the exact same thing.

Kirkview Farms fresh veggies

Customers of Rocky Glade Farm

Local tomatoes still available

Plus it seems like a lot of new people are moving to Franklin and Williamson County too. Every market day, there are people who stop at the info booth to find out more about the farmers and the market.

V’s Pottery is beautiful!

Lucy’s Kitchen’s yummy soups

River Cottage Farm’s meats

Legacy Acres soft & warm Alpaca yarn

Great barnwood signs from Tom the Furniture Guy!

Colorful mums and pumpkins from Purple Tree Farm

A lot of them have just moved here. We’ve been doing a little poll of those people and have found out that quite a few of them are here from California, like this mom and her son standing next to the scarecrow. They just moved here from Los Angeles. Welcome to Tennessee!

Just moved to Tennessee!

Smiling faces & sunflowers

Posing with the pumpkin & scarecrow at the market info booth

And you may have noticed at the market this past Saturday that lots pumpkins can now be found from several farms at the market.

The King Family Farm grows lots of pumpkins!

And with those pumpkins, little scarecrows are starting to pop up everywhere.

Little scarecrows popped up at Rainbow Hill’s booth

But just wait… The market will soon be took over by scarecrows and they’ll be bringing lots of fun for the whole family. It’s The Invasion of the Scarecrows, brought to you by our friends at Williamson Medical Center.

There will be a free pumpkin patch for the kids, complete with a tractor-riding scarecrow watching over the patch. After picking out their pumpkin, kids can paint and decorate it at the Perfect Pumpkin Painting booth. The kids can get “decorated” too with face-painting from Tom the Artist. And once the pumpkins and the kids have been decorated, stop by the Williamson Medical Center’s tent for a free family photo to take home and remember the day!

Beaverdam Creek Farm’s beef cuts

Of course, there will be plenty of delicious fresh food from your favorite farmers at the market too. From big and tall to short and small, lots of scarecrows will be everywhere. It’s all happening next Saturday, October 19^th from 8am – 1pm at the Franklin Farmers Market!

A good selection from Pilgrims Produce

Click here to view pictures from this past Saturday’s market.

New Fall Events Coming to Farmers Market

September 30, 2013

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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.

Flying S Farm White Chocolate Friendship Bread

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.

A Pumpkin Helper

Cinderella Pumpkins

King Farm Pumpkins Invade the FFM

Small Pumpkins for young visitors

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.

Beautiful Tomatoes still in good supply

Beaverdam Creek Farm Fall Eggplant

Trish holding a CSA from Beaverdam Creek Farm

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.

Fall Mums and Custom Baskets from Bloomin’ Baskets

Fresh Jams and Preserves from Jones Mill Farms

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

Pilgrims Produce with their fall produce selection

Meat lovers, rejoice! Next Saturday, October 5^th 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!

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 19^th – 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.

Farm Fresh Summer Produce still available at our Tennessee Farmers Market

September 22, 2013

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Maybe it was that yummy roll with sausage from Jones Mill Farms. Or it could have been a deliciously sweet treat from Ellie’s Doughnuts with a good cup of hot coffee. Or perhaps some of Hatcher Dairy’s famous chocolate milk was the way to start the day. Whatever it was, despite the wet weather, a whole lot of you showed up and munched on breakfast goodies while walking around the market this past Saturday morning.

Ellie’s Old Fashioned Doughnets

Norton Family Farm Pumpkin Rolls

Singing in the Rain!

BB’s Gourmet Pretzels

Wonderful Granola MIx

And our farmers and vendors really appreciate that, because whether it’s rain or shine, hot or cold, there’s good fresh food harvested every day. So again, big thanks to everyone who came out to shop at the Franklin Farmers Market in less than ideal weather.

Pumpkin Face Drawing

Peaceful Pastures now taking Turkey orders

The cooler, wet weather shouldn’t have been a surprise though because Sunday was the official first day of autumn and that means some changes are coming in the produce at the market. There are still a lot of your summer favorites, like tomatoes and cucumbers or squash and field peas.

Farm Fresh Tonmatoes

Just picked Okra

Summer Veggies from Pilgrims Produce

Produce variety from Pilgrims Produce

But with the change in the season, different veggies start showing up. Not everything in the garden is harvested during the hot days of summer. There are a number of vegetables that grow better in cooler temps and are ready to be harvested during both spring and fall. That’s why there is a good supply of such veggies like radishes, beets and carrots during the cool months at the market. Turnips, lettuce and sweet potatoes are plentiful during the fall and spring too. Many farms in Middle Tennessee grow all year long, so the Franklin Farmers Market stays open all year long. The winter market officially begins on November 2^nd.

Pumpkins in market from Purple Tree Farm

Sweet Potatoes from Colbert Farm

Wagon of Pumpkins from King Farm

And of course with the fall season, pumpkins come to the market. And when the pumpkins start showing up (like they are now), scarecrows are not too far behind them. October 19^th is the day for scarecrows to take over the market. The Invasion of the Scarecrows is great day for family fun, with a free pumpkin patch for the kids, yummy pumpkin goodies to eat, plus the kids can paint pumpkins and get their faces painted too! The Invasion of the Scarecrows is presented by the Williamson Medical Center.

Cherry Jelly from Norton Family Farm

Sunflowers and Veggies from Beaverdam Creek Farm

Great veggies to eat and enjoy; lots of pumpkins and a market takeover by scarecrows… We love fall at the Franklin Farmers Market!

Farm Produce Now Purchased in Bulk for Winter Canning and Freezing

September 9, 2013

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Early Saturday morning at the Franklin Farmers Market, there was a just a little touch of fall in the air. Cooler temps made for a nice start to the day. But soon, the day went back into summer mode with bright sunshine and hotter temps. It was fitting though, because there are still plenty of summer favorites available from the farmers.

Summer Okra still in good supply

Fresh picked Herbs from Bloomsbury Farm

Cucumbers, Large and Small Tomatoes from May Lo Fresh Produce

Green Beans from Rainbow Hill Farm

Fresh Plump Tomatoes from Rainbow Hill Farm

Mark Alan Artisan Woods

But this past Saturday was also the very first market day of September and while we are all about fresh food from local farms, September brings more unique arts and crafts to the Franklin Farmers Market. Every Saturday in September we celebrate the local artisans of middle Tennessee. Long time favorites, such as V’s Pottery, Lovely Beads by Brenda and Mark Alan Artisan Woods are at the market through September, but there are new crafts people too, like El’s Silverware and Glass Gardens by RuthE.

Hand made beads from Lovely Beads by Brenda

Hand carved wood from Mark Alan Artisan Woods

Custom made craft baskets from Bloomin’ Baskets

September also brings the first of big beautiful flowers to market too, like those from Bloomin’ Baskets and the huge mums from Purple Tree Farm. And the first of the pumpkins are also starting to show up. Pumpkins little and big, orange or striped white and green were spotted this past Saturday. Fresh apples are now at the market too, along with apple cider. Fall is definitely just around the corner.

Nice variety of Pumpkins from Purple Tree Farm

Just picked Apples from Rainbow Hill Farm

Apple Cider from Kirkview Farm

Fresh Carrots from Norris Family Farm

Sharon talking recipes with a young chef!

Fresh Baked Cookies from Dozen

Great Traditional Bluegrass from the Franklin Square Pickers

And with the approach of cooler weather, some of what occurs each fall at the market is quite odd. Things start to look different and curious characters begin to appear. Keep your eyes wide open…They are coming to the market soon. Very soon.

Visit photos from this past Saturday’s Market by clicking here!