Tag Archives: Tennessee

New Fall Events Coming to Farmers Market

September 30, 2013

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.

Over 30 Different Tomato Varieties Now at the Franklin Farmers Market

August 12, 2013

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Beaverdam Creek Tomatoes

How many tomatoes do you think we had at the Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday? We’re not sure either, but we could say it was an invasion, because there were tomatoes everywhere. Our Tennessee Farmers bring over 30 different varieties from red and yellow tomatoes, striped and purple tomatoes, big and small cherry tomatoes, including heirloom tomatoes and traditional favorites. Perfect for canning and making relish or just a good old BLT. We love this time of the year, because it’s not just the number of tomatoes that is so high, but all of the other summertime favorites of the garden are ripe and ready to eat.

Bloomsbury Farm Wheat Grass

Farm Fresh picked Peaches and Cream Corn

Farm Fresh Produce and Herbs from Rocky Glade Farm

AssortedTie Dyed Clothing from Pieceful World Clothing

Artisan Woods by Cody

Bags of purple hull peas and green beans were being snapped up at the market, along with okra and bell peppers. Those sweet juicy peaches from Kirkview Farm were also a big hit.

Sweet Peaches and Apples from Rainbow Hill Farm

Kirkview Farms Purple Hull Peas and Melons

Ice Cold Limeade and teas from Lucy’s Kitchen

It was a little hot on Saturday… Okay, it was just flat out hot and muggy. But it didn’t matter. Folks were drinking ice cold, fresh limeade from Lucy’s Kitchen or dipping spoons into sweet delicious gelato from Hatcher’s Dairy to stay cool. And you know what one of the best things is about coming to the market? Even though you know what’s ripe and ready to eat, there’s always something new to enjoy too. Like Delvin Farm’s organic hot & spicy tomato juice. Great for cooking and drinking! Or like Rainbow Hill Farm’s Concord grapes.

Organic Bloody Mary Mix from Delvin Farms organic tomatoes

Concord Grapes from Rainbow Hill Farm

Beautiful Watermelons from Bronnenberg Farm

Circle August 24^th on your calendars, because that’s a big, sweet seed-spittin’ fun day at the farmers market. It’s the Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival, presented by our friends at the Williamson Herald and Southern Exposure Magazine. You don’t want to miss the watermelon seed spitting or the fastest watermelon eating contests. There are games and face painting for the kids, wild watermelon carvings and plenty of ice cold watermelons to enjoy.

Cecil’s Tomatoes from Pocahontas Creek Farms

And finally, you know the old saying about the early bird getting the worm? That’s been the thought about the market too. Get there early to make sure you get the best of the farm fresh produce you want before it runs out. But trying to scope out the fresh picked veggies early at the market could be dangerous. Our Tennessee farmers and vendors start setting up their farm booths early, but there are so many farmers at the market that they all can’t get moved in at the same time. And if they are trying to unload their trucks and set things up, it’s not safe for you to walk around the market.

So we’re asking you to please wait until the market opens to start shopping. The Franklin Farmers Market opens at 8am. When you hear the bell ringing, come on in!

Don’t forget to visit our pictures from Saturday.

Canned Cucumbers from Norton Family Farm

Tomato Season is in Full Swing!

FFM Manager Deb with Lex and Tim from Colbert Farm

These Farm Fresh Tomatoes are hand picked fresh, from the farm, by our Tennessee Farmers and their families as these tomatoes are from Zadok the Natural Farmer

Franklin Farmers Market on Talk of the Town

July 24, 2013

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The Franklin Farmers Market was featured on WTVF Channel 5 Talk of the Town today with Lelan Statom and Meryll Rose honoring this years Franklin Farmers Market TomatoFest.

www.newschannel5.com

Franklin Farmers Market Recipe Book “Eating in Seasons”

Gayle Franks represented the Franklin Farmers Market with a tomato pasta recipe from the farmers market new “Eating in Season” recipe cookbook! Gayle chose to prepare and cook the recipe “Fusilli with Raw Tomato” with host Lelan Statom of WTVF News Channel 5 of Nashville, Tennessee. The tomatoes used in today’s recipe were heirloom tomatoes, bradley tomatoes along with other tomato varieties from our farmers market.

Gayle did a wonderful job representing the Franklin Farmers Market on News Channel 5’s Talk of the Town with Lelan Statom. Lelan asked about this years TomatoFest and Gail shared that visitors will be able to taste many of the different varieties of farm fresh tomatoes Tennessee Farmers grow and bring to our farmers market each Saturday morning.

Gayle Franks and Sharon Burbage selecting Heirloom Tomatoes for Talk of the Town Show

Dottie, Sharon and Gayle selling the Eating in Season market recipe cookbook on market Saturday

We expect a big day celebrating the Tomato used in so many fresh healthy food recipes at this Saturday’s Tomato Festival in Franklin, TN. The Eating in Season recipe cookbook is designed to be used with farm fresh ingredients for family fresh cooking. The new Franklin Farmers Market recipe book Eating in Season will be available for purchase every Saturday during market hours 8am till 1pm.

The Eating in Season Recipe Cookbook can be found at the Franklin Farmers Market each Saturday morning from 8am until 1pm

Hope to see you Saturdays at our Tennessee Farmers Market!

Farmers Bring Fresh Green Beans, Squash, Cucumbers, Blueberries, Peppers, Onions and More to Market

June 17, 2013

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You know it’s going to be a good day when you spy the first of the blueberries at the market. They were the early variety, tasty and juicy. Those blueberries didn’t last long though, but that’s okay.

Deb ringing in the Start of a wonderful Market Day

Lot’s of new visitors and vacationers enjoying the day

The market was full of delicious food last Saturday. Green beans and new potatoes, along with cauliflower, beets and other fresh produce were plentiful. A lot of good farm eggs were snapped up too, along with tender steaks for the grill. Yummy breads, desserts and honey…. It was a food paradise!

Fresh Flowers to Fresh Veggies at the market

Lucy’s Kitchen always has Breakfast Treats ready

First Cucumbers of Summer

Where’s my Olive Oil and Outdoor Grill?

Absolutely Beautiful Potatoes

The new Franklin Farmers Market Recipe Book has wonderful Recipes from our Famers!

We still have Strawberries…but not for long!

Ellie’s Fresh Made Old Fashion Donuts

But sometimes you can’t find the vegetable you really want at the market. A lot of questions were asked Saturday about when would tomatoes show up at market; why weren’t there any watermelons and where was the corn? Georgia and Alabama produce typically is ripe and ready about two weeks before it is in Tennessee. The further south a farm is, the quicker the garden grows. Plus this year, we had a wet and cool spring, so some produce is running a little later than usual. But you need to be familiar with the seasonality of produce and fruit grown in Tennessee. Tomatoes typically are not ripe and plentiful until July. It’s the same thing with corn and watermelons are at their best in July and August too. Next Saturday, stop by the Market Information booth and pick up a free copy of Local Table. It’s a great guide to food and farming in Middle Tennessee, and it also has a big seasonality chart so you can get a better idea of when your favorite veggies and fruits are ripe and at market.

Speaking of tomatoes, nothing says summer like a deliciously ripe tomato. And we’re not talking about those tomatoes that are shipped in from other states or countries. We crave real tomatoes; the locally grown tomatoes. So when those first Middle Tennessee tomatoes are ripe and ready, it’s time to celebrate. And we’re going to do just that with our salute to tomatoes. Don’t miss the Franklin Farmers Market’s TomatoFest, July 27^th. Fresh tomatoes are the stars of the show. Enjoy samples of delicious heirloom tomatoes. Watch cooking demos of Chef Steven from Amerigo. Learn seed-saving techniques and take part in the ugly tomato contest. It’s a tomato lover’s heaven… TomatoFest at the Franklin Farmers Market!

New Fresh Peppers

Lovely Green Onions

The clean smell of Lavender was in the Air