Monthly Archives: August 2013

Watermelon Festival Brings Fun and Games for Kids!

August 26, 2013

Teddy Pennington shows off his spitting skills.

One, two, three….spit! Who knew that spitting seeds could be an athletic event? That’s what happened at the Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday at the 2^nd annual Watermelon Festival. Contestants lined up to show off their spitting ability with watermelon seeds and claim the coveted Seed-Spitting Championship title. The winner was Casey Walker, who put the kids to shame with her athletic spitting ability. However, the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th place contestants were winners too.

The winners took home sweet juicy watermelons

All of them went home with a delicious sweet watermelon. Watermelon was definitely the star of the market, with delicious watermelon slices to munch on while walking around the market.

A big crowd at the Watermelon Festival!

As we’ve said before, it’s the high season at the market, with summer produce at its peak. Lots of people walking around with big bags filled with peppers and tomatoes; lettuce, potatoes, onions, corn, purple hull peas and much more.

Tasty, ripe bell peppers at the market

Sweet corn from the King Family Farm

And it was a record-setting hot August day for the Franklin Farmers Market too. Over 3,000 people came to the market’s Watermelon Festival! We are very grateful for your support of local farms and local food.

Local artisan Tom The Furniture Guy shows his wares

There is always music at the Franklin Farmers Market

Munching on yummy treats from Ellie’s Doughnuts

Watermelon seed bean bag toss at the festival

How fast can you eat a watermelon slice without using your hands?

The highlight of the day though was the fastest watermelon eating contest. Contestants quickly munched and slurped down watermelon slices with their hands behind their back.

Max wins the top prize

It was a very close call, but in the end, Max Atlas took home the championship along with his first place winnings – a big CSA box of produce from Delvin Farms, honey from Johnson’s Honey Farm, sweet preserves from the Norton Family Farm, chess pie from Geraldine’s Pies, fresh yummy doughnuts from Ellie’s Doughnuts, a bar of goat soap from Tottys Bend Goat Farm and of course, a delicious watermelon!

First place winner Max and his brothers hold up the contest prizes

And if you were at the market for the watermelon festival, you may now be a star on the market website! Click here and check out the photos of market day fun in our photo gallery. Lots of photos snapped, lots of smiling faces. Proof that when all was said and done, it was a great day at the Franklin Farmers Market for everyone!

Evie, a student at the Growing Kids Garden

A juicy watermelon makes everyone smile!

The Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival is proudly sponsored by the Williamson Herald and Southern Exposure Magazine

Picking out the perfect watermelon

Slicing watermelon to munch at the market

Juicy, slurping fun at the watermelon eating contest

Watermelon Festival Fun at the Franklin Farmers Market

August 20, 2013

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ffm

Big sweet juicy fun. That pretty much sums up the Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival. We’re celebrating summer with the watermelon, one of the season’s favorite treats. Whether it’s the watermelon seed-spitting contest, fun games or the fastest watermelon eating contest, there’s something for everyone.

Pure Watermelon Joy!

A Sweet & Juicy Day at the Market

There are sweet watermelon slices to enjoy as you walk around the market. The kids will love the Watermelon Bean Bag Toss and the free face painting at the festival. And if you’re ready to prove your watermelon seed spitting skills, get ready for the competition! Last year’s seed spitters broke records! Winners of the seed spitting contest go home with yummy watermelons. The number of competitors is limited though, so download the registration form now and get all the details.

How Fast Can You Eat a Slice of Watermelon?

Or maybe you’re up for the fastest watermelon eating contest. Can you do it with your hands behind your back? Prove it and enter the contest. Again, the number of contestants is limited, so download your registration form now. The winner of the watermelon eating contest goes home with a delicious market goody basket. And of course, your favorite farmers will be at the market too with all of the fresh food you love.

Wild Watermelon Carvings at the Festival

Presented by our friends at the Williamson Herald and Southern Exposure Magazine, the Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival takes place this Saturday, August 24^th from 8am – 1pm. It’s juicy, sweet seed spitting fun – don’t miss it! Be sure to check back for all the fun Pictures that will be posted in the FFM website Photo Gallery.

Registration forms:

Sweet Watermelon Slices from our Tennessee Farmers

Large Crop of Tennessee Melons Now at the Franklin Farmers Market

August 19, 2013

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Farm Fresh Cumbers and Tomatoes from See Sun Vu Farm

It’s been a strange summer. Here we are in August, which is typically a dry and very hot month. But we’ve had plenty of rain and lows in the 50’s. Weird weather indeed, but on the flip side, it’s been good for the veggies. Right now, the Franklin Farmers Market is loaded with lots of great vegetables. You should have seen the pile of peppers at the Gardner’s Grove booth!

Multi-Colored Peppers from Gardener Grove Farm

Over 30 different varieties of Tomatoes

Beautiful Egg Plant coming in for 2013 from See Sun Vu Farm

A Great Summer for Cantaloupe from Kirkview Farm

This Mom teaching her son about Delvin Farms CSA fresh veggies

This year Watermelons are HUGE from Tim of Colbert Farm

And tomatoes were everywhere. Mr. Cecil’s tomatoes were hot items this past Saturday, along with green beans from the Colbert Farm and corn from the King Family Farm. Chicken for the grill was the big thing from River Cottage Farm. The Delvin Farm had cantaloupes that were huge (and sweet!) and of course, several of the farms had delicious watermelons.

So Very Fresh Green Beans from Kirkview Farm

Beautiful Potatoes and Melons from Colbert Farm

Fried Green Tomatoes anyone from Bloomsbury Farm

Beautiful Apples from Kirkview Farm

Wonderful Plums and Peaches from Kirkview Farm

Watermelon Festival is Next Weekend!

Speaking of watermelons, the market’s big Watermelon Festival is coming up this Saturday (August 24^th) and it’s a big juicy day of fun for everyone. Besides delicious slices of watermelon to munch on, there are games and face painting for the kids, weird watermelon carvings and the two contests you don’t want to miss – the watermelon seed spitting challenge and the fastest watermelon eating competition.

The excitement is building, as you can see in this short youtube video from one of the potential competitors in the watermelon eating contest:

The seed spitting contest takes place at 10am, while the watermelon eating contest is at 11:30. If you’re up to the challenge, come by the market’s info booth Saturday morning to register. Don’t miss the Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival, presented by the Williamson Herald and Southern Exposure Magazine!

Fresh Goat Cheese to Sample from Noble Springs Dairy Farm

Lots of Tomatoes from Rocky Glade Farm

Golden Melons from Beaverdam Creek Farm

Truck loads of Sweet Corn selling out fast from the King Family Farm

Fresh made mini Quiche from Jones Mill Farm

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

August brings Farm Fresh Produce to Franklin Farmers Market

August 5, 2013

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Ha! The forecast was for a 30% chance of afternoon rain, but apparently nobody told Mother Nature. It was a cloudy day, with off and on rain. But that did not stop anyone from coming to Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday. After all, it is the tip-top of the summer season, when just about any produce you could possibly want is ripe and ready.

Farm Sweet Carrots from Norton Family Farm

Grapes from Rainbow Hill Farm

Fresh Salad Ingredients

Bell peppers and chili peppers; tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes and corn too.

Multi colored Peppers from Gardner Grove Farm

Silver Queen Sweet Corn

Beaverdam Creek Farm Tomatoes

Cantaloupes were the big star of the show at the market and fresh peaches were also snatched up in a hurry.

Delvin Farm Cantaloupes have arrived!

Fresh Peaches from Rainbow Hill Farm

Heirloom Tomatoes from Bloomsbury Farm

But while this is the high season for delicious summer produce and fruits, it’s almost the end of the road for some of the fresh veggies and fruits. Blueberry season is coming to an end and blackberries won’t be around much longer either, so if you are a big berry lover, head to the market this upcoming Saturday. And if you are not sure what to do with all of that delicious fresh food, check out the market’s first cookbook, “Eating In Season.” You’ll find lots of great recipes from the market’s farmers and customers. It’s become very popular and is moving fast, so get yours at the market soon!

Multi colored Peppers from Gardner Grove Farm

Farm Fresh from Jones Mill Farm

Ice Cold Chocolate Milk from Hatcher Family Dairy

Of course, the highlight of the day was the little junior farmers taking a field trip around the market. They were the students from the market’s Growing Kids Educational Garden in the Park at Harlinsdale Farm and they had a big time touring the market and talking to the farmers. The kids also made off with some great market goodies too, including corn from the King Family Farm, cucumbers from Zadock the Natural Farmer, peaches from Kirkview Farm and to top it off, chocolate milk from the Hatcher Dairy Farm.

And finally, mark your calendars for August 24^th. That’s the date for the Franklin Farmers Market’s popular Watermelon Festival, presented this year by our good friends at the Williamson Herald and Southern Exposure Magazine. It’s a big sweet seed-spittin’ day of fun for the whole family!

Farm Fresh from Pilgrims Produce

Potatoes from Sturbridge Farm

Fresh Basil from Colvin Family Farm

As always you can view pictures from this past Saturday’s market by clicking on “Photo’s” on the market website. Or just click here to see if you are in any of the pictures. https://franklinfarmersmarket.com/gallery/