Get your last taste of summer this week at the Franklin Farmers Market. That’s right, the last summer market day is upon us, and we want to celebrate the changing of the season with you, our market shoppers. To ensure you optimize your last experience this week, we’ve made a quick and simple guide to get your last taste of summer flavors, fruits, and vegetables. Enjoy!

Freshly-picked pickling cucumbers from Colbert Farm are still available for snacking and canning,

Put Some Ice in That Coffee! Get your morning started right at the Franklin Farmers Market with a nice cup of joe–iced! Pretty soon, mornings will be too chilly to enjoy a cool morning pick-me-up, so opt for an iced coffee this Saturday—our vendors are happy to oblige! 8th and Roast brings a fresh “keg” of iced coffee on tap every morning to our market, so stop by their tent to grab one last iced coffee of the year.

Eighth and Roast supplies our market with iced coffee all summer long.

Blueberries All Year Long. Who says you can’t enjoy blueberries all year long?? At the Franklin Farmers Market, we enjoy these summer berries before, during, and even after their season ends by snagging a jar of blueberry preserves from one of our vendors. Grab a classic jar of preserves from Kelley’s Berry Farm for your hot buttered biscuits or one of many delicious concoctions such as Blueberry-Jalapeno Jam from Blue Honey Farms for your cream cheese and cracker plates.

Blue Honey Farms has many flavors of their tasty blueberry jam.

Have a Barbecue. Nothing feels more like summer than a backyard barbecue with friends and family, and the Franklin Farmers Market is the place to find all your locally-raised beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and bison. You can find every cut of meat, from filet mignon to rib-eye to whole chickens and lamb chops. So get the best quality cuts from your local farmers this Saturday at our farmers’ market.

Bear Creek Farm offers locally-raised all-natural hormone-free beef at our market.

Juice! Fresh-pressed, please. One way to get your last taste of summer fruits and vegetables is in a refreshing, fresh-pressed juice from one of our local juice vendors. Both Franklin Juice Company and Juice Nashville provide our shoppers with fresh flavor combinations that really capture the essence of summer. So grab a bottle or two while you can.

Franklin Juice Co. shows off their summer favorite watermelon juice.

Produce, produce, produce! Finally, the very best way to get your last taste of summer at the Franklin Farmers Market is to stock-up on all the amazing summer produce our local farmers are still bringing to market. Tomatoes, eggplant, squash, zucchini, okra and more are ripe and abundant for ratatouille, sautés, pasta dishes, and purees. So grab a stash of your favorite summer veggies and taste the flavors of summer while you still can.

Summer produce is still in abundance at the Franklin Farmers Market.

Find the first glimpses of fall this week at the Franklin Farmers Market. Our local farmers are still bringing truckloads of all of your favorite summer vegetables, but fall staples such as mini and heirloom pumpkins, fall squashes, mums, and more are beginning to trickle in, too. Tables covered in freshly-baked breads, biscuits, muffins, and more are available to take home as a sweat treat or enjoy at our market with a hot cup of hand-dripped coffee. And don’t forget to take home locally-raised beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and bison to toss on the grill as you watch the game. Shop fresh, seasonally, and locally and find the first glimpses of fall this week at the Franklin Farmers Market.

Mini heirloom pumpkins have arrived for autumnal displays.

Last week, our farmers were still bringing truckloads of everyone’s favorite summer vegetables. Evans produce featured beautiful heirloom tomatoes and eggplant, Beaverdam Creek Farm displayed a gorgeous array of sweet and hot peppers, Kirkview Farm’s okra is still going strong, along with butterbeans, field peas, and much more. This week, look for our market stalls to debut some fall favorites including acorn and butternut squashes, heirloom pumpkins, and new varieties of apples arriving fresh from the orchard.  Plus, get your autumnal home décor items, such as mini heirloom pumpkins and mums. It won’t be difficult to find the first glimpses of fall this week at the Franklin Farmers Market.

Summer favorites such as Delvin Farms’ amethyst-hued organic Japanese eggplant is still available at the Franklin Farmers Market

In addition to fresh produce, our market is featuring scores of freshly-baked breads and goodies for you to take home or enjoy with a hot cup of hand-poured 8th and Roast coffee.  Jones Mill Farm is featuring Orange-Zested Cookies with Orange-Liquor Glaze for all you UT football fans out there! Lucy’s hot biscuits and fresh muffins always make for a tasty market breakfast. Or, unwrap a decadent brownie or dessert bar from Norton Family Farms or Flying S Farm to enjoy with your coffee. So come hungry, stay and shop for your weekly groceries, and find the first glimpses of fall this week at the Franklin Farmers Market.

Gameday Orange-Zested Cookies with Orange-Liquor Glaze from Jones Mill Farm

We’ve reached the final week of watermelons at the Franklin Farmers Market, so be sure to make it out this Saturday to grab one more for the family before they’re all gone. Our farmers have been bringing truckloads of sun-soaked varieties to our market all season long, but this week will be the last week our shoppers will get to experience their sweetness. Snagging one last watermelon is the best way to savor the flavors of summer, so come to the Franklin Farmers Market for the final week of watermelons and take home one last juicy sweet summer treat.

A variety of melons from Evans Produce.

Last week, our farmers market celebrated our annual Watermelon Festival and our shoppers sure did have a great time. Our younger customers enjoyed both the Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest and the Watermelon Eating Contest, and the adults did, too! Our farmers passed out free slices to our crowd and sold pallets upon pallets of fresh summer melons. And we have you all to thank! Thank you so much for making the Franklin Farmers Market’s Watermelon Festival such a hit year after year.

Hank Delvin, Sr, of Delvin Farms sliced watermelon for our shoppers at the Watermelon Festival 2015.

This Saturday, we want to equip you with the best information needed to select a supreme melon, so take a look at our Guide to Choosing the Best Watermelon before you visit market this weekend. After you’ve made your final selection during the final week of watermelons, why not try your hand at one of our farmers market recipes like our Watermelon, Basil, and Feta Salad? If you like the peppery bite of arugula, try the Watermelon Salad with Arugula and Feta from our recipe blog. Watermelon adds juicy crunchiness to salsas, pickles, and is perfect whirled into a fresh juice.

Sweet watermelon can be used in a number of recipes such as salads, salsas, and juices.

Finally, if you’re simply meloned-out this weekend, don’t be discouraged! It may be the final week of watermelons at the Franklin Farmers Market, but it’s certainly not the final week of all your locally-grown favorites. Our farmers are still bringing loads of summer veggies to market such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, and zucchini. Look for more flavors of fall arriving such as baby greens and sweet potatoes, too.

A mixture of tomato and pepper varieties at the Bloomsbury Farm booth.

Improve your odds of scoring the sweetest melon this Saturday at the Franklin Farmers market by following our simple guide to choosing the best watermelon. Our crackerjack team of market experts has pulled together research, observations, and experience from farmers and other agricultural experts to ensure your selection is juicy, ripe, and sweet.  Watermelon season maybe waning at the Franklin Farmers Market this week, but there’s no reason to not be equipped with the most accurate information on how to choose the best.

Another satisfied market shopper showing off a supreme watermelon selection.

To thump or not to thump? Watermelon season at the Franklin Farmers Market can sound something like a drum circle with all the thumping, knocking, and rind-tapping our shoppers are doing to find the perfect one. But do all these percussive measures matter when it comes to choosing the best watermelon? It depends, experts say. A heavy watermelon filled with juice is certainly an indicator of ripeness, but since determining deep or hollow sounds can be difficult, go with the heaviness test, instead, and give that puppy a lift! A watermelon that is heavy for its size is a more effective way of determining whether you’ve got a juicy, ripe specimen or a less-than-stellar dud.

Our farmers know when to harvest watermelon at the appropriate time to ensure sweetness and ripeness.

The uglier the yellow-spot, the better. It’s true! The creamy-yellow “belly spot” or “field spot” on the underside is a great indicator of ripeness when it comes to choosing the best watermelon. This yellow blotch is caused from having direct contact with the soil as the watermelon ripened in the field. In other words, watermelons with gnarly yellow bellies were vine-ripened and not prematurely harvest, which is exactly what you’re looking for when determining a sweet melon over a bland one. FYI: A watermelon harvested at the appropriate time can be matured or ripened for a few days at room temperature, but if the watermelon was picked from the vine too early, it may never fully ripen.

A nice, ripe watermelon is symmetrical with dark green stripes.

Symmetry is Supreme. This is not only how humans determine beauty in faces, but how to determine a supreme melon over a shoddy one. When choosing the best watermelon, selections should be symmetrical and blunt on both ends, not pointy or misshapen. A pointed-end or irregularly shaped watermelon could be the result of poor pollination and may not have fully matured.  Tip: Also choose a melon with a smooth, dark green, dull rind.

Our farmers can help you make the right choice when selecting a deliciously sweet, ripe watermelon.

Farmers Know Best. Finally, ask your farmer! Our farmers are the agriculture experts at the Franklin Farmers Market and are pleased to answer any questions you may have. Plus, shopping at the Franklin Farmers Market takes a lot of the mystery out of choosing a ripe watermelon, since our farmers harvest watermelons at the appropriate time to ensure high-quality and ripeness. So come out to the market for the final week of watermelon season and taste the sweetness of summer one last time.

Come to the Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival this Saturday, August 29, 2015, and experience fresh food, fun activities, contests, and more for the entire family. The Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival is an annual event in celebration of a summer favorite where both adults and kids can engage in agriculturally-focused events like our popular Seed Spitting Contest, a Watermelon Eating Contest, and sample the freshest watermelon provided by our local farmers. And this year, the watermelons are particularly sweet, so you won’t want to miss this very special event.

Last week, many of our younger market customers stopped by the Information Booth to ask about entering the annual Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest. They were excited to learn that this year mom and dad will have their own seed spitting contest, too!  The kid’s seed spitting contest will begin at 10am and will be followed by the adult’s seed spitting contest at 10:30am. So get those chops ready to propel some watermelon seeds, folks!

Our young customers participating in the Seed Spitting Contest at the Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival 2014

Back by popular demand, the exciting Watermelon Eating Contest will commence at 11am at the picnic table area. We just love seeing the kiddos having fun with cheeks and faces filled with bright red watermelon. Don’t miss it!

Lots of red faces and grins at the popular Watermelon Eating Contest.

The Leiper’s Fork Carving Club will return to the market this year to carve watermelons from Colbert Farm and Delvin Farms. Carving Club members Joe Holt and Vic Hood will be under the market shed carving melons that will be on display through out the market for our customers to view.

Leiper’s Fork Carving Club at the Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival 2014

After you and the family peruse the watermelon carving table, take the little ones over to the White Rabbit Escapades tent for a fun Photo Booth Dress-Up activity where you and the kiddos can have some costume fun together.

Last but not least, volunteers of the Williamson County Medical Center will serve the “Eating in Season” Watermelon, Basil, and Feta Salad at the Franklin Farmers Market Watermelon Festival tasting booth. Williamson Medical center will also have a kid’s coloring tent for our younger customers to enjoy while mom and dad shop the market.

We’re experiencing a late-summer bounty of fresh produce at the Franklin Farmers market this week. Heirloom tomatoes in all sorts of vibrant hues, fresh peas, newly-dug potatoes, herbs, fragrant melons and more are filling the stalls this week at our market. Speaking of melons, we are enthusiastic to announce this year’s Watermelon Festival on Saturday, August 29, 2015, with tons of fun for the kids’ and opportunities to taste the sweetest watermelons grown by our local farmers. So get ready to celebrate the late-summer bounty of fresh produce this week at the Franklin Farmers Market.

Kirkview Farm’s field-fresh peas.

Though the month of August is coming to a close, we are still experiencing a late-summer bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables at our market. Our stalls are still filled with late-summer fruits such as Kirkview Farm’s plums, Rainbow Hill apples, peaches from Evans Produce, and not to mention all those glorious watermelons and cantaloupes lining our farmers’ market tables. These fruits are nutritious, fresh, and grown by your local farmers.

Crisp Apples from Rainbow Hill Farm.

The end of August is also bringing a late-summer bounty of fresh vegetables, such as swaths of glorious tomatoes in all shapes, colors, and sizes, eggplant that comes in heirloom and Japanese varieties, a kaleidoscope of bell peppers, and crisp sweet onions — everything needed for the perfect ratatouille. Our farmers also provide your family with both red and green late-summer okra for frying or grilling, speckled beans and peas picked fresh from the field, and newly-dug sweet, red, and white potatoes for a farm-fresh mash or breakfast-style home fries. And don’t forget the abundance of herbs to add flavor to all your culinary endeavors. This bounty of late-summer produce is sure to inspire many ideas for seasonal cooking. Come and get it while you can this week at the Franklin Farmers Market!

It’s that time of year again, and the Franklin Farmers Market is gearing-up to celebrate everyone’s favorite summer snack at this year’s Watermelon Festival 2015, sponsored by Williamson Medical Center. On August 29, 2015, come to experience fun for the entire family with kids’ activities, contests, competitions, watermelon salad samples, and more! So be sure to view the Watermelon Festival 2015 schedule below, because you and the kiddos will certainly want to carve-out some time to taste some juicy, sweet watermelons and to engage in agriculturally-focused family fun.

Ice cold watermelon slices at last year’s festival.

Our Watermelon Festival 2015 kicks off with the Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest for Kids at 10am, directly followed by the adult’s Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest at 10:30am. Afterwards, bring the entire family along with big appetites to the picnic table area for the Watermelon Eating Competition at 11am and compete to see who can eat a juicy slice of watermelon the fastest. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners for all contests and competitions will be awarded with a watermelon to take home, Watermelon Festival 2015 certificate, and ribbon.

Watermelon Festival 2015 Schedule

10am – Kid’s Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest

10:30am – Adult’s Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest

11am – Watermelon Eating Competition (located at the picnic table area)

Watermelon Eating Competition at the Franklin Farmers Market.

In addition to competitions for the family and activities for kids, be sure to check out the Leiper’s Fork Carving Club booth where these excellent carvers will be transforming giant watermelons into fun and exciting pieces of art. Then, take the little ones over to the White Rabbit Escapades tent for a fun Photo Booth Dress-Up activity where you and the kiddos can have some costume fun together.

During all of these fun events and activities for the Watermelon Festival 2015, what about tasting juicy, sweet watermelon?? Well don’t fret, because our market has got you covered! Visit the Williamson Medical Center tent to sample a juicy bite from the Franklin Farmers Market recipe Book “Eating in Season” — Watermelon, Basil, and Feta Salad — and taste how delicious watermelon can be in creative, savory recipes.

We’re looking forward to seeing you all this year at the Watermelon Festival 2015. Until then, stay cool, everybody!

This Saturday August 15, 2015, we’re mad about melons at the Franklin Farmers Market! Late summer is upon us and melons of all shapes, sizes, and varieties are at the peak of sweetness and arriving by the truckload. Our local farmers grow everything from watermelons, cantaloupes, and honeydews to more interesting selections like white-fleshed canary melons, Korean chamoe melons, and more. So don’t forget your extra-strong tote bag this Saturday, because you’ll certainly want to take home a couple sweet summer melons.

This time of year, melons are fragrant and ripe. They can be enjoyed right off the rind or in a number of dishes, both sweet and savory. We like to use them in fresh summer salads, such as our Watermelon Salad with Arugula and Feta. Their juicy sweetness is perfect to press for refreshing beverages and cocktails like a cantaloupe cooler blended with real gingerale and lime. In Spain, melons are paired with salty cured meats, and in Southeast Asia bitter melon is used to make soup. Melons are nutritious, versatile, and undeniably delicious — that’s why we are mad for melons at our farmers’ market!

Fresh cantaloupe from Paradise Produce.

But why stop at melons? Our farmers’ market has many local ingredients that can be paired with a juicy sweet melon. How about fresh mint? Or perhaps jalapenos? Maybe some red onion or salad greens? The Franklin Farmers Market has everything you need to get mad about melons at home with all your creative juices flowing.

And don’t forget!! The Franklin Farmers Market will hold its Watermelon Festival on August 29th — a fun family celebration for our most popular summer melon. Come find all your favorites — Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet, yellow/orange, and more. So see you and the family this Saturday at the Franklin Farmers Market as we get mad for crispy, juicy, sweet, summer melons!