Never mind what the temperature was for this years Watermelon Festival. This past Saturday, it was a chilly day at the Franklin Farmers Market, thanks to icy-cold watermelons and frosty Melon Mania drinks. It was all a part of the FFM’s big Watermelon Festival 2014 presented by Whole Foods Market.

Deb ringing in the start of Watermelon Festival 2014

Ice Cold watermelons ready to be sliced

Whole Foods Michael Marting and FFM volunteers

Fast eating makes for plump cheeks!

Lots of ice old watermelon slices

Watermelon drinks and slices a big favorite of the day

From the seed-spitting contest to the fastest watermelon eating competition, it was a great day of fun. There were sweet watermelons everywhere to enjoy on the spot or take home to enjoy later.

Kits spitting watermelon seeds

Chomp, Chomp, Chomp go the watermelons

1st place finisher watermelon eating

A cold slice on a hot day

2nd place finisher watermelon eating

Watermelon eating contest participants were a very happy group

Coloring a watermelon at the Kids Zone

Watermelon salad tasting recipe cookbook volunteers

Star of the day “The Watermelon”

The Leipers Fork Carvers did a beautiful job showing their carving skills with market watermelons

Chef Michael Martin of Whole Foods showing his chef carving skills

We’ve celebrated some summer favorites, like the watermelon, tomatoes and strawberries, and there’s always deliciously fresh farm food at the market. But what else is going on this year? Here’s a hint – Scarecrows, turnip greens and cornbread. What does that mean? Find out with a look at our new Events page.

Finally, you know with seed-spitting and hands-behind-the-back watermelon munching, there’s got to be some great photos from the market’s Watermelon Festival. Visit the FFM’s photo gallery to see for yourself!

A young market customer taking in the watermelon carvings

So much fun…Another fun day at the FFM

Fresh picked tomatoes from Evans Produce

Ah, typical August weather – hot and muggy for our Saturday morning farmers market. But that didn’t keep it from being a great day at the Franklin Farmers Market this past Saturday. Everything you could possibly want to eat was at the market.

Tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches, green beans, squash, okra apples, jams, breads, pies, cookies, milk, butter, muffins, lettuces, potatoes, meat for the grill – you get the picture. All good fresh stuff to eat that made a little hot weather not such a big deal.

Sweet peaches from Kirkview Farm

Farm green beans and heirloom tomatoes from Beaverdam Creek Farm

Okra from Beaverdam Creek Farm

Sweet baby and full size bell peppers from Allenbrooke Farm

Blackberry Chambord Sauce and Red & Green Relish

Local farm herbs from Bloomsbury Farm

And did you get a sample of the good food they had at the market’s cookbook booth? It was a cold tossed Salad in a balsamic dressing with field peas and other fresh veggies from the market. The recipe for it is in the FFM’s “Eating in Season” cookbook. The cookbook is broken into three sections, featuring recipes for fall/winter produce, spring produce and summer produce. It’s a great gift for your favorite chef and at just $15 (plus tax), it’s a great bargain too! Look for the FFM’s cookbook booth every Saturday at the market.

Market Recipe Cookbook

Learning to snap field peas

FFM volunteers greet customers each Saturday with samples from our market recipe cook book using same day fresh veggies from our farmers

Some of our future Tennessee farmers from our Growing Kids Educational Garden visiting on “Ask the Farmer a Question” day.

You might have noticed a bunch of little farmers roaming the market this past Saturday too. It was field trip day to the FFM for the children of our Growing Kids Educational Garden program. The program gives kids hands-on lessons about the good health values of fresh food along with a greater understanding of where food comes from. From the worm “hotel” to the “poop pot” class, the kids get the chance to learn a lot about gardening and the environment. The kids went around the market to talk to the farmers, ask questions about the farms and pick out a nice bunch of fresh food to take home.

Take a look at what was going on at the FFM this past Saturday. Click here and visit the market’s photo gallery!

This week is National Farmers Market week, a time recognize how important farmers markets truly are. When the Franklin Farmers Market was created, we had three goals in mind – to help local family farms be productive and profitable by providing a reliable venue for farmers to sell what they grow or produce; to give everyone easy access to fresh, healthy food straight from Tennessee farms and to educate people about the positive impact that farms have on the local economy, communities and the environment. When the Franklin Farmers Market began, we had only 8 farmers. Now over 70 farms have participated in the market with a diverse selection of food at its freshest and most flavorful. Every day, a farmer puts food on the table for you. With no farms, there’s no food. Your support has made the FFM one of the biggest farmers markets in the region. But more importantly, you are helping to keep our farms green and growing. Thank you for supporting the Franklin Farmers Market and the farms of Tennessee.

Visit our farmers and come buy a tomato from a local Tennessee farmer this Saturday with over 30 different varieties to choose from.

When everything is ripe and ready, from green beans, corn and tomatoes to melons and purple hull peas, it’s called the peak summer season for local farm produce. And that’s what it is right now at the Franklin Farmers Market.

Purple hull peas from Kirkview Farm

Delvin Farms organically grown okra

This past Saturday at the market it was a foodie’s paradise. Peppers of all sizes and colors; potatoes, onions, squash, cucumbers – you name it, we’ve got all your local farm produce now at the market.

Sweet cantaloupe from Delvin Farms

Sugar baby watermelon from Delvin Farms

With all of that good fresh food at the FFM, it’s appropriate that this week, August 3rd – 9th is National Farmers Market Week, celebrating the 8,100-plus farmers markets across the USA. We’re proud of our farmers at the FFM. They work hard to provide you with the best in fresh local farm produce year-round. And we’re proud of you too, because by shopping at the Franklin Farmers Market, you keep Tennessee farms green and growing.

Find out more about the farmers at the market with a look at the FFM Farmer profiles. You can get details on your favorite farms, see great photos and even watch videos about the farms.

And as always, there were some great photos taken at the market this past Saturday. Did we snap one of you? Find out with a visit to the Franklin Farmers Market photo gallery!

Tomatoes were everywhere you looked – there’s no way you could have missed them. There were tomatoes all over the market this past Saturday during TomatoFest. Whether they were red, striped, green, yellow, orange or purple, it was tomato heaven.

Market customers came early for this years Tomato Festival 2014

CSA customers could not resist red juicy sweet tomatoes at Allenbrooke Farm

Over 30 different tomato varieties to choose from now at the Franklin Farmers Market

Beautiful and just picked from Colbert Farm

From tasting the many samples of heirloom and traditional favorite tomatoes to enjoying fresh gazpacho and tomato jam prepared on the spot by our friends at Amerigo Italian Restaurant, TomatoFest 2014 was a big, juicy, delicious kind of a day.

Amerigo Italian Restaurant Chefs Paul and Stephen used their culinary skills for great tasking tomato treats

The sweet smell of Amerigo Italian Restaurant Chefs preparing a culinary delight

There’s no doubt that all of the tomatoes were delicious, but which ones were the absolute best to eat? We let a panel of judges decide that for us.

Tomato Festival Judges had the best job of tasting all tomato tasting contest entries

Market volunteers helped make the day a total success

Tomato Festival Judge Derby Jones of Williamson Herald loving some tomato tasting

Tomato Judges Nancy Williams looking on as Kari Jarrell enjoys tasting an Heirloom Tomato

And when it was all done, the judges picked the following farms as having the best ones: The Top Tomato in the heirloom category was grown by Sturbridge Farm. The second place heirloom tomato came from the Colbert Farm, while third place was won by Beaverdam Creek Farm.

Market customers enjoyed tasting Heirloom Tomatoes to determine which they liked best

1st Place Best Tasting Heirloom Tomato went to Sturbridge Farm

2nd Place Best Tasting Heirloom Tomato winner Colbert Farm

3rd Place Best Tasting Heirloom Tomato winner Beaverdam Creek Farm

But apparently, the Top Tomato contest was just a little bit harder in the standard tomato category. First place went to the Colvin Family Farm, but second place was a tie between Blooming Baskets and Allenbrooke Farm.

1st Place Best Tasting Hybrid Tomato winner Colvin Family Farm

Big and juicy sweet tomatoes from local Tennessee Farmers

2nd Place Best Tasting Hybrid Tomato winner (Tie) Blooming Baskets

2nd Place Best Tasting Hybrid Tomato winner (Tie) Allenbrooke Farms

The same thing happened with third place – it was a tie between Delvin Farms and Kirkview Farm!

3rd Place Best Tasting Hybrid Tomato Winner (Tie) Delvin Farms

3rd Place Best Tasting Hybrid Tomato winner (Tie) Kirkview Farm

All in all, TomatoFest was a great day and judging by the crowd at the market, we all agree on one thing – tomatoes rule!

The market paparazzi snapped a lot of great photos at TomatoFest. Did we get one of you? Find out now with a look at the Franklin Farmers Market photo gallery!

Many of you came out to pick up your Tennessee sweet corn, fresh tomatoes, okra, peppers, watermelon and much more from our farmers while the rain was pouring down last Saturday morning.

It’s that time of year again!

Heirloom Tomatoes from Evans Produce

Okra from Beaverdam Creek Farm

Colorful Baby Bells now in market

Beautiful Melons from Delvin Farms

Fresh picked green beans from Colbert Farm

Many of our market farmers now have a good supply of sweet corn each market Saturday. Fortunately, the rain cleared out early, the temperatures remained nice and it turned into a very good day to be at the market.

Sweet Silver Queen Corn

Sweet Peaches and Cream Corn

Organic Summer squash from Delvin Farms

Fresh picked Jalapeno’s from Kirkview Farm

CSA pick up from Delvin Farms

Green bell peppers from Kirkview Farm

Hand made barn wood signs from Tom the Furniture Guy

Chef Michael Martin from Whole Foods our featured Chef Saturday

Of course, handing out free samples of delicious meat didn’t hurt anything either. All you had to do was take a deep breath and follow the appetizing aroma to get a mouthwatering bite of pork, chicken and steak, prepared to perfection by Chef Michael Martin of Whole Foods.

Local Tennessee farm meats full of great tasting flavor

It was Chef Saturday at the FFM and this particular day featured pork from Bear Creek Farm, chicken from Peaceful Pastures and steaks from Beaverdam Creek Farm. One bite and you knew it was top quality meat from local farms. Everyone loved it – over 1000 samples were eaten and enjoyed! Get your taste buds ready and keep watching for another Chef Saturday to take place soon!

And next Saturday promises to be a great day at the market too especially for all of you tomato lovers as the 2nd annual TomatoFest takes place. It’s tomato heaven that gives you the opportunity to sample the many varieties of heirloom and standard tomatoes at the market. Chef Steven of Amerigo will be preparing tasty recipes featuring tomatoes and handling out samples for you to enjoy. Taste tomatoes harvested fresh and ripe by our farmers and learn more about growing heirloom tomatoes yourself with our seed saving demo by Zadock, The Natural Farmer. And for the kids, there’s free face painting and games to enjoy.

It’s all happening at TomatoFest, July 26th at the Franklin Farmers Market!

Heirloom Tomatoes from Bloomsbury Farm

Organically grown Cherry Tomatoes from Delvin Farms

Do you see yourself or friends from Saturday in the FFM Photo Gallery?