The Franklin Farmers Market will host its 9th annual Franklin Strawberry Festival on Saturday, May 18^th beginning at 8am, hosted by market sponsor, Williamson Medical Center. Strawberries are short-lived and definitely something to celebrate, but this year our strawberry farmers are in need of your support. 

Strawberry Alert: For obvious reason, our farmers keep an eye on the weather. Weather plays a role in when they plant, when they need to protect fragile fruit plants from freezing temperatures and when to irrigate. This year too much rain has affected our middle TN strawberry farmers and many have lost all of their strawberry crops. Strawberries are susceptible to fast decay when they receive too much water, particularly in peak season. If you are lucky enough to find some local berries, it is best to eat them or preserve them quickly, as wet conditions cause the fragile fruit to breakdown immediately after harvest. 

As of Friday morning, 7:30 am May 17th, we will have no Strawberries for Shortcakes and extremely low quantities of Strawberries. Our Strawberry Festival will go on with many free activities and strawberry inspired foods and drink for fun and entertainment! Free kids activities will include face painting, a trampoline from market sponsor Springfree Trampoline, storytelling and games. In typical Tennessee tradition, live music will entertain market visitors on our patio where customers can enjoy the best food in middle TN from one of our food trucks who source produce and meats from our market farmers. Market Sponsor and leading Healthcare provider Williamson Medical Center will have a booth supporting this year’s Strawberry Festival.

We are grateful for Market Sponsor Williamson Medical Center for making this year’s Franklin Strawberry Festival possible! From left to right Paul Bolin, Chief Financial Officer; Nicole Volk, Director of Marketing and Business Development; Julie Miller, Chief Operating Officer; and Lori Orme, R.N. Chief Nursing Officer, F.A.C.H.E

Califarmia food truck will serve a special strawberry themed dessert on our patio. Karen’s famous shortcakes, a local favorite tradition from Norton Family farm, will once again be the popular dessert in the celebration. Karen Norton will be making homemade shortcakes for the occasion, topped with berries and served with whip cream made from Hatcher Dairy cream. Ellie’s Donuts will serve up their delicious strawberry donuts. Many vendors will have their own strawberry surprises for customers including fresh strawberry lemonade from Belle Springs Lemonade. Visit this link for a delicious Strawberry French Toast Recipe prepared by Chef Michael Martin of South Fork Catering. 

Click on the link above for this incredible Strawberry French Toast Recipe created by Chef Michael Martin of South Fork Catering

It’s a family affair at the Franklin Strawberry Festival with free children’s activities, homemade shortcakes by Norton Family Farms and Califarmia’s strawberry surprise. Come out to show your support to your favorite strawberry farmer! 

The Franklin Strawberry Festival isn’t all that is happening at the market. Festival attendees can enjoy all that our market has to offer- fresh, locally grown produce, locally made artisan goods and food trucks, Califarmia, Jay’s Chicago and others for breakfast and lunch. Admission to the festival and the market is free! The Franklin Farmers Market is located at the corner of Liberty Pike and Franklin Road, behind The Factory.

The Franklin Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 8am-1pm behind the Factory in Franklin, TN. The market is a 17 yr old producers only market with the largest assembly of local farmers providing fresh farm food all year long each Saturday morning. Find us at 230 Franklin Road behind the Factory. Visit us online at www.franklinfarmersmarket.com or follow us on Facebook, twitter and Instagram for the latest market news. 

What happens when you combine adorable goats with pajamas, you get Goats in Pajamas! Join us for a grand goat pajama party and we’re not “kidding!” Join us at the Franklin Farmers Market this Saturday, April 6^th from 9am-12pm for our first Goats in Pajamas event co-sponsored by Walker Chevrolet and the Williamson Farmers Co-Op.  Our farmer, Noble Springs Dairy, who make artisanal goat cheese and skin care products with their goat milk, will provide the baby goats. Don’t forget the cameras for fun photos of your kids with baby Goats in Pajamas and see the new 2019 Chevy Silverado! 

Adorable baby goats from Noble Springs Dairy make their debut in Pajamas at the Franklin Farmers Market

Noble Springs Dairy Farm raises three breeds of goats: Alpine, Saanen, and Toggenburg, which are all dairy breeds. Farmers Justyne and Dustin Noble will be on hand to answer questions about their farm and goats.  Guests young and old are invited to come out to the Franklin Farmers Market this Saturday, April 6^th to hug, pet and cuddle these cute goats and learn more about them from the farmer. 

One fact you might not know is that a baby goat is called a “kid.” When a herd of goats are having babies on the farm it is called “kidding season.” Kidding season is a busy time on a goat farm as many mother goats are having babies at the same time and might need assistance from the farmer. Noble Springs Dairy is wrapping up their kidding season and they have hundreds of baby goats bouncing everywhere on their farm! We hope that you will enjoy spending time with just a few of these bundles of joy at the Franklin Farmers Market very first Goats in Pajamas!

The Franklin Farmers Market is a year-round market held every Saturday from 9am-12pm November- April and 8am-1pm May-October behind the Factory in Franklin, TN. The market is a 16 yr old producers only market with the largest assembly of local farmers providing fresh farm food all year long each Saturday morning. Find us at 230 Franklin Road behind the Factory. Visit us online at www.franklinfarmersmarket.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest market news. 

A big special Thank You to new market sponsor WSM Radio for promoting our new Goats in Pajamas event this week on their Nashville Today Show.

The Franklin Farmers Market 4^th annual Pardoning of the Turkey was held on Saturday, November 17^th sponsored by Herban Market.  The star of the show, Danny the Turkey of Earth’s Advocates Research Farm, was not at all nervous about whether or not he would be pardoned.  Instead, he sat royally on his bale of hay as children and adults took the opportunity to pet and hug him.  Danny is a pro at being the center of attention and children gathered around him for a chance to pet their first turkey. Visit this link to see our Photo Gallery of the event. 

Danny the Turkey sits Proudly awaiting his fate for Thanksgiving 2018 as Kids present letters asking Danny be Pardoned

Second Graders from Liberty Elementary School wrote over 90 letters to the TN Department of Agriculture’s Assistant Commissioner Ed Harlan on Danny’s behalf and delivered them to the Commissioner asking him to pardon Danny for Thanksgiving. Assistant Commissioner Harlan delighted the crowd with turkey facts and stories. Being a farmer himself, Harlan gave insight into the farmers who provide us with delicious Thanksgiving foods.  The fun day was complete with many “selfies” taken with Danny the turkey.  It’s not everyday that one can say they took a picture with a Royal Palm Heritage breed turkey, but the customers of the Franklin Farmers Market can check off that one on their bucket list! 

Everyone’s happy after Ed Harlan, TN Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture Pardons Danny, even Chef Carlos of Herban Market is happy to find another Turkey for Thanksgiving

 The Franklin Farmers Market is open 52 weeks a year. Gone are the days of markets closing down in the winter months due to no produce. The farmers at the Franklin Farmers Market grow year-round thanks to crop row covers, hoop houses and green houses. The meat producers provide beef, pork, chicken, lamb, turkey and vegetable producers have leafy greens, winter squashes, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, lettuces and more.  It’s not hard to eat seasonally and locally right here in our hometown! This Thanksgiving we are grateful for the farmers who provide us with healthy, locally grown food to nourish our bodies and we are thankful to live in such a wonderful community of Franklin, TN. 

The Franklin Farmers Market is open year round with winter hours of 9am-12pm  November-March and 8am-1pm April-October The market is located at 230 Franklin Road behind the Factory. 

We are grateful for Derby and Cassie Jones, owners of the Williamson Herald and Southern Exposure Magazine for their excellent coverage of our Community Farmers Market!

The Franklin Farmers Market 4th annual Pardoning of the Turkey is Saturday, November 17^th at 10am sponsored by Herban Market. This fun, family oriented event is centered on our market turkey, Danny, of Earth’s Advocates Research Farm. Children will be delighted to meet and pet the Royal Palm Heritage breed turkey that will be pardoned by the TN Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture, Ed Harlan.

Children are invited to download this coloring sheet and write a letter to the Commissioner of Agriculture asking him to grant amnesty to Danny for Thanksgiving.  Deliver your letter by 9:45am to the market information tent for a chance to win a farmers market prize! There will also be a coloring tent set up for children visiting the market who want to color and write a letter on Danny’s behalf.

The November farmers market is full of beautiful produce you may not know is still in season, just in time for Thanksgiving! November 17^th is the perfect time to buy your sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, radishes, turnips, pumpkins, winter squashes and more! Some farmers will still have cherry tomatoes available to go with the lettuce! Bring your children to the market as we give thanks to the farmers and teach them where our food is grown and enjoy our wonderful celebration of Pardoning of the Turkey! 

Matt, Ashlea and Ayla of Market Sponsor Herban Market with Danny the Turkey

The Franklin Farmers Market is open year round with winter hours of 9am-12pm. The market is located at 230 Franklin Road behind the Factory. 

The Franklin Farmers Market hosted its annual Franklin Watermelon Festival on Saturday, August 18th presented by Market sponsor, AlphaGraphics of Franklin. The annual festival grows larger every year, and this year the Franklin Farmers Market had large crowds to celebrate the most popular fruit of summer. Fun events included free face painting for kids, watermelon eating contest and games for the whole family. Visit this link to our website photo gallery for all pictures of the Watermelon Festival. 

One of the most popular contests of the day is the watermelon-eating contest. Adults and kids get their own contest and eagerly participate for bragging rights on who can eat a piece of watermelon the fastest (with hands behind their back, of course).

The winners of the 2018 Kids Watermelon Eating Contest are:
1st Place- Shamarion Cooksey
2nd Tristan Brown
3rd Place Rylee Poplin

Last year’s first place winner in the adult contest returned this year to defend his title and he won again! Congratulations Timothy Malone!

The winners of the 2018 Adult Watermelon Eating Contest are:
1st Place- Timothy Malone
2nd Place-Smarnunt
3rd Place- Jessica Edwards

To help us celebrate the watermelon even more, the Leiper’s Fork Carving Club carved beautiful and unique creations from watermelons in a matter of minutes! It was truly amazing to see what they could do with an ordinary watermelon and customers enjoyed learning more about their artwork.

The Franklin Farmers Market vendors and local farmers joined in the fun celebration in their own way. Padrino’s Pops quickly sold out of their famous watermelon pops, and Belle Springs Lemonade wowed the crowd with their handmade watermelon lemonade with melons sourced from the farmers. By 11am Delvin Farms had given away 300 watermelon samples along with market Chef Michael Martin of South Fork Catering who gave hundreds of free watermelon samples to the many customers who attended the festival. The Franklin Watermelon Festival ends the summer with a bang!

The Franklin Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 8am-1pm behind the Factory in Franklin, TN. The market is a 16yr old producers only market with the largest assembly of local farmers providing fresh farm food all year long each Saturday morning. Find us at 230 Franklin Road behind the Factory. Visit us online at www.franklinfarmersmarket.com or follow us on facebook, twitter and instagram for the latest market news. Visit this link to our website photo gallery for all photos of this years 2018 Franklin Watermelon Festival.

The Leipers Fork Carving Club with Kaleb Bright of presenting sponsor AlphaGraphics of Franklin

The Franklin Farmers Market will host its annual Franklin Watermelon Festival on Saturday, August 18^th from 8am-1pm. New market sponsor AlphaGraphics of Franklin is hosting what is sure to be the highlight of your weekend as we celebrate summer’s favorite treat.  At the Franklin Watermelon Festival, our local farmers will have the best of their watermelon crops ready for tasting, and customers will have their chance to win the watermelon eating contest. 

Our produce farmers have carefully tended the watermelons in the field in preparation of this annual event and they tell us that this year is a record year for delicious watermelons. Colbert Farms, Delvin Farms and Kirkview Farm will have watermelons ripe and ready for tasting, carving and more. 

Fun events include a watermelon eating contest beginning at 9:30am for kids and 10:30 for adults. There will also be a kids activity area with face painting, Magda the Story Spider telling watermelon stories and games for fun for the whole family. For a special treat, the Leiper’s Fork carving club will be carving beautiful creations from watermelons. Come out to see the amazing artwork and marvel at the unique designs. 

Last years 2017 Kids Watermelon Eating Contest Winners

Our vendors and local farmers are joining in the fun celebration in their own way. Padrino’s Pops will have watermelon pops, Belle Springs will have watermelon lemonade and Danny’s Donuts will have a special red donut that is sure to be superb. Join us from 8-1pm Saturday August 18th for a fun celebration to see what other vendors have prepared for the Watermelon Festival. 

The Franklin Watermelon Festival is more than just celebrating the best of summer. It is a fun, family friendly event celebrating all that is good about our community farmers market, from wonderful market sponsors such as Alpha Graphics to our loyal customers who support our farmers every week, rain or shine.  

The Franklin Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 8am-1pm behind the Factory in Franklin, TN. The market is a 16 yr old producers only market with the largest assembly of local farmers providing fresh farm food all year long each Saturday morning. Find us at 230 Franklin Road behind the Factory. Visit us online at www.franklinfarmersmarket.com or follow us on facebook, twitter and instagram for the latest market news

The Franklin Farmers Market held its 8th annual Tomato Festival on Saturday, July 14^th amid a vibrant crowd. Children were entertained with two bouncy houses, kids games, Magda the Storyspider and face painting. But our local farmers weren’t interested in face painting; they were ready to compete in what has become the bragging right for the year- the best tasting tomato! Visit this link for all the photos of the Tomato Festival. 

Market customers cast ballots and chose the best tasting tomato in a blind taste test of samples from each farmer. With over eleven farms at the market with homegrown tomatoes, from heirloom to standard, slicing and cherry tomatoes, it was hard for customers to choose just one! 

The contest was divided into two categories: Heirloom Tomatoes and Standard Tomatoes.  The term heirloom is given to the variety of tomato seed that is fifty or more years old. Some heirloom varieties are as much as $1 per seed! The term standard is given to hybrid varieties of tomatoes, grown for their commercially attractive characteristics. Heirloom tomatoes can’t be found in a typical grocery store because they do not ship well. They typically have softer skin and are best eaten within a day of harvest. Whether you like heirloom or standard tomatoes for your BLT’s and salads, you won’t find another market in the middle TN area with the largest selection of homegrown tomatoes. At the Franklin Farmers Market you can try a new variety that can’t be found in a box store and talk with the farmer who grew it. 

After hundreds of ballots were cast by our market customers, the decision was made  and our winners are: 

Best Tasting Heirloom Tomato Winners:

1^st Place- Beaverdam Creek Farm

2^nd Place- Bloomsbury Farm

3^rd Place-Colbert Farm

1st Place Best Tasting Heirloom Tomato winners Trish & Phillip Lingo of Beaverdam Creek Farm

Best Tasting Standard Tomato Winners:  

1^st Place- Colbert Farm

2^nd Place- Norton Family Farm

3^rd Place- Delvin Farms

1st Place Winners Lindsey and Tim Colbert of Colbert Farm for Best Tasting Standard Tomato of the Franklin Tomato Festival

The decision was announced with much enthusiasm as market staff presented each winning farm with a ribbon and certificate. Another year of bragging rights for our farmers is in the books. 

Festival attendees enjoyed all that our market has to offer- fresh, locally grown produce, locally made artisan goods and four local food trucks for breakfast and lunch. Admission to the festival and the market as always was free.

The Franklin Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 8am-1pm behind the Factory in Franklin, TN. The market is a 16 yr old producers only market with the largest assembly of local farmers providing fresh farm food all year long each Saturday morning. Find us at 230 Franklin Road behind the Factory. Visit us online at www.franklinfarmersmarket.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest market news. Visit this link to view all the photos of the Tomato Festival. 

The Franklin Farmers Market will host its 8th annual Tomato Festival on Saturday, July 14 beginning at 8am. Farmers will vie for the best tasting tomato in the popular taste test judged by you, the customer! Children will have many free activities for fun and entertainment. 

Last years 1st Place winner Colbert Farm voted by you the customer

Customers will be in for a real treat with free tomato tasting from our local farmers.  No one will want to miss the tomato-tasting contest with 14 participating farms in the categories of Heirloom or Standard tomatoes.  This year our contest will be a blind taste test judged by the customers attending the market between the hours of 8:00am-11:00am. Winners of the contest will be announced at 11:30am. 

Taste all the different varieties of Tennessee grown Tomatoes and vote the Best Tasting Tomato of 2018! Which Farm will win this year?

“The farmers market summer season is in full swing now that the “queen” of the farm has made her way to the market. Everyone waits for the perfect homegrown tomato and that wait is finally over! We are honored to have the largest selection of farmers in middle TN in one location, and proud to be a producers only market. You won’t find a better tasting homegrown tomato than right here in Franklin, grown by the farmers who are here,” says Franklin Farmers Market Director, Amy Tavalin. 

The most flavorful tomatoes are locally farm grown

It’s a family affair at the Franklin Tomato Festival with free children’s activities that include a bouncy house, tomato storytelling by Magda the Story Spider, free face painting, a balloon artist and kids games. Everyone will enjoy free tomato tastings of locally grown tomatoes from our farmers picked less than 48 hours before the event. You can’t find a better, homegrown event than the Franklin Tomato Festival! 

Festival attendees can enjoy all that our market has to offer- fresh, locally grown produce, locally made artisan goods and local food trucks for breakfast and lunch. Admission to the festival and the market is free.

The Franklin Farmers Market is held every Saturday from 8am-1pm behind the Factory in Franklin, TN. The market is a 16-year-old producers only market with the largest assembly of local farmers providing fresh farm food all year long each Saturday morning. Find us at 230 Franklin Road behind the Factory. Visit us online at www.franklinfarmersmarket.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest market news.