Tag Archives: cantaloupes

Large Crop of Tennessee Melons Now at the Franklin Farmers Market

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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!

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Multi-Colored Peppers from Gardener Grove Farm

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Over 30 different varieties of Tomatoes

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

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A Great Summer for Cantaloupe from Kirkview Farm

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This Mom teaching her son about  Delvin Farms CSA fresh veggies

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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.

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So Very Fresh Green Beans from Kirkview Farm

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Beautiful Potatoes and Melons from Colbert Farm

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Fried Green Tomatoes anyone from Bloomsbury Farm

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Beautiful Apples from Kirkview Farm

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Wonderful Plums and Peaches from Kirkview Farm

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Watermelon Festival is Next Weekend!

Speaking of watermelons, the market’s big Watermelon Festival is coming up this Saturday (August 24th) 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!

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Fresh Goat Cheese to Sample from Noble Springs Dairy Farm

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Lots of Tomatoes from Rocky Glade Farm

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Golden Melons from Beaverdam Creek Farm

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

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Fresh made mini Quiche from Jones Mill Farm

August brings Farm Fresh Produce to Franklin Farmers Market

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.

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Farm Sweet Carrots from Norton Family Farm

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Grapes from Rainbow Hill Farm

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Fresh Salad Ingredients

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

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Multi colored Peppers from Gardner Grove Farm

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Silver Queen Sweet Corn

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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.

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Delvin Farm Cantaloupes have arrived!

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Fresh Peaches from Rainbow Hill Farm

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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!

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Multi colored Peppers from Gardner Grove Farm

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Farm Fresh from Jones Mill Farm

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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 24th. 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!

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Farm Fresh from Pilgrims Produce

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Potatoes from Sturbridge Farm

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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/

Summer Fruits and Vegetables now in Full Supply

Hazy, hot and humid…. Those three words are the best way to describe the month of July. But there’s a payoff for putting up with the muggy weather, because it’s a great time to be at the Franklin Farmers Market. July is the high season for summer vegetables and fruits.

Evan Produce

Evans Produce

TN Farmers Market

Bloomsbury Farm

Kirkview Farm Watermelons

Kirkview Farm Watermelons

This past Saturday, hot weather favorites such as sweet corn were plentiful and more farmers had watermelons ripe and ready at the market. Plus delicious, sweet and juicy cantaloupes could be found too. You could practically get a natural sugar rush because of all of the delicious fruits, like peaches, blueberries and blackberries from our Tennessee farms.

Sliver Queen Corn

Fresh picked Sliver Queen Corn

Cantaloupes

Fresh Cantaloupes

Beaverdam Creek Farm

Beaverdam Creek Farm delivers first farm fresh corn for 2013

Blue Honey Farms fresh blueberries and syrup

Kirkview Peaches

Kirkview Farm Peaches

People were snatching up bags of peaches from Kirkview Farm.  They are great peaches, but do you know how to make them even better? Put them in a paper bag, fold down the top of the bag and just let it sit on the counter for a day or so. That helps the peaches to fully ripen and become the juicy sweet treat we all love.

Steamy hot July days make it tough to be outside, but people at the farmers market found delicious ways to cool down, like drinking cold limeade from Miss Lucy’s Kitchen and eating the sweet ice cold gelato from Hatcher Family Dairy.

Fresh Cucumber

Future vegetarian?

Ellie's Doughnuts

Ellie’s Doughnuts

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Ice Cold Limeade from Lucy’s Kitchen

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Hatcher Gelato from Hatcher Family Dairy cows…So creamy and wonderful!

So visiting the Franklin Farmers Market in July is actually a good thing. Maybe we should change those three words describing July from hot, hazy and humid to sweet, delicious and yummy!

Market Flowers

Market Flowers

Farm Fresh Peppers

Farm Fresh Peppers

Franklin Farmers Market

Farm fresh veggies, jams and preserves

Bloomsbury Farm

Bloomsbury Farm fresh vegetables and herbs

Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

Franklin TN

Another busy Saturday at the Franklin Farmers Market…come visit!

Hatcher Dairy Farm on NBC Today Show with Al Roker!

Did you get to see the Hatcher Family on the NBC Today Show yesterday morning? If you missed Al Roker of the Today Show broadcasting from the Hatcher Family Dairy Farm in College Grove, Tennessee, here are a few links to coverage of the show broadcast from the Hatcher Family Dairy.  What great weather for a special NBC Today Show segment with Al Roker direct from the Hatcher Family Farm!

Charlie Hatcher told me last week how excited they were that Sharon had entered a contest called “Wake Up With Al” 2 weeks ago.  After entering Hatcher Family Dairy online into the “Wake Up With Al” contest Sharon Hatcher received a phone call within a few hours asking them to be available for an interview.  From there, Charlie says it all happened so fast.  Congrats to the Hatcher Family on representing Middle Tennessee and Tennessee Farmers so well!  We are all so proud to have Hatcher Family Dairy as part of the Franklin Farmers Market!

Real Farmers!   Real Food!   Real Good!

Video of The Today Show broadcast


Watch it at Today.com

Charlie Hatcher Shares the Experience

Related Links

If you find any more footage from the Today Show segment “Wake Up With Al”, please email us and we will add it here.