Tag Archives: Peppers

Peak Season for Local Farm Food

July 14, 2014

Hot market, but oh-so-cool local farm food. It’s the peak season for the best of summer veggies and that made it worth the while to brave the nasty heat last Saturday and come out to the market. The FFM looked like a foodie’s dream come true – tomatoes of all varieties, sweet corn on the cob, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, okra, blueberries, blackberries, carrots, green beans, peaches – you name it and it was there. The very best in fresh food straight from Tennessee farms.

Squash and tomatoes from Allenbrook Farm

New arrival of Tennessee Corn from Kirkview Farm

Farm Fresh produce from Colbert Farm

Fresh picked squash and zucchini from Sturbridge Farm

Beautiful Okra from Colbert Farm

Fresh picked Blueberries from Blue Honey Farm

Sweet peaches from Kirkview Farm

Bountiful CSA’s from Delvin Farms

Fresh farm produce from Beaverdam Creek Farm

Peas and lima’s from Kirkview Farm

Even though it was a hot, sweltering kind of day last Saturday, everyone seemed to be handling the heat with no problem. Lots of smiles and lots of people at the FFM, so naturally we had to take some photos. Did we catch you smiling? Take a look at the market’s big photo gallery and find out!

Loving a farm Sunflower

Found the perfect 2 tomatoes I like!

Hank resupplying organic potatoes

Karen’s wonderful tasting Tomato Pie from Norton Family Farm

Tomatoes large and small, red or yellow, heirloom or standard varieties – it really is tomato season at the market. We love tomatoes and the different recipes you can use them in, like the tomato pies that Norton Farm had this past Saturday. A ripe juicy tomato straight from the garden is the ultimate summer treat and that’s why we celebrate the tomato. July 26th, join in the fun at the Franklin Farmers Market TomatoFest. Our friends from Amerigo know a thing or two about tomatoes and they’ll be demonstrating the different ways to use tomatoes in delicious recipes. There will be heirloom tomatoes to sample, demos on seed saving and a fun kids’ area too. It’s all happening July 26th – TomatoFest at the FFM!

Juicy just picked red tomatoes from Colbert Farm

Watermelon Festival Brings Fun and Games for Kids!

August 26, 2013

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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

Farmers Bring Fresh Green Beans, Squash, Cucumbers, Blueberries, Peppers, Onions and More to Market

June 17, 2013

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You know it’s going to be a good day when you spy the first of the blueberries at the market. They were the early variety, tasty and juicy. Those blueberries didn’t last long though, but that’s okay.

Deb ringing in the Start of a wonderful Market Day

Lot’s of new visitors and vacationers enjoying the day

The market was full of delicious food last Saturday. Green beans and new potatoes, along with cauliflower, beets and other fresh produce were plentiful. A lot of good farm eggs were snapped up too, along with tender steaks for the grill. Yummy breads, desserts and honey…. It was a food paradise!

Fresh Flowers to Fresh Veggies at the market

Lucy’s Kitchen always has Breakfast Treats ready

First Cucumbers of Summer

Where’s my Olive Oil and Outdoor Grill?

Absolutely Beautiful Potatoes

The new Franklin Farmers Market Recipe Book has wonderful Recipes from our Famers!

We still have Strawberries…but not for long!

Ellie’s Fresh Made Old Fashion Donuts

But sometimes you can’t find the vegetable you really want at the market. A lot of questions were asked Saturday about when would tomatoes show up at market; why weren’t there any watermelons and where was the corn? Georgia and Alabama produce typically is ripe and ready about two weeks before it is in Tennessee. The further south a farm is, the quicker the garden grows. Plus this year, we had a wet and cool spring, so some produce is running a little later than usual. But you need to be familiar with the seasonality of produce and fruit grown in Tennessee. Tomatoes typically are not ripe and plentiful until July. It’s the same thing with corn and watermelons are at their best in July and August too. Next Saturday, stop by the Market Information booth and pick up a free copy of Local Table. It’s a great guide to food and farming in Middle Tennessee, and it also has a big seasonality chart so you can get a better idea of when your favorite veggies and fruits are ripe and at market.

Speaking of tomatoes, nothing says summer like a deliciously ripe tomato. And we’re not talking about those tomatoes that are shipped in from other states or countries. We crave real tomatoes; the locally grown tomatoes. So when those first Middle Tennessee tomatoes are ripe and ready, it’s time to celebrate. And we’re going to do just that with our salute to tomatoes. Don’t miss the Franklin Farmers Market’s TomatoFest, July 27^th. Fresh tomatoes are the stars of the show. Enjoy samples of delicious heirloom tomatoes. Watch cooking demos of Chef Steven from Amerigo. Learn seed-saving techniques and take part in the ugly tomato contest. It’s a tomato lover’s heaven… TomatoFest at the Franklin Farmers Market!

New Fresh Peppers

Lovely Green Onions

The clean smell of Lavender was in the Air