This 4th of July, Vote!

Cast your ballot in the Love Your Farmers Market contest to vote for the Franklin Farmers Market. The markets with the most votes will win a little money to help out with improvements and your vote will also count in the effort to promote local food, family farms and sustainable agriculture. The contest is sponsored by Care2.com and LocalHarvest.org. Just click HERE to vote now!

Blueberries Now and Later

Sweet blueberries are becoming ripe and ready to eat. Those tasty fresh berries are in good supply though for two or three weeks. But what if you want those Tennessee blueberries in the middle of December? Freezing the berries is the easiest answer to that question.

As promised, over the next few weeks, we’ll give you tips and info on how to put up food and what method works best for different vegetables and fruits. This week it's blueberries. Freezing blueberries is quick and easy, allowing you to enjoy their fresh flavor for months to come. Just select full-flavored, ripe berries. Remove leaves and stems, along with any very small or defective berries.

To freeze them whole, do not rinse the blueberries. Rinsing the berries will result in a tougher skin. Pack berries into containers, leaving headspace (a half inch or inch between berries and container closure). Berries can also be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as they are frozen. Seal and freeze. Rinse off the berries before eating or using in recipes.

For crushed or puréed berries though, you do need to rinse the blueberries first. Crush, press berries through a fine sieve, or purée in a blender or food processor. Mix 1 to 1 1/8 cups of sugar with each quart (2 pounds) of crushed berries or purée. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pack into containers, leaving headspace. Seal and freeze.

For complete directions on how to get blueberries ready for your freezer, click here to visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation website. You'll get all the info needed to put up a variety of food. Putting up fresh food is a great way to eat healthier, better-tasting food year round. By freezing, canning or dehydrating, you can enjoy the best food from local farms from January through December.

Blueberry Salsa

It sounds funny, but the taste is out of this world. Sweet but tangy BlueBerry Salsa is wonderful as an appetizer or to use in main meals. The recipe for the salsa is in our Weekly Feature section. You'll also find other seasonal market recipes to enjoy each week.

Featured Farmer & Vendor of the Week

While each of the farms at the Franklin Farmers Market have only the best in fresh food, each one of our farms has a different story. This week, we're featuring the Windy Acres Farm in Orlinda. Almost 500 acres of certified organic land make up this picturesque farm, where heritage breeds of cattle, sheep and chicken are raised. This is the first year for Windy Acres Farm to be a part of the market, but we expect the farm to be around for many, many more years. Find out why by clicking the Profiles button and see for yourself what makes Windy Acres Farm special.

While at the market Saturday, stop and talk with Wayne and Robin Dahl about the special organic fertilizers they have at the market this year. AgGrand products are natural liquid fertilizers that are eco-friendly with proven results. Wayne and Robin use AgGrand at their home and can give you a first-hand account about this safe line of natural and organic liquid fertilizers, which includes liquid bonemeal, lime and kelp & sulfate potash. Say hello to Wayne & Robin and find out more on how AgGrand can help you have a beautiful garden at home.

Suggestions, Questions Or Comments?

Tell us what you think about the Franklin Farmers Market or sign up for the weekly Farm Fresh newsletter. Just click the on the Market mailbox or the Contact Us button and talk to us!

What's happening at the market this week? Find out. Sign up for our Email Newsletter.

2009
Franklin Farmers Market
Rules and Regulations

2009
Franklin Farmers Market
Booth Applications