Have You Any Wool? Yes Sir, Yes Sir, Three Bags Full...

It’s an old nursery rhyme, but it holds true when it comes to Ember and Ruby. The two are Romney Sheep and they are right at home on the Peaceful Valley Farm in Lincoln County. It’s the farm of long-time market favorites Betty Roberts and Mike Layfield. This beautiful farm has over 100 acres of rolling hills, hayfields and a large spring. And it apparently suits Ember and Ruby just fine, which is evident with all of the beautiful wool they produce. The Romney fleece is unique among all breeds of sheep in the way it combines several important traits. The fleece is lustrous; it hangs in separate locks, with minimal cross fibers between the locks. It is also high yielding and easily spun. Romney wool can be used for many products, ranging from sweaters to outer wear to carpets and is especially attractive for those who practice the ancient art of hand-spinning. Betty takes the wool from Ember and Ruby and transforms it into a wide range of colors, perfect for craftwork and other projects. You can’t miss the “rainbow” of wool in the bins there at the Peaceful Valley Farm booth. The wool roving is also perfect for making felt, which in turn can be used in a variety of crafts. Betty and Mike have the felting kits needed to change wool into felt, along with the cute cat toys Betty has fashioned from the material.

Betty and Mike have been a part of the Franklin Farmers Market almost since the market began, with a variety of farm goods each summer. The peaches they bring every year from the nearby Scott’s Orchards are something their customers really look forward to. That’s because Betty and Mike take extra special care with the peaches, selecting and grading them so that only the best are brought to the market.

Make a point to stop by the Peaceful Valley Farm booth this Saturday and learn more about this beautiful farm...and Ember and Ruby too!

Three Meadows Farm: 100% Quality

It may be a small family farm, but when it comes to quality meat products, Three Meadows Farm is huge. Roy and Treina Blair's farm produces 100% grassfed Angus beef, pastured Tamworth pork, pastured poultry and pastured free-range eggs. The Blairs believe in using naturally healthy methods of raising the livestock on the farm, with no growth hormones, antibiotics or fertility drugs used on the animals. The eggs from Three Meadows Farm are from pastured free-range chickens, which basically means the hens can roam across the farm and eat good grass and seed along with an all natural NO soy feed. All of this adds up to 100% quality and taste for Three Meadows Farm customers. To learn more, stop by and visit with Roy & Treina this weekend at the market or click here to visit the farm's website.

Oreo Cows, Heirloom Vegetables & Much More

Belted Galloway cattle sounds impressive, but the curious color of these cows makes the Oreo nickname a better fit. You won’t find this breed of Scottish beef cattle at too many farms around here unless you head towards Columbia and the Armsdale Farm. Farms such as this one are few and far between. Bobby and Ruth McIver’s farm has been a part of the family for over 200 years. In 1807, a McIver ancestor got the farm as part of the General Nathaniel Greene land grant. With two strong streams of water and very fertile soil, the farm has been successful ever since. It was the first farm in Maury County to grow burley tobacco and the first one to raise mules in large numbers, which helped Columbia to gain the reputation as the Mule Capital of the World. Now, Bobbie and Ruth grow a variety of crops on the farm, including a number of heirloom vegetables, such as tomatoes and melons. Stop by and visit with them this weekend at the Franklin Farmers Market and find out more about Armsdale Farm and the delicious produce now grown there. And you might ask Bobby about his golf game too, since he worked as a golf professional for over 30 years. Oreo cows, heirloom vegetables and a very unique history. That is the Armsdale Farm of Columbia.

A Rare Site Indeed

With farmland disappearing into urban sprawl, finding a farm of just 20 or 30 acres is getting harder and harder. But a farm of almost 500 acres of certified organic land is just downright impossible. That is, unless you pay a visit to Orlinda Tennessee and the Windy Acres Farm. Specializing in heritage breeds of cattle, sheep and chicken, the farm offers the best in grass-fed meat. Some of the land on the farm is also in the process of transitioning to small grains crops for use by local bakeries. You can pay a visit to Windy Acres Farm. There's a store on the farm plus there's cooking & homesteading classes. And the farm is open for school field trips too.
Just like many other farms, Windy Acres is slowly being surround by urban development. But even with that, we expect the farm to be around for many years to come. That's because Windy Acres has been placed in the American Farmland Trust to ensure that the farm remains as a farm for as long as possible. Find out more about Windy Acres at the farm website and stop by their booth under the market shed Saturday morning.

An Artisanal Farm In Every Sense Of The Word