A Great Holiday Weekend Starts at the Market
It’s the last big holiday weekend of the summer. Labor Day weekend is made for grilling out with friends and families. Get the food you want at the market this Saturday. Pork, beef and chicken great for the grill. Heirloom and standard varieties of tomatoes. Green beans, new potatoes, onions, a variety of peppers, purple hull peas and speckled peas. Sweet corn on the cob is at the market now, along with cucumbers, patty pan squash, yellow summer squash and zucchini. Top it off with sweet juicy watermelons and cantaloupes. Don’t forget the fresh dairy and wonderful baked goods. And when you need good fresh food during the week, remember that the Tuesday Market is open from 3pm – 6:30pm!
Eggs & Salmonella For Breakfast?
In the past month, over 550 million eggs have been recalled because of an outbreak of salmonella. Why was this outbreak of the bacteria so big? Huge farms, commonly called “factory farms” provide the majority of food across the country. For example, an estimated 95% of eggs sold across the country comes from just 192 farms. That’s down from 2,500 farms that produced eggs in 1987. The contaminated eggs recently recalled came from two very large farms with thousands of caged hens. The close proximity of the hens, along with questionable sanitation methods allowed the salmonella bacteria to spread quickly.
Are eggs from farmers markets safer? While eggs from farmers markets are not foolproof, the
odds of getting salmonella are much lower. Industrial production of eggs creates greater opportunities for the spread of disease. Many small farmers do not cage their chickens and studies show that there is a significantly lower risk of salmonella infection with the eggs from cage-free or free-range chickens. A study published in the British scientific journal Veterinary Record showed that caged hens were infected with salmonella at a rate nearly ten times higher than hens raised in barns or free-range. Salmonella and other types of bacteria can reproduce rapidly. The longer eggs sit, the more opportunity there is for bacteria to grow. Eggs at a grocery can be up to a month old. As a rule, eggs purchased directly from farmers at a market are less than a week old.
At the Franklin Farmers Market, you can buy eggs from several different farms, including Gardner Grove, Windy Acres, Evans Family farm and West Wind Farms. And we encourage you to ask any farmer about the food they bring to market, including eggs. Good questions to ask about eggs include the number of hens that are on the farm; whether they are caged or free-range; when the eggs were produced and how they were collected and transported.
Know your farmer. Know your food.
Snap Away!
Artwork or Food?
We want to know what you see when you visit the market. Show us by entering the 1st annual Franklin Farmers Market Photo Contest. Bring your camera to the market and snap your best shots of the food, the farmers and all of the activity at the market. First prize is a $50 market gift certificate, market shopping bag and a beautiful watercolor of the marketplace by artist Tom Tjehornal. Second place wins a $25 market gift certificate and shopping bag, while 3rd place wins a $15 gift certificate and marketing shopping bag. Plus the photos of the winners will be featured in the market’s Farm Fresh newsletter. Because of the number of great entries (and because we’d like some fall photos of the market), the contest deadline has been extended to September 30th. There’s also a separate division for junior photographers age 12 – 14. For more details, click the Photo Contest section and start snapping away with the camera!
The Recipe for Sweet-Tooths
Market connoisseur Angela Roberts has the recipe this week that will satisfy your sweet-tooth. Try out her delicious Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Orange Basil Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s sure to please any chocolate lover! Click on our Favorite Recipes section to get a copy of Angela’s recipe. To find out more about Angela’s food travels and her yummy recipes, visit www.spinachtiger.com
Field of Greens Program Brings Hope
The Field of Greens Disaster Relief Program is working to help farmers who lost crops, buildings and equipment in the spring floods. The Nashville-based Community Food Advocates group has initiated the program for organic, sustainable and socially disadvantage Tennessee farmers. While initial money from the program is going to farms affected by the flood, the program will also act as a permanent source for farmers’ needs to rebuild and grow sustainable farms. Sales of the original “Bring Back the Music” t-shirt at the Franklin Farmers Market info booth and at Whole Food Markets benefit the Field of Greens program. For more information on the Field of Greens program, visit the Community Food Advocates website or call (615) 385-2286.
Just for the Kids!
The Beanstalks newsletter just keeps growing. Don’t let your kids miss out on this fun educational newsletter. They can learn more about farming; good food and the environment, plus special kidsevents at the Franklin Farmers Market. Sign up for the Beanstalks newsletter now!
Farm Fresh News for You
Keep up with what’s happening at the market. Sign up for the Farm Fresh newsletter, delivered to your email every Thursday.
Who Needs Plastic?
We don’t and neither do you. Forget the plastic bags. Get a Franklin Farmers Market shopping bag. Big, roomy and heavy-duty so you can load up with plenty of veggies, fruits, meats and more from the market. The bags are made from 100% cotton canvas and they’re priced right too, at just $5 per bag. Get your’s this Saturday at the our info booth near the front of the market shed.
Suggestions, Questions Or Comments?
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Tell us what you think about the Franklin Farmers Market or sign up for the Farm Fresh or Beanstalks newsletters. Just click the on the Market mailbox or the Contact Us button and talk to us!
Thanks to the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program for supporting the creation of our market website. Pick Tennessee Products!
