Mrs. Murfreesboro: Farmers share their treasures weekly at the market on The Murfreesboro Post

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Mrs. Murfreesboro: Farmers share their treasures weekly at the market

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By: JEANNE BRAGG, Post Columnist

Posted: Sunday, July 27, 2008 8:43 am

If you haven’t been to the Farmersʼ Market at Cannonsburgh this year, you’ve been missing a treat. You’re lucky if you have a family member or friend provide you with fresh produce.

The Farmers’ Market opens at the crack of dawn Tuesdays and Fridays, and although the most select pickings usually go with the early birds, I find you can still find some good buys as late as 9 a.m.

As Mike Pirtle and Stephen Lewis will attest, most city dwellers prey upon the market for their fresh tomatoes, but there was plenty more than tomatoes last Tuesday.

I went uncharacteristically early for me — 7 a.m. Because I walk daily I usually can’t hit it until about 8. Some early risers get there early as 5 a.m. I went at 7 to snatch up the freshest cucumbers and peppers I could find to make relish. And I was shocked at the number of early shoppers and all the activity! It was hopping! That’s what the lure of those tomatoes will do.

I found all the cucumbers I wanted. In fact, with the exception of okra and turnip greens, they had almost anything you could wish for.

There were many varieties of tomatoes, including those in cardboard produce boxes labeled “Tomatoes” that some vendors buy wholesale and try to peddle as homegrown. (You can usually figure those out within a minute or two.)

This week the stalls were fodder for the artist, overflowing with beautiful zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash and green tomatoes. There were blackberries, beautiful peaches and peaches-and-cream corn. One farmer even had squash blossoms to fry.

Even the onions were as pretty as a picture. There were more varieties of peppers than you could shake a stick at, and this wannabe painter wanted to buy three of every one to paint one at a time.

There were organic farmers with numerous varieties of tomatoes and herbs; bread and dessert bakers; and a couple selling unusual varieties of daylilies and other assorted flowering plants ($4 and $5 each). About three Tuesdays ago there was a vendor who had several healthy-looking types of hydrangea. They were beautiful.

It looks like it has been a good season at the market, but I have a feeling we had better buy our vegetables now to preserve and enjoy. There is no evidence of rain in sight, and even threats of hurricanes did not produce much rain last year. It’s looking like the same scenario will be repeated this year.

Even after summer vegetables are gone, you can still find great offerings there until the end of October. There is harvest corn, miniature pumpkins, turnip greens and potted chrysanthemums that, in my opinion, far surpass any you can buy at the store.

I’ve missed Karen Sizemore, the herb lady, within recent weeks and still miss Stella, the canning queen. State laws prevent Stella from selling her beautiful canned goods any more. Also notably missed are the Vincions (Mr. Vincion was the man who whittled spoons as he sold) and Mr. Lowe, the famous tomato man. Mr. Lowe passed away last year. Robert Haynes, another tried-and-true vendor, has been in and out this year. For those of us who have been going for years, it hasn’t been quite the same without many of the usuals.

If you’ve missed out, mark the Market on your calendar for Tuesday. Go before work and purchase some of that yummy homemade bread and some beautiful lettuce and some of those succulent tomatoes. Slap them together with some mayonnaise. You’ll be having the most delicious lunch or supper you’ll have through the year.

And remember all those farmers out there working in the sun who toil very hard to share with us the glorious fruits of their labor.

‘Til next week.

Tagged under VOICES

Member Opinions:

By: stregha on 7/27/08
i just wanted to say, that just because vendors have boxes that say "tomatoes" on it, does not necessarily mean that they are bought wholesale from anywhere. logically, tomato boxes are much easier to use for space issues on our vehicles, not to mention much easier for the buyer to carry home many pounds of canning tomatoes, potatoes, corn or whatever else they might find that day. please do not make the assumption that we get our produce wholesale just because of a box! we have people who come out and check our property each and every growing season, and if we do not grow what we sell, we are not allow to sell it..
manchester farmer.