MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- In a sure sign that summer is close at hand, farmer’s markets are opening across the mid-state.
The market at the Rutherford County Ag Center in Murfreesboro got underway this past week and is open Tuesdays and Friday from 7 a.m. till noon through October.
Debbie drove in from Bell Buckle to pick up some items for the table and a few things for the garden.
“Onions, kale, lettuce, strawberries, plants…I got some things to add to my garden.”
Market Manager Janie Becker says offerings go well beyond the usual fruits and vegetables, to include local honey, baked goods, locally raised meats, and ornamental plants.
The market also offers classes every market day to help local residents make better use of what they purchase or grow at home.
Rutherford County master gardener Mark Murphy was on hand today explaining how to grow and grind your own grain corn for dishes like cornbread and grits.
Janie Becker says the classes vary as widely as the selection of goods in the market.
“Sometimes they might be a cooking class to show you how to use what’s in the market; seasonal produce at the time. We also have a lot of gardening topics. We try to cover a wide range and have something new.”
If you haven’t visited the market before, it’s located on the grounds of the Rutherford County Ag Center at 315 John R. Rice Blvd. in Murfreesboro.
Becker says the best way to keep up with what classes are being taught on market days is to look for the Rutherford County Farmer’s Market on Facebook.