it's that time of year

it's that time of year

a middle tennessee garden blog


finding beauty in the natural things around us makes for one happy self and a lovely life. ~marmee

dash home farm, leiper's fork, tennessee

Sunday, October 4, 2009

autumn awaits


as autumn visits on and off these first few weeks...we
head to our franklin farmer's market.

last saturday was supposed to be an arts and craft day
at the market but we were under a deluge of rain and it was a no go.
this saturday what a difference....the sun was shining brightly...the
air was crisp....the wind was blowing quite blustery.
we waited until it warmed up to go.

one thing i love...when the artists come to
the market....creativity is in the air.
you can sense it with all those highly creative people in one place.
i love to see how they display their wares.
this lovely old door with glass knobs held pieces of handmade jewelry.
the glass panes had been replaced with chicken wire...so great.

baskets emptied by people buying fresh real
food from the local growers. real farmers....people you get to
know and discover how they do things....organically.
not just labeled organic but the real workers of the farming
community that labour for us to have this amazing food.

it always make me proud to be an american to buy from our
farmers....i love how they proudly fly their flags at every market.
it is an american tradition of the deepest kind.
here a jeweler patiently shows abbey how to use tools to make a
chain...we were so intrigued with it she agreed to come to our house
and give abbey and i a lesson. this is something i have always wanted to try.
now abbey and i can do it together.

j.r. and dh talking farming. we buy a lot of good stuff from this farm.

here's trish and her son from beaverdam creek farm, our csa
their farm at the beginning of the growing season and get a
basket of their homegrown goodness every week.
we cook what we get and that is how we plan our meals.

another farm we love is windy acres farm...we got beatrice from them.
we buy our lamb from them and also bought a share in a cow
on their farm so we could have fresh raw milk.

of course it is october so no market would be complete without lots
of pumpkins. these were so large....

they had a tractor trailer load full of them.

another great thing about the open air farmer's market ....dogs.
lots of people bring their dogs and most are trying to socialize them with
other dogs, kids, and people of all sizes and shapes....most don't mind taking a few
minutes and letting you pet or photograph their canines. abbey particularly likes
this about being there. two adorable cavalier king charles spaniels.

so many artists....so little time. i especially liked this one.
although i refrained from buying one of these beauties.

kettle corn is always a favourite at the market.
as a gardener i am always drawn to bird houses...

abbey wanted me to look at the windmill birdhouse not take a picture of
her showing me the birdhouse...first things first....i say.
the same birdhouse maker said this gourd was an accident...
he was explaining that while making a birdhouse out of this
large gourd it broke so he made this very colourful bowl instead...i said you should
make that kind of mistake more often. he smiled.

everywhere there was a festive feeling in the air...and decor was no exception.

lovely jewelry....displayed very beautifully.

abbey liked this maker of jewelry...quite a bit.

there are always such diverse things to see....like brunswick beeworks...

local raw honey(which is great for allergies).....

along with all kinds of products made from beeswax...
we did bring home some wonderful smelling beeswax candles....perfect for
burning on these cooler autumnal nights.

this is a farm....new to the market this year and i love it.

remember my first pumpkin months ago from the compost pile...it
was from this girl's farm. see that pumpkin...it called my name as i
went by it and i had to take it home too.

i love how she is new to farming....how she displays her stuff....
how she is willing to sell me things from her displays.



i pretty much bought all my decorative touches from the
farmer's market this weekend....lots of pumpkins....green ones.
flat ones....white ones.....mums....red ones.....several squashes to display...
first it was a good deal....second i am supporting my local economy....and thirdly,
i know there are no pesticides residing on my newly decorated kitchen table.
.
.
.
autumn is my favourite time of the year and i am relishing in every day....
every moment.....every chance i get.

happy autumn days to you and yours.


14 comments:

Lisa said...

The Franklin Market looks absolutely fabulous!!! I love farmers markets and local artisans; it is the essence of America.

Festivals are going on all around us right now. It just ushers in Fall in a wonderful way.

Thanks for the anniversary wishes. Congratulations to you both also!

Lisa Q

Susie said...

That looks like a place I would love to spend a crisp, fall day at. I can't believe all the incredible artists. What a great way to support your community as well.

Meems said...

So very wonderful you have that lovely Farmer's Market. It is "all American" and speaks of the free market system driven by the individual with ingenuity and diligence. AND it is creative, interesting and appealing.

You've given us a feast of autumnal visions with this post, dear Marmee. It sounds like it was a splendid brisk day to revel in the crisp weather. Love all those pumpkins, too.

We had a 'baby' cool front last week that teased us with temps in the high 60's and now we are back to the nineties and humid... I'll try to imagine being at your Farmer's Market where the cool breezes blew.
hugs, Meems

ShySongbird said...

What a wonderful market! It looks such a vibrant place, I can feel the energy you experienced there. So many goodies, it is a wonder you have any money left after that visit ;)

The real treat for me though was to see the Cavaliers, we have had four of them over the years (ours were all Blenheim coloured) and they are the most delightful little dogs imaginable with such sweet temperaments. The only reason we don't have them any more is because the breed has a tendency to heart disease and two of ours died very young which was heartbreaking!

I look forward to perhaps hearing of your and Abbey's jewellery making experience in the future.
:)

Roses and Lilacs said...

That is a pretty large market. We don't have many that size up here.

I always take my puppies and young dogs to markets and fairs. It's a great way to get them used to crowds. You just have to make sure nobody steps on them.
Marnie

Cheryl said...

Dear Marmee

I swallow hard.....your delightful photograph of the Cav King Spaniels brought back sweet memories....during my married life I have cared for nine.....I lost my lovely Polly last year and miss her very much. I will not have anymore, they suffer with heart problems....I lost every Cavalier to the disease. They are sweet little darlings, they really are.

When in Florida I noticed with joy the love you have for your wonderful country. It was an absolute pleasure to be part of the community for a short while.

I to take joy in buying everything from my local farmer.....they are a wonderful family. They produce wonderful vegetables.....pork, chicken, milk and cheeses. I know them well. I see they treat their animals with kindness. It makes such a difference, doesn't it. Local is best......

The door is just so lovely and what a wonderful way to display jewellery.....
I so enjoyed my trip and if you go again next week.....may I come again??

marmee said...

lisa,

this is definitely the time for festivals...so many different ones to choose from. our son was at a cultural one in nashville while we were at the farmer's market.
happy autumn...thank you.

marmee said...

susie,

we do love our markets, both franklin and the new one in leiper's fork.
the one in franklin is so large now and attracts a lot of visitors.
happy fall.

marmee said...

meems,

i do love that individuals make up the market place with all their own handy work...it makes for happier people when they are doing something productive.
it was the wonderful beginning of autumn when you need a sweater/scarf/something to warm you up a bit.
those pumpkins were huge...i bought much smaller ones in a variety of colours.
all i can say is turn your imagination into a plane ticket and come up to see for yourself.
happy autumn.

marmee said...

ssb,

i was really trying to be somewhat conservative with my money. i can lose track so easily...mostly stuck with what i came to get. food, pumpkins, mums and then i did buy the candles.
those ckc dogs were just so handsome...i always thought i wanted one but alas we are over our quota of dogs as of right now.
shhhhh!
we are expecting a batch of puppies from the chessies in about two weeks.
we are so excited...our first puppies since i have been married.
i looked up your blenhiem colour and it sorta reminds me of our tri~coloured aussie. it is so hard to lose a pet for any reason.
hopefully we will be learning about jewelry making sometime soon.
happy fall to you.

marmee said...

marnie,

we too take our new puppies to the market but usually i don't have the camera because you do have to pay close attention to them. but buster gets to go every week...he is calm and easy. everyone at the market knows him by name. he loves it and looks forward to going.
this market just keeps growing and becoming more popular.
happy fall.

Meems said...

That's a good one, Marmee... It would be so much more "me" to just get a plane ticket than to try to use my imagination anyway. Ha.
I meant to ask... is that the vendor where you got the wonderful honey you gifted me? Just had some on a homemade biscuit last night... YUMMY!

marmee said...

cheryl,

i have always thought i wanted one but i really love big dogs too. i am sure it was delightful for you to have had the pleasure of so many in a lifetime. it would be heartbreaking to lose one to a disease...i lost my first dog, "peaches" to heart worms.
i am glad you were able to feel the spirit of america when you were here. i really am proud to be an american.
i love knowing our local farmers...they are open about their practises and you can choose who best represents how you want your food produced. our farmer has a blog and i read about their weekly progress, too.
the only thing that beats that is growing your own food. then it is straight from the garden to table...you can't get any fresher than that.
i am happy to have you along when i visit the market and yes you can come along any time...it is my pleasure.
happy autumn.

marmee said...

meems,

that is where i got your stuff from...i did include a link...you can order from them directly if you want...or you can just come up here and load a suitcase full of whatever your little heart desires yourself. tehehe.
hugs and love, really!