Watauga County Farmers' Market

It was another glorious weekend in Boone, and everyone at Watauga County Farmers' Market would like to thank the folks who choose the market as their destination on Saturdays. We all hope to see you this Saturday for our annual cooking demo with cooking instructor and food writer Sheri Castle. Sheri will choose from the fresh vegetables available at the market, then she will prepare and share samples and recipes.

There will be plenty of vegetables to choose from this weekend. Andy Bryant and Griffin Abe will have all sizes and kinds of pumpkins including white and Baby Bear baking pumpkins. Griffin and Andy will also have ripe tomatoes including varieties Roma, Cherokee, Tigerella and Stella Noir. Charles Church's weekly harvest will include Yellow & Silver Queen corn, broccoli, garlic, and Patty Pan and Spaghetti squash. Cheryl will have Swiss chard, and next door William and Jeanette Edmisten will have cabbage, eggplant, and apples to offer. Kenneth Oliver will have plenty of Silver Queen and Silver King corn.

Don and Roger Owens will be bringing more eggplant and sweet banana peppers. Jeff Thomas will harvest different varieties of sweet ethnic peppers, cabbage, Fingerling potatoes and all kinds of tomatoes. Mildred Green will have four different types of eggplant, bell peppers, red and white potatoes, okra, and White Half-runner beans.

Shiloh Avery and Jason Roehrig will bring a wide variety of peppers to the market this Saturday including Sweet peppers, Poblanos, Italian Bull's Horn and jalapenos. Shiloh and Jason will also be harvesting different types of squash including delicata, acorn and butternut, and also Asian eggplant.

There are many types of fruit available at the market this time of year, and Deb Lowe will be there with yellow peaches, Ginger Gold and Gala apples, and Stark pears.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 for more information. We will be there rain or shine!

The fresh produce is plentiful and varied at Watauga County Farmers' Market. Charles Church will have plenty of Silver Queen and yellow sweet corn this week, along with broccoli, cabbage, white and red potatoes, white and yellow onions, patty pan, spaghetti, and eight ball squash. Matt Cooper will be at the market Saturday with rainbow chard, tomatillos, pesticide free Schizuki and Gala apples, Dyno Red kale, fingerling potatoes, Zinnias and basil. Richard McDonald will be sitting in for Brad Hinckley again this Saturday with plenty of garlic and Kennebec and Yukon Gold potatoes.

Kenneth Oliver has beans all covered with Blue lake and Half Runners available. Kenneth also will be harvesting Silver Queen and Silver King corn, yellow and red bell peppers and Passion Pink, Hillbilly and Delicious tomatoes. Richard Boylan will have leeks, Summer Varsity onions, lots of herbs, rhubarb, baby greens, garlic and mint. Bill Moretz should have plenty of apples to choose from throughout the season, this' weeks harvest will include several Macintosh type varieties. Bill will also bring Blue Damson plums, clover and sourwood honey, squash, cucumbers, red and green bells and various eggplants.

Susan Graham has returned for the second half of the season with hand woven scarves and hand knitted felted hats, mittens and pocket books. You can watch Susan demonstrate her spinning wheel techniques at the market any time the weather is favorable.

The folks at Watauga County Farmers' Market are pleased that Sheri Castle will return for a cooking demo on September 6. Sheri will prepare several recipes from produce that will be available at the market that day, and provide visitors with both samples and recipes.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 for more information. We will be there rain or shine!

Blowing Rock Honey is proudly selling honey at Watauga County Farmers' Market for the first time in the fall of 2008. We're biased of course but we feel we make the best honey in the state. Don't take our word for it, please drop by our location at the market and try a free sample! Our honey is fresh from the 2008 season. Our Sourwood is as pure as can be, never mixed with other types of honey. We have Locust, Poplar and Sourwood and they are all outstanding. We look forward to seeing you!

Farmers around the area are busy harvesting the abundance of crops that are ripening in this fine weather. Shoppers will be able to choose from everything from Mildred and Gene Greene's butter beans and crowder peas to Sue Thomas's mustard and turnip greens, kale, spinach and leaf lettuce. Sue also has plenty of Irish potatoes, squash, cherry, Early Girl and German Johnson tomatoes, and fresh eggs from her happy free range chickens. Don and Roger Owens have a great selection of hot and sweet peppers including banana and Poblano, pink, striped, yellow, grape and red tomatoes, and squash and cucumbers. Jeff Thomas of Creeksong Farm will have Blue Lake Stringless beans this Saturday, cherry and Pink Beauty tomatoes, and natural, chemical free, humanely raised beef.

James Wilkes of Faith Mountain Farm has added peach fruit leather to his line of goodies this year, which include blueberry and triple berry muffins and spring and sourwood mix honey. Next door at the Bald Guy Brew freshly roasted Yemen Moca Sanani and Mexican Altura will be featured this weekend.

Susan Wright and Brent Cochran of Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery will have lots of bright summer cut flowers for the market including sunflowers, Callas, and Helenium. Susan also has hops plants ready for planting, and fine looking Coleus suitable for indoor growers.

The folks at Watauga County Farmers' Market are pleased that Sheri Castle will return for a cooking demo on September 6. Sheri will prepare several recipes from produce that will be available at the market that day, and provide visitors with both samples and recipes.

Many of you have asked about the "No Farms No Food" bumper stickers. I have requested a new supply, and you can also request your own by visiting American Farmland Trust. The site lists various ways you can get involved to save farmland. Without local farmland, there would be no farmers' market!

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 or send an email for more information. We will be there rain or shine!

The long wait for fresh local sweet corn is over. Jerry Harvey is among the vendors who will have a good supply of corn this Saturday in both yellow and white varieties. Jerry hopes to have more blueberries this weekend, and will be harvesting watermelon soon. Jerry will have plenty of Better Boy, Big Boy and Early Girl tomatoes. Reba Greene will also have a wide variety of tomatoes to choose from, including Giant Beefsteak, Mr. Stripey, and Pink Girl. Reba will also be harvesting okra for the market.

Don and Roger Owens are the ones to see if you are looking for a certain variety of pepper. They will be harvesting Cayennes, Jalapenos, Poblanos, both sweet and hot banana peppers, and some great tasting red bells. Next door, Sue Thomas will have spinach and looseleaf lettuce, sweet carrots, kale, white potatoes and vine ripened red tomatoes.

Mildred Green planted an assortment of eggplant seeds this spring and now has fruits in a number of sizes and shapes including long Japanese eggplants and some others that are almost perfectly round. Mildred and Gene will also have crowder peas this Saturday along with some okra. Be sure to congratulate them for submitting the prettiest tomato for our contest last week.

VJ and Jon Bost of Grandfather Mountain Apple Orchard are starting to pick the early apples. Varieties for this weekend may include Wolf River and Lodi. Jon and VJ also expect to have blueberries for a couple more weeks. David Sengel and Susie Winters of Fog Likely Farm have some great looking Fingerling potatoes and will be offering bright summer yard flowers in cans and lots of cut sunflowers.

Jason Brooks has plenty of ground beef, roasts and steaks every weekend all from grass fed beef.

Alicia Breton has a large selection of potted Hydrangeas including 'Pinkie Winkie', 'Pink Diamond' and 'Limelight'. Alicia also has a great assortment of Spireas and Oh So Easy 'Paprika" no-spray roses.

Bobbie Rudisill has preserved the beauty of summer with framed and pressed flowers from her own garden. Many of the arrangements feature native North Carolina flowers.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 or send an email for more information. We will be there rain or shine!

This Saturday, August 9, the folks at Watauga County Farmers' Market will be celebrating Garlic and Tomato Day with music from the Produce Pickers and our first ever Homegrown Tomato Contest. The contest is open to everyone. Bragging rights and gift certificates will be awarded to the top candidate in each of the four categories: biggest, prettiest, ugliest and tastiest. Remember to sign up early for judging at 9am. We would like to thank Todd Wright, Cullie Tarleton and Nancy Spann for agreeing to serve as judges for this event, and Joe Martin of Zydeco Moon Farm for getting it all organized.

Heirloom varieties of tomatoes are difficult to find in stores because they do not ship well, but the superior taste makes them a great farmers' market find. Ask the growers about their favorite variety, you will find many choices including Mexican Pink, Ultimate Opener, and Cherokee Purple. Jeff Thomas is among the farmers who will have cherry tomatoes ready for harvest this weekend along with Blue Lake Stringless beans and Swiss chard. Green Bean devotees will be able to find their favorite varieties this weekend, choose from William Edmisten's Eagle Beans, Kenneth Oliver's Early Contenders, Blue Lakes or Top Crop among others.

Sue Thomas will have more blueberries along with pickling cucumbers, beets, carrots, broccoli, kale, spinach and free range brown and white happy hen eggs. You will see plenty of local peaches this time of year, early apple varieties, and squash of every kind and color.

Sheila Eldreth has added all natural soy pillar candles to her inventory, and candles in various yummy scents including passion fruit and guava.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 for more information. We will be there rain or shine!

The folks at Watauga County Farmers' Market are pleased to announce the details of the homegrown tomato contest that will be a part of our Garlic and Tomato Day on August 9. The contest is open to anyone who has grown a tomato. Gift certificates and bragging rights will be awarded to the top contestants in the following categories: Biggest Tomato, Prettiest Tomato, Ugliest Tomato, and Tastiest Tomato. The panel of esteemed judges will include Cullie Tarleton, Nancy Spann, and a special mystery judge. The Produce Pickers will be on hand to provide musical entertainment. Special thanks to Joe Martin and Sally Thiel of Zydeco Moon Farm for organizing the contest.

Those looking to buy the perfect tomato will have plenty to choose from at this week's market. Shiloh Avery and Jason Roehrig of Tumbling Shoals Farm will have Cherokee Purple tomatoes and also a Russian heirloom tomato called Azoychka known for it's sweet, citrusy flavor. Shiloh and Jason will also be harvesting Charentais melons, Poblano peppers, acorn, butternut, and delicata squash.

Bill Moretz will bring several varieties of apples from his orchard this week, and he will also offer eggplant, bell peppers, bicolor corn and tons of basil. Rene Donker will have Shiitake mushrooms this Saturday along with blackberries, zucchini, yellow squash and perennial plants. James Wilkes of Faith Mountain Farm still has some jars of his spring honey available, and will be offering sourwood honey very soon. James also has cut sunflowers at his booth in many colors including yellow, burgundy, red and strawberry blonde.

Shoppers should have no trouble finding their favorite variety of green beans at this time of year. Reba Greene will have pole beans, half runners and tenderettes and maybe some greasy beans for market. Reba will also have some okra, Pink Girl and Better Boy tomatoes.

Cheryl Piracci will be preparing the first of the summer's pesto for Saturday market, and will also be giving a free soup recipe with every purchase of her organic Swiss chard. be sure to check out Pottery by Remo while you are at Cheryl's booth.

Rachael Salmon has added new moss frames and a new stock of prints including some interesting bat images to her line of photos and greeting cards. Billy Ward has been busy as well with a wider selection of toys, blue bird houses, and planters for gardeners with limited space.

Representatives from Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture will be at the market every week to sell advance tickets to the 2008 High Country Farm Tour. The tour will be on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, from 1 to 5pm each day. Buttons will be sold in advance for $20 and for $25 on tour days. There are new farms on the tour this year as well as some favorites from past tours. This is a great opportunity to see where your food comes from.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 or send an email for more information. We will be there rain or shine!

Shoppers should have little trouble filling their grocery lists this week at either the Wednesday or the Saturday market. Charles Church will be offering practically everything that can grown and harvested in this area including Yukon Gold potatoes, red cabbages, turnips, spring onions, collards and kohlrabi. Charles has salad fixings ranging from lettuce to purslane, amaranth greens, and lamb's quarters, and always has a full selection of local pork including sausage, pork chops, and ham roast.

Jeff Thomas will be harvesting broccoli and green beans this week. Maverick Farms will have fresh carrots, burgundy bush beans and golden and red beets. Cynthia Lowrence of Poppy's Knob Farm will be handing out BBQ pork samples from her pasture raised pork.

Liza Plaster will bring fresh blueberries to the market this Saturday, and she will also have fresh chevre in six or eight different flavors, and Zinnia arrangements for the table. Carol Miller will have raspberry and blueberry vinegar for a limited time.

Joan Knox will have whole cheesecakes and whole pecan pies this Saturday in addition to her popular sourdough breads. Joan also offers bread mixes for fail-safe home baking in all of the flavors of her regular loaves including jalapeno, cheesy garlic, and apple cinnamon.

Representatives from Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture will be at the market every week to sell advance tickets to the 2008 High Country Farm Tour. The tour will be on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, from 1 to 5pm each day. Buttons will be sold in advance for $20 and for $25 on tour days. There are new farms on the tour this year as well as some favorites from past tours. This is a great opportunity to see where your food comes from.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 or visit http://wcfm.info for more information. We will be there rain or shine!

Growing the perfect homegrown tomato is a matter of pride for many farmers and gardeners. The tomato harvest has begun for some of our farmers, and soon everyone will be enjoying their favorite varieties. Zydeco Moon Farm will be sponsoring a contest on this year's Garlic and Tomato Day, August 9, which will give everyone a chance to show off their tomato growing success. Prizes will be awarded for the biggest tomato, the prettiest, and because we all know it is what is inside that counts, a prize will be awarded for the ugliest tomato as well. We will have more details as the date approaches. The contest will be open to all homegrown tomatoes.

The folks Watauga County Farmers' Market continue to work towards providing for your complete menu. Jeff Thomas of Creeksong Farm announces that he and son Will are adding humanely raised beef to their stand. The steers are not vaccinated, given antibiotics or growth hormones, are fed on local grain and hay through the winter, and exclusively pastured after May 1.

The vegetable harvest is going strong, and David Sengal will have Roma green beans, Romaine and mixed lettuce, kale, collards, chard, fresh garlic, chard, Yukon Gold and Fingerling potatoes, basil, rhubarb, parsley and oregano. Reba and Fred Greene will have plenty of blackberries at least for a couple more weeks, and will be harvesting more red and white potatoes and cabbage. Reba has a good supply of heirloom multiplier onions as well. Cheryl Piracci will be handing out recipes to go with her fresh organic Swiss Chard.

Jerry Harvey has a nice crop of sweet blueberries to offer, and he also will continue to pick lots of blackberries. The peach harvest is coming in well this year, and Deb Lowe is a new vendor at the market this year with plenty of yellow and white Brushy Mountain peaches.

Don't forget to take a look at the high quality handcrafts available at the market, such as April Greene's hand made jewelry made with natural materials such as various gemstones and fossils.

Representatives from Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture will be at the market every week to sell advance tickets to the 2008 High Country Farm Tour. The tour will be on Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, from 1 to 5pm each day. Buttons will be sold in advance for $20 and for $25 on tour days. There are new farms on the tour this year as well as some favorites from past tours. This is a great opportunity to see where your food comes from.

Watauga County Farmers' Market was featured in the July edition of Southern Living. Make sure your copy has the red circle with Bonus Section: Carolina Living People and Places written inside. High Country Magazine also has a fine article about the market in their July edition, available free throughout the area. We really do appreciate all the coverage given to us, and hope you will have a look.

Watauga County Farmers' Market is continuing to work on the parking problem. We will be having assistants to help you find a parking spot. We also ask that everyone enter the parking lot through the entrance closest to the native gardens, and exit the lot near the stop sign. The entrance is just too narrow for cars to pass in both directions. We do hope to provide parking for everyone, and we are also looking into the Appalcart routes for possible relief.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 for more information. We will be there rain or shine!

The folks at Watauga County Farmers' Market would like to thank everybody who came out this past Saturday, especially those who braved the light rain later in the morning. It was a good day to find everything from home ripened tomatoes to fresh picked berries, and selections should only increase in the coming weeks.

There have been increasing selections at the Wednesday market as well. Wednesday morning markets are a bit calmer; they don't get started much before 8am and there is plenty of parking. Bring the young ones along, they will enjoy Melissa Jaroszewski's Kids’ Craft Table while you choose from the freshest produce available.

Saturday's market features an abundance of veggies including Ed Winebarger's Chioggia beets, Red Russian kale, spring lettuce mix, cut herbs, Swiss chard, squash and zucchini. Shiloh Avery and Jason Roehrig of Tumbling Shoals Farm will have homegrown tomatoes, pickling and slicing cucumbers, zucchini and yellow squash, okra, and red and white sweet onions. Mildred green will be harvesting more of her green peppers, cucumbers, squash, and will also have fresh blueberries and blackberries. Jerry Harvey will have plenty more blackberries and maybe some blueberries too.

Richard Boylan plans on having plenty of kale, fresh basil, mint and chives, and perhaps the first of the fresh cilantro and oregano. Richard will be harvesting fingerling and new potatoes for this weekend, and will offer some nice looking Speckled trout Romaine for your salads.

Shady Grove Gardens will have a fine selection of cut flowers throughout the summer including Zinnias and Dahlias in every color. Show off your arrangements with great looking blacksmith made planter items by Tom Wooten.

Dorene Jankowsky will be at the market with chipotle salsa, smoked habanero and serrano sauce, and BBQ sauce from fire From the Mountain. All sauces are made with homegrown applewood smoked peppers. Dorene will also have happy chicken eggs, blueberries, and romaine and red leaf lettuce.

Watauga County Farmers' Market is continuing to work on the parking problem. We will be having assistants to help you find a parking spot. We also ask that everyone enter the parking lot through the entrance closest to the native gardens, and exit the lot near the stop sign. The entrance is just too narrow for cars to pass in both directions. We do hope to provide parking for everyone, and we are also looking into the Appalcart routes for possible relief.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will be open on Wednesday mornings through September 10 at the same location as on Saturday mornings, the Horn in the West in Boone. Turn next to First Citizens Bank on Highway 105 Extension and go to the top of the hill. Call WCFM manager Karen Bauman at 1-828-355-4918 or visit http://wcfm.info for more information. We will be there rain or shine!