Watauga County Farmers' Market

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!