Farmers have sprouted on Market Square

It was, admittedly, a little chilly when the market first opened on Saturday. But it quickly warmed up. Just ask Tory Legg, staffing her handcrafted jewelry booth, Tory Legg Designs.

I loved this booth: Scruffy Little Tomatoes. It was offering tomato plants.

Have you ever seen such a thing? These mushrooms are called lion’s mane.

This is Whitey Hitchcock, owner of Everything Mushrooms in South Knoxville. He has a fun blog about mushrooms. Here’s the link: http://everythingmushrooms.com/blog/

We bought strawberries from the Colvin Family Farm booth. We will be regulars there this year.

The asparagus was beautiful at the Shelton Farms stand.

We generally buy our grits there, too.

Danny Shelton is fun to talk to.

Farmer Brian Adler of Lacewing Farms had some beautiful radishes.

Here’s Alan with our friends Mark and Janis McNeely, visiting from Nashville.

Our buddy Shannon Meadows putting out produce at Mountain Meadows Farm booth.

Here’s some of her pretty cauliflower.

John Ledbetter at Hines Valley Farm will see a lot of Alan and me over the next seven to eight months.

He had some great looking greens on Saturday.

These mushrooms at the Jennings Hollow Farm booth are called “wine cap.” I can see why!

Ridgetop Gardens is a hydroponic operation in Powell, Tennessee. They had beautiful herbs and greens available.

Bok choy, left, and komatsuna offered by Musick Mountain Farm. A wonderful thing about the farmers’ market is that it encourages you to try new things.

Lots of folks were offering free range organic eggs. These were at Cedar Side Farm Fresh Produce.

Austin Childress was ably assisting customers at Dixie Lee Nursery and Garden Center.

Just look at these beautiful hydrangeas they had.

Some of the great folks staffing the Market Square Farmers’ Market booth. From left, Charlotte Tolley, Art Carmichael and Amy Hubbard. They know the answers to all questions!

I ran in to my friend Julie Webb. A downtown resident, she’s a regular like us. Can you see her cute earrings? They are shaped like those little origami peace cranes.

VG’s Bakery is a weekly stop for us.

Here’s Rose Najar. She has a booth right across from the patio of Tupelo Honey Cafe. She’s displaying her hand-painted coasters here.

She’s also selling packets of plant markers made out of paint stirrers.

Here’s how you use them. Clever, huh?

Rose also has cute pet picture frames. (I see some of these in my friends’ futures.)

Over beside the Bill Lyons Pavilion my pal Rosa Mar was making a purchase from Greg Blankenship at the Gregory’s Greenhouse truck.

There are no rules about how farmers at this market must grow their crops. But you can be sure that if they don’t use herbicides and pesticides, they will let you know. Which is something I always look for.

Another good sign. I walk right past the crops that are “conventionally” grown. Sometimes, I try to make a point by inquiring of the farmers if they use chemicals on their crops. I like to hear them try to explain why it doesn’t matter if they do. Ha.

This has nothing to do with the market, but I noticed very cool new herb planters at Trio’s patio. Aren’t they just great?