This Saturday will be Garlic and Tomato Day at Watauga County Farmers' Market. There will be live music and you will be able to find tomatoes from last week's tomato contest. Winners were Roger and Don Owens' German Pink for the prettiest tomato, Greene Farm's Supersteak for biggest, and Zydeco Moon's Cherokee Purple taking the prize for both ugliest and tastiest. In the cherry tomato category Andy Bryant won the in the tastiest category with his Blackheart, and the Owens Farm's Smartie took the prize for prettiest. Come by and see if you agree with the judges' decision.

Faith Mountain Farm will be bringing fat, juicy, sweet carrots, red, white, and blue potatoes, red and green romaine lettuce, rainbow and green Swiss chard, golden basswood honey and Mr. Stripey tomatoes to the market this weekend. They are also introducing a new bakery creation: cinnamon roll muffins.

Shady Grove Gardens and Nursery will be having several cut flowers for drying. Those include red and orange globe amaranth, purple and pastel statice, white and pink hydrangeas, burgundy amaranth, blue Echinops or globe thistle, millet and river oats which looks like sea oats.

This week the Pasta Wench will take care of all of those Gluten Free customers that keep coming by hoping for something different yet delicious! Gluten Free Un-Ravioli will be available, come on by the Pasta Wench booth to check it out!

Nature's Wood Designs has some really creative and unusual wood items. Lots of unusual driftwood lamps and birdhouses with barnwood and driftwood. There are beautiful mantle shelves ready to hang and bookends of all types. The best thing are the raised multiwood dog and cat feeders! Beautiful wood and stainless steel bowls, all in beautiful sanded and lacquered wood! Come and visit.

Help us pay for our parking lot! The top prize in the care2.com "love your farmers' market" contest is 5,000, which would help us out with our commitment to reserving the entire parking lot for our customers. The top market right now is in Michigan, and we all know we can come from behind to beat them. Vote for Watauga County Farmers' Market at care2.com and please leave comments as well.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!

Reba Green and Cindy Blake will be bringing potatoes, beans, tomatoes, okra and corn to Watauga County Farmers' Market this Saturday. Hopefully they will also have some blueberries and red cabbage. Shady Grove Gardens and Nursery will have groovy new 'Summer Ball' pumpkin which is a miniature summer pumpkin. The 4" bright orange pumpkin can be eaten as a winter squash.

The Pasta Wench is now offering fresh frozen pasta, as well as scrumptious soups and sauces to compliment the variety of pasta types Andrea makes each week. The Courvoisier Lobster Ravioli as well as the Lump Crabmeat with Shrimp Ravioli was a huge hit last week, and she promises to make more for next Saturday. "And Eve Smiled"...the unique and delicious dessert ravioli this week is created with sweet chocolate pasta and available in several flavors. They are filled with organic raspberries, strawberries and other local fruit - a wonderful ending to any meal. To pre-order for pick up at the market, please call Andrea at 828.262.1040.

There will be handmade cookie cutters made with gleaming copper by ecrandal which make a unique, creative gift or stunning kitchen decoration that will last a lifetime. Or you can try a Keepsake Hand cookie cutters made from the outline of your child's (or grandchild's) hand. Beautifully packaged, personalized and stamped with their name and age, they'll be an heirloom to be cherished for generations. ecrandal will also be showcasing a candy embellished cookie house made with new Gingerbread Cottage cutter set and decorated gingerbread cookies along with a mouth watering collection of delicious muffins.

Help us pay for our parking lot! The top prize in the care2.com "love your farmers' market" contest is 5,000, which would put us halfway towards our commitment to reserving the entire parking lot for our customers. The top market right now is in Michigan, and we all know we can come from behind to beat them. Vote for Watauga County Farmers' Market at the Love Your Farmers' Market contest and please leave comments as well. We read every one. We hear you about the condition of the bathrooms too, and the pending move of the market will most certainly bring better facilities for everyone.

This Saturday will be the second annual tomato contest at the market. This is the chance for all our gardening customers to show our farmers a thing or two about growing tomatoes. The rules for the contest are as follows:

1. There are four categories for full sized tomatoes: Tastiest, Prettiest, Ugliest and Biggest.
2. Cherry tomatoes will compete in their own two categories: Tastiest and Prettiest.
3. No rotten tomatoes in the Ugliest category. This category is for healthy tomatoes that look odd or funny.
4. All vendors and customers can enter the contest.
5. The judging starts at 9:00 a.m. All entries must be at the tasting table by 8:45.

Wednesday afternoon markets are a great option for those who can not come out on Saturdays. The Worthless Son-In-Laws will be playing this Wednesday, and we are always planning surprises. We have been averaging over 20 vendors on Wednesday with a great selection of produce, garden plants, foods and great hand crafts. There will be no sales allowed before 4PM to give our vendors time to set up properly.

The 2009 Farm-City Banquet will be Saturday August 15th starting at 2 pm. It will be held at Blair Farm on Deerfield Road just north of the Watauga Medical Center in Boone. Call 828-264-3061 for more information.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!

This Saturday at Watauga County Farmers' Market Bill Moretz will have heritage, free range fresh chicken, and about a half dozen apple varieties including William's Pride, Summer Banana and Zesty Z. Zydeco Moon Organic Farm will have beautiful yellow, red and purple heirloom tomatoes, lemon squash which is a summer squash with a slight lemon taste, golden and 8- ball zucchini, fingerling potatoes and strawberries.

Brooks Farm will have grass fed, grass finished ground beef, ground patties, roast, NY strip, steaks, sirloin tips and filet.

Shady Grove Gardens and Nursery has a new variegated blue mist shrub, Caryopteris x 'Snow Fairy'. Snow Fairy's outstanding white-rimmed leaves provide a delicate and full texture in the border all summer. It's habit is compact and well-branched. In late summer or early fall it is topped with airy blue flowers with long curved stamens, resembling hundreds of floating butterflies. Leaves are slightly aromatic when crushed, but are not as strongly scented as the species. It can be grown in sun or part shade reaching 36" height x 36" wide.

Watauga County Farmers’ Market is now accepting EBT cards at the manager's booth. We are working to make this process as smooth as possible and welcome any suggestions from our EBT customers for making your visit more enjoyable.

We invite everyone to fill out our market survey either at the market on selected Saturdays or online. There are also opportunities to vote for us as your favorite farmers' market. The folks who created the "No Farms No Food" bumper stickers have a ballot at Farmland.org and there is a voting place at Care2 as well.

Wednesday afternoon markets are a great option for those who can not come out on Saturdays. We have been averaging over 20 vendors on Wednesday with a great selection of produce, garden plants, foods and great hand crafts. There will be no sales allowed before 4PM to give our vendors time to set up properly.

The 2009 High Country Farm Tour will be held on Saturday August 8th and Sunday August 9th from 1 pm to 5. Wrist bands can be purchased online at the Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture website or at Ashe County Farmers’ Market, Bare Essentials Natural Market, Earth Fare, Mast General Store at both locations and also here at Watauga County Farmers’ Market.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!

This Saturday at Watauga County Farmers' Market Matt Cooper of Lively Up Farm will have tomatillos, four kinds of potatoes, and fresh basil. Zydeco Moon Organic Farm will have plenty of heirloom tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, squash, lettuce and onions. There will also be garlic braids from Susan Wright of Shady Grove Gardens and Nursery.

Joan Knox of Joan's Sourdough Bread is introducing Pa's Pimento Cheese made from a family recipe, assorted pound and layer cakes, earthquake fudge pies, lemon chess pies and her garden herb bread which she assures us is absolutely delicious. Joan's breads and goodies can now also be found at the Wednesday afternoon market. Rebecca at Back Yard Bakery thanks all Bald Guy customers who were patient last week in his absence! Come back soon! Rebecca has fruit pies made from local produce and as always welcomes your orders at 828-264-1440.

Harmony Acres Soap Company will have natural handmade lemongrass and lavender lotions, lip balms, natural deodorant and natural tooth soap. These make great gifts for any occasion.

Wednesday afternoon markets are a great option for those who can not come out on Saturdays. We have been averaging over 20 vendors on Wednesday with a great selection of produce, garden plants, foods and great hand crafts. There will be no sales allowed before 4PM to give our vendors time to set up properly.

The 2009 High Country Farm Tour will be held on Saturday August 8th and Sunday August 9th from 1 pm to 5. Wrist bands can be purchased online at the Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture website.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!

This Saturday at Watauga County Farmers' Market Foglikely Farm will have Roma green beans, young collards at their best, and Yellowstone carrots. Faith Mountain Farm will be bringing eggs, locust honey, spring mix honey, cranberry pecan scones, glorious morning muffins, whole grain breads, granola and other baked goods, Red Russian kale, green and rainbow Swiss chard, radishes and red potatoes.

The first fully-cured organic garlic grown by Otus Branch Farm is now ready. This coming week, we will have Inchelium Red softneck and German Porcelain hardneck garlics that are perfect for seed stock if you want to plant garlic of your own, long-term storage, and delicious eating right now.

Rebecca Kaenzig at Back Yard Bakery now has iced coffee and can do mochas and lattes. She also has lemon tarts as well as fruit pies. Rebecca loves your orders - call her at 828-264-1440 and pick up your dessert at the Watauga County Farmer's Market on Saturday or Wednesday. Megan Ward and Caleb Crowell with Hold the Heat Raw Food Makery will be giving free samples of their raw granola with fresh blueberries and homemade vegan milk every Saturday. Also stop by their booth to sample their handcrafted raw flax chips, spicy sprouts, and variety of raw granola flavors. Hold the Heat also sells fresh triple washed pesticide free mixed greens from their garden and fresh alfalfa/red clover and mung/lentil sprouts, please stop by to check it all out.

Shady Grove Gardens and Nursery will have orange Calla Lilies this weekend.

Tom Wooten, blacksmith , furniture designer and sculptor artist will be featuring his handforged wrought iron Hanging Planters with 7 different designs in a choice of sizes, stone-top tables & a new plant stand. Each artistically unique original is forged using traditional blacksmithing techniques, with hands-on attention to detail. The "Quilting Biddy's" will have colorful and beautiful placemats, table runners, baby quilts, aprons, and quilts of all sizes.

Chuck Nelson, Executive Chef at The Inn at Crestwood will be on hand Wednesday July 29th to put on a cooking demo using the produce available at the market. The dishes he prepares will be available as free samples.

NC Cooperative Extension will offer its second free Plant Clinic at the Watauga County Farmers Market on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 29 2009. The clinic will run from 4:00 – 6:00 PM, and will be staffed by Watauga County Extension Agents Meghan Baker and Richard Boylan. Home gardeners and commercial growers alike are welcome to bring samples of plants they have questions about. Extension agents Baker and Boylan will have reference materials on plant identification, diseases, and insects available at the clinic, plus soil sample boxes and other materials to assist growers in diagnostics and management. Growers wishing to bring samples to the clinic should pack them in plastic bags, to minimize the chance that any fungal spores or plant viruses could contaminate other plants at the Market. For more information, call Watauga Cooperative Extension at 828-264-3061.

Wednesday afternoon markets are a great option for those who can not come out on Saturdays. We have been averaging over 20 vendors on Wednesday with a great selection of produce, garden plants, foods and great hand crafts. There will be no sales allowed before 4PM to give our vendors time to set up properly.

The 2009 High Country Farm Tour will be held on Saturday August 8th and Sunday August 9th from 1 pm to 5. Wrist bands can be purchased online at the Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture website.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!

Photo By Alistair Burke

This Saturday at Watauga County Farmers' Market Reba Green and Cindy Blake will have potatoes, cukes, squash, blackberries, ferns and potted hens and chicks. Tumbling Shoals Farm will have Japanese eggplant, mini-white, green slicer, and soyu long cucumbers, zephyr squash, zucchini, potatoes of all colors, sweet onions, and a variety of flowers. Matt Cooper will have Dino Kale, Rainbow Swiss Chard and Broccoli. Jon and VJ Bost will have blueberries, blueberries and more blueberries. They hope to have some new tables and maybe a quilt chest. Zydeco Moon Organic Farm will have squash, blueberries, tomatoes, beets and lettuce.

The Lowrances of Poppy's Knob Farm will have two new varieties of pork sausage: mild Italian and hot Italian. They will also have breakfast sausage, chops, roasts and ribs from their locally raised pastured pigs. Come by their booth for a free sample of sausage. The Pasta Wench will have eggplant, gorgonzola and shallot ravioli and also special pasta this week featuring local ingredients from other farm vendors at the WCFM. These include Fog Likely ravioli with rocambole garlic and baby portobello, Tumbling Shoals Farm ravioli with Zephyr squash and Candy onion and Ripshin Goat Dairy ravioli with goat cheese, sun dried tomato and scallion. Ripshin Goat Dairy will have goat milk feta this Saturday, a good hard cheese for crumbling. Jay Parr will be selling Parr Barrs: all natural, organic, vegetarian whole food energy bars made without sugar or preservatives.

Shady Grove Gardens and Nursery will have pink 'Ascari' Oriental lilies, lavender 'Grosso', large dug daylily clumps, Helenium 'Mardi Gras' and cut flowers to make your own beautiful arrangements.

Becki Henderson-Gow will have a selection of new Raku vases in a range of colors and textures perfect for decorating your home. Harmony Acres Soap Company will have wonderful handmade, natural soaps, lotions, lip balms and joint & muscle creams made from lemongrass, lavender, patchouli and sandalwood-citrus.

NC Cooperative Extension will offer its second free Plant Clinic at the Watauga County Farmers Market on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 29 2009. The clinic will run from 4:00 – 6:00 PM, and will be staffed by Watauga County Extension Agents Meghan Baker and Richard Boylan. Home gardeners and commercial growers alike are welcome to bring samples of plants they have questions about. Extension agents Baker and Boylan will have reference materials on plant identification, diseases, and insects available at the clinic, plus soil sample boxes and other materials to assist growers in diagnostics and management. Growers wishing to bring samples to the clinic should pack them in plastic bags, to minimize the chance that any fungal spores or plant viruses could contaminate other plants at the Market. For more information, call Watauga Cooperative Extension at 828-264-3061.

Wednesday afternoon markets are a great option for those who can not come out on Saturdays. We have been averaging almost 20 vendors on Wednesday with a great selection of produce, garden plants, foods and great hand crafts. There will be no sales allowed before 4PM to give our vendors time to set up properly.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!

This Saturday at Watauga County Farmers' Market you will be able to find green tomatoes from AB Farm, also wheatgrass shots, raw spirulina balls, greens, herbs and red wriggler compost worms. Zydeco Moon Farm will have Russian Banana fingerling potatoes, squash, onions, lettuce, beets, blueberries and strawberries.

Shady Grove Gardens will have cut flowers including Dahlias, Pink and Ascari lilies and Alostroemeria. Yokel Farm will have cut sunflowers and also annuals such as Begonias and Vinca.

Wednesday afternoon markets are a great option for those who can not come out on Saturdays. We have been averaging almost 20 vendors on Wednesday with a great selection of produce, garden plants, foods and great hand crafts. There will be no sales allowed before 4PM to give our vendors time to set up properly.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!

We do hope you enjoy the photo of the beautiful people who rode the farmers' market float last Saturday. We did listen to the parade goers' requests, and will try very hard to have more ripe tomatoes to toss to the crowd next year. We are also open to suggestions for things we can throw at the Christmas parade in downtown Boone. The obvious choice, potatoes, just seems a little harsh.

The folks at Watauga County Farmers' Market will be celebrating Red White & Blue Day this Saturday with the music of the Produce Pickers. Come on out for some great music and plenty of local goodies.

Summer crops at the market are starting to come in and this week's selection will also include a good mix of late spring crops as well. Josh and Amy Johnston will have mixed greens, snow peas and shelling peas, a variety of lettuces as well as the first of their crooknecks and zucchinis. Jeff Thomas will have sugar snap peas, summer squash, chard, lettuce mix, beets, parsley and local pasture raised beef. Bill Moretz will have black raspberries, huckleberries, basil, lots of veggies and free range chicken.

Rachael Salmon will be introducing new local photographs including some great shots of Rhododendrons, raccoons and wildflowers. Rachael also offers striking handmade moss frames, and she will be bringing her ginger lily plants this Saturday.

Wednesday afternoon markets are a great option for those who can not come out on Saturdays. We have been averaging almost 20 vendors on Wednesday with a great selection of produce, garden plants, foods and great hand crafts. There will be no sales allowed before 4PM to give our vendors time to set up properly.

Watauga County Farmers' Market your help representing the market by riding on the farmers' market float in the July 4 parade through downtown Boone. Assemblage is between 1 and 3. The float will be decorated on site and the parade starts at 3:00. The parade will be over by 4:00. Please bring your kids, spouses, and family. We will picnic for lunch after the market. Bring something to share!

The negotiations continue over the parking spaces at the market, and we need everyone's help if we are to have open spaces later in the summer. Please visit the front page to find out what you can do.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!

Watauga County Farmers' Market had a great opening Wednesday this last week. The crops are coming in well and frequent harvests are a necessity. We hope you will come out and enjoy the freshest produce available. We are planning a series of cooking demos for Wednesday featuring local chefs from the area's finest restaurants that you will not want to miss. There will be no sales allowed before 4PM to give our vendors time to set up properly.

Summer fruits are starting to come in well. Carol Davis and Susan Jacoby, The Blueberry Ladies, returned to the market this past Saturday and will be back again this week with even more of their harvest. Jerry Harvey will have plenty of blackberries. The selection of local vegetables is starting to increase as well with cucumbers, different types of squash, garlic and cabbage being spotted around the market.

Pasta Wench Andrea Morrell will be offering gorgonzola, pinenut leek ravioli, pesto ravioli and sauteed pepper and onion ravioli. There will also be a wide variety of baked goods available, and plenty of local meats.

The negotiations continue over the parking spaces at the market, and we need everyone's help if we are to have open spaces later in the summer. Please visit our home page to find out how you can help.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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 parking situation at the farmers' market will be discussed Thursday, June 18 from 6:30 to 7:00 at the council chambers: 1500 Blowing Rock Road, Boone. NC 28607. This is the same building as the Boone Police Department, across from Back Yard Burgers and in front of the Super K-Mart. The market needs a strong showing of support and will be very thankful to anyone who can attend.

Watauga County Farmers' Market will now be open every Wednesday from 4 - 7 through September 30. The crops are coming in well and frequent harvests are a necessity. We hope you will come out and enjoy the freshest produce available. Andrew Long, chef at Storie Street Grille will hold a cooking demo on Wednesday, June 24.

Creeksong Farm will have sugar snap peas, lettuce mix and natural beef for this Saturday's market. Amy and Josh Johnston will have fresh herbs, dried herb mixes, a variety of lettuces and spinach and spring honey. Don and Roger Owens will be at both the Saturday and Wednesday afternoon market with White Half-runner beans, Mountain Spring tomatoes, yellow and zucchini squash, pickling and slicing cucumbers, green onions, red and green cabbage, and a good selection of herb plants.

Caron Baker Wike, the Funky Lace Pottery Lady, will have fresh lavender this week. Christian Teague of Hickory Land Gardens will have a wide variety of perennials in bloom including Coreopsis 'Moonbeam', 'Jethro Tull' and tickseed, black-eyed Susans, Echinachea and Salvia 'Midnight Blue'.

Carol Miller of Providence Farm will offer seasonal fruit vinegars including spiced blueberry, cherry and raspberry. Bald Guy Brew will be serving an organic Brazilian and Ethiopian coffee, smoothies, and the special for the day, an iced mocha latte.

Find us every Saturday morning and on Wednesday afternoons from 4-7 at 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!