MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For the fourth season, the Middle Tennessee State University School of Agriculture is back at the Murfreesboro Saturday Market with organic student-grown produce, flowers, microgreens and award-winning milk to sell to thousands each week, along with periodic attendance by student-athletes from various teams within MTSU Athletics.

“We love our continued partnership with MTSU,” said market manager Linda Weeks.

The market — one of five spotlighted on the Tennessee Farmers Market Trail — is operated by Main Street Murfreesboro in the inner circle of the historic Rutherford County Courthouse grounds in downtown and runs from 8 a.m. to noon each Saturday from May through the end of October. More than 70 vendors sell farm-fresh foods, locally raised meats and handmade artisanal goods.

“The mission is to promote a sense of community and focus on locally produced food and support artisans and entrepreneurs,” Weeks said.

Fresh from the cow

The MTSU Dairy Farm will peddle its award-winning chocolate and whole milk at the market on select dates throughout the season: June 20 and July 11 and 25.

“People are getting the freshest milk you can buy. Our cows are milked on Thursday at the Dairy Farm in Lascassas, the milk is processed Friday at the MTSU Creamery on campus, and people are drinking it on Saturday,” said Erin Frantz, farm lab assistant.

In addition to selling at the market, MTSU’s milk can be purchased at any of 25 Middle Tennessee locations. Visit https://bit.ly/3Qhrc0e to learn more.

Plants and produce

The MTSU Small Farm hosts a booth weekly at the Saturday Market, selling a variety of garden vegetables, cut flowers and potted plants.

“What we sell changes depending on the season,” said Chris Hall, Small Farm manager who works closely with students in promotion, presentation and peddling the products produced. “One of the specialty crops we have right now is blackberries.”

Other crops the Small Farm is bringing to the market throughout the season include varieties of peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers and okra, along with potted plants and fresh-cut lilies, dahlias, gladiolas and anemones.

“Another specialty crop we’ll have later in the season is figs — that was a super huge hit last year,” Hall said, “and eventually we’ll have sunflowers.”

The booth is staffed by students eager to answer questions from market patrons.

“A lot of people don’t know how soil works and have questions about plant placement. This is a great way for our students to engage with the community about how to better their own gardens,” Hall said.

The MTSU School of Agriculture provides hands-on, science-based education in farming, animal care, supply chain management and agricultural technology. Students learn using the university’s operating farm labs, modern greenhouses, a fully functional dairy facility, and the renowned horse science program. To learn more, visit https://agriculture.mtsu.edu/.

More at the market

Aside from the farm lab students, MTSU athletic teams attend the market for meet-and-greets with the public and to share information about their upcoming seasons.

Members of the Blue Raider football team will be on hand each weekend in June and most of July. The Lady Raiders basketball team will be back at the market on July 18, Aug. 8 and Sept. 12.

Patrons at the market can also pick up a market loyalty card at the Main Street Murfreesboro booth on the west side of the historic courthouse.

“All you have to do is come to the market and pick up a card the first two weeks of the month. We’ll give you a stamp, and if you come three weeks, you get entered in a drawing,” Weeks explained.

Once you collect three weekly stamps within a single month, you drop the completed card at the Main Street booth to be entered in a monthly drawing for gift certificates to spend at the market.

“We’ve found it’s a great way to engage people and help them feel like they belong at the market,” Weeks said.

— Nancy DeGennaro ([email protected])