Unforeseen issue delays return of MTSU Creamery milk until May 27 Main Street Saturday market

Popular MTSU Creamery milk will return soon to the trendy Main Street Saturday Market for the third year, making shoppers extremely happy.

However, because of unforeseen circumstances, customers will have to wait one more week.

The Main Street Saturday Market resumed its annual summer and fall season earlier this month. The MTSU Creamery will return Saturday, May 27, and plans to be there until the end of September, said Matthew Wade, MTSU Farm Laboratories director.

Customers purchase Middle Tennessee State University Creamery dairy products from MTSU School of Agriculture student workers during the 2022 Main Street Saturday Market at the historic Rutherford County Courthouse in downtown Murfreesboro, Tenn. The MTSU Creamery returns to the Saturday market May 20 and will be there through the end of September. Market hours are 8 a.m. to noon. (MTSU file photo by Randy Weiler) — Customers purchase Middle Tennessee State University Creamery dairy products from MTSU School of Agriculture student workers during the 2022 Main Street Saturday Market at the historic Rutherford County Courthouse in downtown Murfreesboro, Tenn. The MTSU Creamery returns to the Saturday market May 27 and will be there until the end of September. Market hours are 8 a.m. to noon. (MTSU file photo by Randy Weiler)

Wade informed Linda Weeks, Main Street Saturday Market manager, on Thursday, May 18, that MTSU has been unable to process the milk because of the annual steam plant shutdown that led to an issue with a valve that needed to be sent off for repair.

Wade was hopeful the problem would be resolved by May 17-18, “but it was beyond our control and I apologize on behalf of our great campus for the inconvenience,” he said.

After sharing the news with Weeks, Wade said “the good news is that they expect to have the steam plant up and going by sometime the first of next week, which will allow us to process.”

The Saturday Market goes from 8 a.m. to noon each week and continues until the end of October.

Upon returning, the Creamery will join dozens of vendors selling fruits and vegetables, flowers, meat, bread and jams, jellies, honey, cinnamon rolls, fried pies and more — many that go great with cold milk.

“We’re excited to return to the market and expect a successful year,” Wade said.

Matthew Wade

“Folks come every week to get their milk. People were buying milk to support our agriculture department, even though they pay a little more for our products.”

Wade, who receives help from MTSU agriculture students in delivering the dairy products and manning the table, said milk prices will remain the same: $2 for pints of chocolate and whole white milk; $5 for a half-gallon of chocolate and $6 for a gallon of whole white milk.

Sophie Buck of Murfreesboro, a rising junior graphic design major and music minor — Sophie Buck

Ice cream will again be an MTSU Creamery featured item this year.

Weeks said MTSU rising junior Sophie Buck, who lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and is a native of Fayetteville, Tennessee, will again be playing fiddle at the market. She is a graphic design major who minors in music.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)