I am a sucker for a good farmer’s market. Give me a bearded group of guys with guitars singing twangy songs, food trucks, and stacks of fresh/local vegetables and I’m in my own special kind of heaven. Don’t even get me started on the skinny jeans or the plaid shirts. A good farmer’s market should feel like a Mumford and Sons video in my opinion. But I digress…
The unfortunate thing about the farmer’s markets in the greater Memphis area is that they’re SO far away from where we live (I know, I know, it’s all about me, right?). Since we’re on the outskirts of the city, it can take us 45 minutes to get downtown, and that commute gets even worse when we hit traffic. One day I’ll tell you all the story of the night we attempted to go for a “quick dinner” downtown during BBQ fest. That was super fun.
Needless to say, when I heard that the Collierville Farmer’s Market was opening for the season just down the road from my office, I was excited – and then I realized it was only open each Thursday and had limited hours: 8am until 1pm. I work an office job five days a week, 8a-5p, so most mornings I’m stuck in front of a computer dreaming of my garden. Bummer. But I decided to look on the bright side and took an early lunch this Thursday to check it out.
While this one may not be as big and trendy as the Downtown Farmer’s Market that I drag my boyfriend to whenever possible, it’s still pretty spiffy! All the staples were there: my favorite “everything” bread from Lime Foods, the BEST local pickles from Old Apple Hill Brine, and lots of Midsouth based organic vegetable and meat vendors with everything I needed for dinners next week.
The market is based in the rear parking lot of Collierville United Methodist Church, and there was live music playing when I pulled up, with even a few couples dancing along! I definitely didn’t miss the crowds from the weekend markets, but there were still quite a few people shopping in the sunshine.
While the vibe was a little different, I still very much enjoyed myself, and I’ll definitely be returning next week. I’ve even convinced a couple of my coworkers to come along! If you’re like me and looking for local, fresh, organic products without the crazy drive into the city, you should spend your Thursday morning (or lunch break if you must), in Collierville.
Check them out on Facebook for more information. Here are just a few of the great vendors you’ll find there:
A New Life
Bartlett Soap Company
Bethel Road Farm
Cold Comfort Farm
Coldwater Alpaca
Daily Blessings Farm
Donna’s Kettle Corn
Faith Farms
Flavor Mavens
Fresh From the Farm
H&H Farms (later in season)
Jones Greenhouses
Las Delicias
Lazy Dog Farms
Leigh Ann’s Chicken Garden
Lewis Tomatoes (later in season)
Lil Brooklyn’s Italian Ice
Lilee’s Gourmet Bakery
Lime Foods
Mai Vue
Old Apple Hill Brine
James Overman
Robert Hays
Papi Joe’s Pepper Sauce
Paradise Seafood
Peach World
Pontotoc Ridge (next week)
Renaissance Farms
Ripley Produce
True Vine Farm
Wolf River Honey
Wolf River Popcorn
Have a lovely weekend everyone! I’ll be spending it snacking on the fresh plums and roasting up the gorgeous green brussel sprouts I picked up this week.
Midsouthern Charm 