Celebrate the first weekend of Spring at the Nolensville Farmer's Market!

Some of our lovely customers enjoying the nice weather!

I know you’ve been feeling it… and seeing it! The warm weather and the budding blooms! Gentle breezes carrying sweet scents of grass and the sounds of children’s laughter! The storms, the awakening insects, and the allergies… Spring has its ups and downs, and it isn’t for everyone. But here at the Nolensville farmers market, we’re stretching our joints, flexing our muscles, and itching to get going with all the exciting things Spring has to offer! The produce growing season won’t truly ramp up until May, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be doing the same ole thing from the Winter. 

A group of young Nashvillians celebrating the Hindu Spring time holiday Holi (Photo: John Partipilo)

Across the world in the coming weeks, different cultures will express their take on a Springtime celebration. They tend to carry common themes of inviting in fresh beginnings, appreciating nature’s cycles, celebrating new life, and reflecting on the balance between dark and light as the day and night reach equal lengths. I like to take this time of year to look back on all the hardships I faced during the Winter, and reflect on the lessons I learned from them. Sometimes life asks us to face periods of loss so that we can make room to bring in something new, and this year was no different. I find that if we can be open to it, the hardest times of the year can urge us to grow and change so we can face the new year with a sense of gratitude for what remains solid and true. When we turn down all the noise, we reveal to ourselves a steady heartbeat that can carry us through. Helping run the farmers market each week has been a great source of stability for me, and for that I am so grateful! 

Blooming Acre’s floral arrangement

Ok, enough yapping. How does a farmers market celebrate the equinox, the celestial marker of the beginning of Spring?? Excellent question, dear reader and friend. With new products and seasonal florals of course!

A Blooming Beginning with Blooming Acres Farm

Flower farmers Kelsey and Kirby!

We're thrilled to welcome Kirby from Blooming Acres Farm from Dickson, TN back to our market! This River Friendly Certified Flower Farm has been bringing their sustainably grown cut flowers directly from their fields to your homes for two full years now. We know you’ve missed them, come celebrate spring with us at their first weekend of the “winter” market season and the beginning of their third year with us. 

A sneak-peak of what you can expect with their Spring arrangements!

Husband and wife business partners Kirby and Kelsey’s commitment to regenerative farming practices means every beautiful stem is grown without harsh chemicals. Through no-till soil management and closed-loop farming (where even their chickens play a role in creating natural fertilizer!), they're protecting Tennessee's watersheds while producing stunning blooms. They are also both sustainable farming professors at Lipscomb University, so they really know their stuff and can answer all your questions!

This Saturday, they'll be bringing a spectacular selection of spring flowers including tulips, buttercups, status, and anemones. Their colorful bouquets, wrapped in 100% compostable materials, are the perfect way to welcome spring into your home.

tulips galore!

More Seasonal Delights and New Products!

Lavender & Bloom Flower Farm’s bath & body products

As per usual, joining us is local favorite Lavender & Bloom Flower Farm, featuring Wendy’s beautiful framed floral decorations. What I love about our variety of flower farm vendors is that they allow anyone to celebrate the equinox in a way that resonates best with them. Fresh flowers, though beautiful, are impermanent. Even though some can be dried and preserved, their eventual decay reminds me of the natural progression of the seasons. The constant change can be a positive or a negative depending on how you see it. “Nothing lasts forever” is a bummer when thinking about transitioning from refreshing Spring breezes to humid Summer days, but it can be a joyous reminder to get us through the dark days of Winter. The contrast of that duality keeps life interesting, and the gratitude flowing! 

Lavender & Bloom Flower Farm’s framed floral decorations

Now, humanity sometimes can do too good of a job of looking nature in the face and saying, actually, I’m doing things my way. But, it is nice to have air conditioning. Thank you air conditioning! Wendy’s unique pieces are another great example of human ingenuity, bringing the beauty of spring blooms into your home in an elegant display that will last for years! Adding these to your decor rotation makes refreshing your space as the seasons change fun and oh-so easy. 

Sufra’s Dubai chocolate strawberry cups <3

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth with Sufra! Heba, our local Mediterranean cuisine specialist, has an exciting spring addition. Don't miss Sufra’s new twist on the wildly popular and seriously delicious Dubai chocolate. Dubai chocolate strawberry cups are a decadent treat combining juicy strawberries and silky chocolate ganache, topped with crunchy pistachio cream kataifi. These delightful confections are the perfect spring indulgence, and instagram-friendly too ;)

Beefy Bella’s tallow fries

Beefy Bella’s is a new vendor with us this year, and we’re so excited for them as they roll out two new items this Spring! Two weeks ago they introduced beef tallow french fries to market with great success. Crispy, fresh hot potatoes fried in local beef tallow are hand-cut right in front of your eyes at market, and the tallow gives them a rich, unique flavorful taste you won’t find at your typical burger joint. Everyone needs a market snack, why not give these a try? The only danger is you might develop a serious addiction…

The Beefy Bella’s fam has also been hard at work developing a beef tallow sunscreen to add to their skincare repertoire, right on time for the start of sunny season! Self care is such huge part of my equinox celebration. What better way to kick-start the season of rebirth and renewal by showing our bodies that we value them and want them to function at their absolute best? Their new sunscreen is an all-natural, tallow-based formula crafted from nutrient-rich grass-fed kidney suet tallow, non-nano zinc oxide, and carrot seed oil. Designed to protect and restore your skin, it provides nourishment both during sun exposure and after, keeping your skin healthy and radiant naturally.

Beefy Bella’s tallow and mineral sunscreen!

Community at Our Core

Here’s the thing I wish more people understood about the changing of the seasons. Since the dawn of human civilization (seriously, look it up!) we have celebrated the wheel of time transitioning from one cog to the next. I think as people we tend to forget that we are not simply children of this Earth, we are an intrinsic, inseparable part of it! And not only that, but we are inseparable from our communities. These two age-old values, our connection to nature and each other, are married in seasonal celebrations. We never celebrated the seasons alone, we did it together, in community! If your ancestors grew up in a place with 4 seasons, the transition into summer marked a time where community became more important than ever. Working together to make winter food storage last turned into working together to gather the bounty that sprung up from the Earth in the warmer months. And today, you don’t have to be a farmer to feel that invigoration, and give thanks that the dark days do in fact end. At least for a little while.

The future of Nolensville, ladies and gentlemen.

Every single little thing you do every single day (and again, I am not exaggerating) is connected to another human being. Every silly little thought in your pretty little brain is made possible by the people that raised and educated us (we had to learn our language somewhere!). Today, especially in the US, these connections are growing weaker. Kids in school struggle with basic tasks, their underdeveloped fine motor skills making it difficult to even hold a pencil for long. There are real, impactful actions you can take to give new life to a culture losing its human-centered roots. Showing up to a farmers market is just one of those things, but it sure is a rewarding one. 

Join Us!

Market Manager Kasi and Stephanie from the Krafty Kupboard!

Whether you're a nerd about the natural world and human history like me, a long-time resident or new to the area, a college student, a young family, or simply someone interested in supporting local businesses and living healthier—there's something for everyone at the Nolensville Farmer's Market.

Stop by this Saturday at the Nolensville Historic School from 9am to noon to pick up your groceries, grab a bite to eat, and connect with neighbors. In the spirit of spring renewal, come experience the fresh, local bounty and cultural richness our community has to offer! Be a person for a little while, your phone will still be there once you’re done.

See you at the market!

- Juno

WilCo Events Board—bringing fresh, local food to our communities while supporting farmers and artisans throughout Williamson County.