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Annual Tomato Contest Open to All Customers This Saturday at the Watauga County Farmers’ Market

Aug. 15, 2012. Every week from May to October you will find quality locally farmed meats, organic produce, fresh cut flowers and hardy local plants, delicous edibles and a wide variety of crafts.

Special events this Saturday include live music from the New River Boys and a Kid’s Mini-Market in the Kid’s Corner. Children 12 & under are invited to set up between 9 a.m. and noon to sell their produce, flowers & art & crafts. No edibles please. No fee or registration. Just come and have fun! Call 828-264-5215 for more information if needed.

The annual Tomato Contest at the Watauga County Farmers’ Market is this Saturday, August 18th. The contest is open to all vendors and all customers of the Farmers’ Market. There are five categories:

Ugliest tomato

Prettiest tomato

Tastiest tomato

Largest tomato

Best cherry tomato

You can enter as many categories as you like. The Ugliest Tomato has to be a healthy, edible tomato—-no rotten tomatoes! Entries will be accepted at the contest table near the Powderhorn Theater starting at 8 am on the 18th. Judging will begin at 9 am. The celebrity judges and “tomato experts” this year are Cullie Tarleton, Bonnie Shaeffer and Patty Alexander. 

This Saturday at the market our vendors will be offering:

Flame azaleas in 1 gallon containers on sale for $5, 3 gallon native azaleas of different species, and blueberry plants from the Tennessee Rose

Merguez lamb sausage links from Katadin lambs, cornish whole chicken and also boneless skinless breast, longhorn and angus beef, and eggs from Mountain Memories Farm.

Raspberries, a variety of heirloom tomatoes including red and yellow brandywine, zapotecs, Indigo Rose and Cherokee purple, haricot verts and silver queen corn from Zydeco Moon Organic Farm.

Grass-fed beef from Rocking S Farm

Decadant and delicious bread pudding flavors – Chocolate Decadance, Peaches and Cream, Spinach Artichoke and Mexican – from Lulu’s Sweet & Savory.

Micro greens, mixed lettuce, lacinato kale, red chard, bull’s blood beets, eggplant (machiaw, hansel, fairy tale), and heirloom tomatoes (cherry and slicing) – all certified organic – from Sunshine Cove Farm.

Beautiful, long lasting Lisianthus in soft pink, white and purple, along with mixed zinnia and dahlia bouquets from Shady Grove Gardens and nursery. (They will also be handing out directions to the farm for our Labor Day Hydrangea Farm Tour.

Wednesday Market is Open!

Don’t forget that every Wednesday you can find some of the same wonderful local foods and produce at our Wednesday Market from 8 a.m. to noon at Horn in the West.

Again, rain or shine, market hours are:

Saturday mornings, 8 a.m. until noon, May through October

Wednesday morning, 8 a.m. until noon, June through September

At Horn in the West Parking Lot, Boone, NC

For more information, visit wataugacountyfarmersmarket.org, call 828-355-4918 or email info@wataugacountyfarmersmarket.org.