This Market was less of a Palooza than was hoped. Coincidentally, this was also the opening weekend of the Tennessee Valley State Fair, which drew some of the usual Farmers' Market customers southwards to that annual event. Lower attendance didn't stop Rustic Ridge Cheesecake and Fire on the Mountain from selling out by the end of the market day!

Chef Zack featured a simple, nutritious, delicious fall snack: sautéed cinnamon apples. These tasty warm apples work great on their own, as a side dish, snack, or dessert. They also take breakfast up a notch as a topping for yogurt, oatmeal, waffles, or pancakes. There are so many possibilities! The appetizing aroma wafted across the market.

Kharis Baked Goods had an assortment of miniature apple, peach, and blueberry cobblers, pumpkin pies, apple crumble, banana bread, and zucchini bread.

Many agricultural vendors participated in the market, including Thompson Farms, Walnut Hill Homestead, Seven Springs Farm to Table, Rebel Hollow Meats, and more. Brian White’s Nursery and UCHS Greenhouse had plenty of plants and planting advice available. For those of us with a sweet tooth, Brantley Farms, Rustic Ridge Cheesecake, Kharis Baked Goods, Smudnarts, Keep It Sweet, and others filled the bill with cookies, cakes, muffins, pies, breads, and fudge. Winter is around the corner, and local honey will run out. Both Nana’s Farm and KSB Apiary still had some to sell.

Talented artisans offered a wide range of handicrafts, from decorative to functional. Amos Creations had seasonal wooden pumpkins and other handmade items. BLarge 3D Printing had interesting and colorful critters that would make excellent Christmas presents. Intricate beadwork by Teddy Hammond and creations by Deborah Keck Designs, C&G Crafts, Rock/Paper/Sky, and many more offered a diverse array of beautiful handicrafts.

Jessica Firkin (with her A Little of This, A Little of That booth) brought her handmade bags, potholders, and eyeglass cases, all constructed in bright colors and fun patterns. Jessica teaches 7th- and 8th-grade Robotics and Home Economics in another school district. Her Home Ec classes include both sewing and cooking. Commercial food often contains all sorts of mystery ingredients that are hard to pronounce. Jessica feels that when you make it yourself, you know what you are eating. Her cooking students learn to make many things, including pizza from scratch. They learn to mix, let rise, and roll out pizza dough; choose toppings; cut and prepare veggies and herbs; and bake it. Then they get to eat the final result!

And right next to Jessica’s booth were her parents, Melanie and Danny Cox, with their Cottage Kitchen homemade jams and jellies.

The band 3 in 1 provided music: Donnie Pitman on guitar and vocals, Diana Pittman on vocals, and Darrell Brown on percussion. They are a gospel group and sang familiar songs, including Glory Road, Lighthouse, and Moses , as well as an original composition, Dig a Little Deeper.