State Street Farmers Market Bristol TN/VA
Saturday May 3rd, I set off down Baileyton highway to interstate 81 and turned north. I had seen that Bristol’s State Street Farmers Market was having their opening day, and I wanted to get out there and give it a look. I took exit 1 onto Gate City Highway and followed it to State Street. Bristol really has a lot going on in its vibrant downtown.
Today was Farmers Market Day, so I was on a mission. After a brief drive through downtown, I parked just on the other side of the road from the Market, located at 810 State Street. I brought a cooler, which is a must, and a reusable canvas grocery bag. Bringing your own tote is not only more environmentally responsible, it’s also a lot more convenient.
When I go to a farmer’s market, I have a strategy. I start at one end and walk through, talking and saying hello to anyone who calls out to me from one of the farmer’s stands or just a passerby who wants to stop and chat for a while. I move all the way through the market to the opposite end, taking stock of everything there that day. I think about what I’ve got loads of back at the house, and make sure not to buy any of that. I always let the vendors I talk with know that I’m coming back through if I’m going to purchase something. I feel like it’s a good courtesy and lets them know I’m not bouncing. If I can’t buy from a vendor that day, I’ll say so up front. They understand if you already have two dozen eggs at the house.
Once I reach the far side I start buying, but on my way, I noticed the Farmer’s market had a place where you could buy tokens specifically for use at the State Street Farmers Market. These are good because they allow farmers to participate who may not have credit card capability, and if you don’t use all your tokens, it encourages you to come back. I purchased a few and continued my way.
Halfway to the little pavilion in the rear, I ran into Matt from Bristol Roasters. They offer a variety of roasted coffee beans from across the globe that are organic and fair trade certified. The aroma all around their stand was amazing. I knew I’d be back.
I noticed what I’d expect for early May. There were a lot of greens, from lettuce to spinach, kale, and chard. There was also honey, and flowers, bee’s wax, jams and preserves, eggs, meat, and even a vendor selling goat cheese! In addition to these, there were a lot of plants for home veggie patches, and baked goods were also present amongst the stalls; even a few local sodas could be seen available to wash down whatever eats you might grab for a snack. At the very end of the pavilion, I ran across an herb vendor who had basil, chives, and dill all for an amazing price! I was ready to start buying, but I needed to make change. I back tracked a bit to the Ziegenwald Dairy stand. They produce goat’s milk cheese that is out of this world! I purchased two 8-ounce tubs and then made my way back to the herb vendor to grab a healthy bunch of chives, dill, and basil. From there I visited Moon Fire Farm’s stand where they were selling a variety of microgreens. I personally can’t have enough microgreens and sprouts, but they don’t last a very long time so I bought what I knew I could consume in the next few days. Mustard/Wasabi and Red Acre Cabbage were a neat color combo, their purple and green stems complementing each other I knew they’d make great garnish. I purchased the sprouts and turned back to Bristol Roasters. They were inundated with visitors, drawn by the aroma of roasted beans. Wyndale Gardens stand was situated just next to Market HQ, and they had Swiss Chard that was calling my name. They also had offerings from Abingdon Olive Oil Company, and so I had to pick up some of their signature blend.
When there was a gap in traffic around Bristol Roasters, I made my way back to discuss coffee with Matt. I am not a coffee connoisseur, but I do know I prefer a medium roast. I know this from the abysmally over roasted beans of a particular national coffee shop chain that will here remain anonymous. Matt recommended an Ethiopia/Sidamo with a medium dark roast. I added a bag of coffee beans to by haul and turned to the last stall I’d stop by that day.
Laurel Brooks Farm has some great jam. Whenever I’m at the State Street Farmers Market I grab a jar of their Hot Pepper Jam. I also grabbed some of their Apple Pie Jam, which is a rhubarb and apple cider jam. For some reason I really like there jam on things like ham, or lamb, or turkey, or... you get the idea.
While I didn’t pick up any meat or eggs this time around I absolutely will the next time I’m there. The State Street Farmers Market is a great place to pick up farm direct groceries and other items. The people are friendly and helpful; and you can learn a lot about food when you’re talking directly to the source. They are open Saturday mornings May through October. I highly recommend you drop by!