MTSU Mondays: Farm lab brings produce to market, Polk named Person of the Year
Middle Tennessee State University's Small Farms laboratory will again offer student-grown produce as a full-time vendor for the 2025 Murfreesboro Saturday Market season coordinated by Main Street Murfreesboro.
MTSU Small Farms, which will be among the 85 vendors at this year's market, will be joined periodically at the popular weekly event by representatives from MTSU Athletics.
Running each Saturday from May till the end of October, the Saturday Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon around the historic Rutherford County Courthouse downtown.
The market features a variety of specialty farm vendors (lavender, honey, and flowers), four locally raised meat producers, a trout farm, seven bakeries, 17 prepared food vendors, 26 artisans and crafters, and more, according to a Main Street Murfreesboro news release.
MTSU's Small Farms is the only USDA-certified organic grower at the market, providing attendees with a variety of crops from which to choose as selections change through summer into fall. Small Farms sells a mix of vegetables and fruits, along with flower bouquets.
'Customers appreciate that everything we sell is USDA Certified Organic, grown with care, and backed by the transparency we bring to our work,' said Christopher Hall, the Small Farms manager.
'We grow a vibrant mix of seasonal crops, always with a focus on flavor, diversity, and sustainable growing practices. Our staples include tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers, okra and eggplants,' added Hall.
MTSU Small Farms student employees help with production and oversee the entire process, from farm to market, to get a variety of hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. Student agriculture classes also participate along with interns and researchers, according to Hall.
In addition to the food and craft vendors, Murfreesboro Main Street says local organizations such as the Friends of Linebaugh Library, Rutherford County Master Gardeners, Storm Water Management and the League of Women Voters will host booths and activities at the Saturday Market.
A new program called 'Market Passport' has started this season to encourage community engagement by allowing visitors to collect stamps each week they attend and be entered into a monthly drawing for a basket full of goods from a variety of vendors at the market.
'More than just a market, this is a hub for community connection,' said Linda Weeks, Market manager. 'We're especially excited to welcome several young, startup farmers this year who are building the future of local agriculture.'
The 2025 season is the third year of the MTSU Small Farms' involvement in the market, and the second year of being a full-time vendor. MTSU's School of Agriculture manages all of the farm laboratories.
View a full list of Murfreesboro Saturday Market vendors at www.mainstreetmurfreesboro.org.
In what has been an amazing year for MTSU alumnus Reggie Polk, the owner of Polk and Associates Construction Inc. was named Tennessee Small Business Administration Person of the Year this spring.
As part of 2025 National Small Business Week, Polk received the state award in early May while attending the Small Business Association banquet in Washington, D.C., where it was announced Greg and Shelley McArthur of NTL Industries Inc. earned the nationwide distinction.
The NFL Tennessee Titans selected the four-member Tennessee Builders Alliance — Polk and Associates, Turner Construction, ICF Builders and AECOM Hunt — along with trade partners to construct the new $2 billion stadium.
Polk said the D.C. trip was 'such an amazing experience,' from meeting the new U.S. Small Business Administration team, networking, panel discussions and he and his wife Tanora Polk, also an MTSU alumnus, visiting various monuments, especially the World War I monument.
Polk (Class of 2003), a former MTSU football player who co-founded the Brentwood-based business with his wife, credits 'the dedication and hard work and passion' of his 33-member Polk and Associates team, which has offices in Brentwood and Odon, Indiana, and with a footprint that includes Florida and Georgia. 'That is what makes us great. We make it a point to invest in our people.'
MTSU Mondays content is provided by submissions from MTSU News and Media Relations.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Farm lab brings produce to market, Polk named Person of the Year
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