Market News

We have over 600 products available this week. The first of the summer items, still being grown in greenhouses, are showing up. Super-early tomatoes and summer squash can be found, but you’ll have to act fast. The strawberries are still coming, but this may be the last week for asparagus. The mix of spring and summer is great for the variety, but as some things are on their way out and others are just arriving, the quantities of both can be limited.

One of my absolute favorite farmers market items is just coming into its peak, though, and will be with us for a while. I’m speaking of the lowly onion, but it really is so wonderful to have a variety of fresh onions available. I use onions for pretty much every meal, and when they’re out of season and I have to get storage onions from the store, I’m always disappointed. They’re dry, sharp in flavor, and many of them have bad spots in the middle. But right now there are a good half dozen varieties available, and it’s the perfect time to experiment with all the great things you can do with onions. We’ve got a range of sizes & flavors, so have fun!

As always, thank you all for your continued support of our local growers and for cooking at least some of your food with local ingredients. Whether you’re a 100% locavore or just get a thing or two, every little bit helps our community become a little bit more sustainable. We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street!

Coming Events

Our guest this week for Meet the Grower is Christel & Russ Green from Greendale Farm in Madison. Greendale Farm is one of our pastured chicken growers, and is also hosting our next Farmer For a Day event. If you can’t join us then, you’ll get a chance to meet the growers on Thursday.

If you’d like to take a little road trip and visit 19 farms, some of them Athens Locally Grown grown growers, the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association is holding a full weekend of tours throughout upstate South Carolina next weekend, May 30 & 31. You can find full details, a list of participating farms, and maps on their website.

The Athens Farmers Market has re-opened for the season, and is every Saturday morning at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.

Our second Farmer for a Day event is on Saturday, June 6th at Greendale Farm in Madison, where they pasture raise chickens for both eggs and meat. You can make reservations for this event by adding them to your order. Look in the “Event Reservations” category.

Market News

Thank you everyone for the overwhelming response to my call for volunteers to help fill orders on Thursdays. There are over 1800 accounts receiving this email, and I’m pretty sure half of you offered to help. If I haven’t responded personally to your reply to me, I have put you on my “interested” list, but have already filled our immediate needs. I’ll call more of you in later in the season, though. It’s nice to have a large pool of trained people to call to when the need arises. My goal is to have enough workers so that no one has to wait more than 15 minutes to get their order filled. There is always a rush right at 4:30, though, so if you arrive right then, your wait might be longer. Keep in mind that orders are filled in the order they are placed and not in the order you arrive, so there’s no need to get there right when we open. If your schedule if flexible, there is often no wait at all from 6pm to 7:30.

Our first “Farmer for a Day” event was scheduled for today at Roots Farm, but it was postponed due to the weather. When it gets rescheduled, we’ll give preferential spots to those registered for today, and if there are still slots open, I’ll let the rest of you know. Our next one is only a few weeks away at Greendale Farm in Madison.

We’ve seen an upswing in the number of no-shows on Thursday. Remember that you’re responsible for what you order, even if you forget or otherwise are unable to pick them up on Thursday. I’ll try calling everyone who hasn’t arrived by 7:30, using the phone number for the account (check or change yours on the Your Account page of the site), but I usually reach only one out of every ten people I call, with the rest getting answering machines and voice mail. I am not legally allowed to take your items home with me to try and deliver them to you later, so if I haven’t reached you by 8pm and your things are still there, I am forced to give them away to anyone who can use them. And, since I’ve already paid the growers on your behalf, I have to charge your account for the items.

Please take a spin through the New Products carousel on the website. There are lots of new items, a new grower, and plenty of goodies to go around.

Thank you all for your continued support of our local growers and for doing your part to cultivate the thriving local food system we have here in Athens. We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street!

Coming Events

Our guest this week for Meet the Grower is Ed Lane from GranCoffee Roasting Co. in Bogart. GranCoffee has been selling through Athens Locally Grown only a few weeks, and is our second supplier of direct trade coffee beans, which they roast themselves in small batches.

Our second Farmer for a Day event is on Saturday, June 6th at Greendale Farm in Madison, where they pasture raise chickens for both eggs and meat. You can make reservations for this event by adding them to your order. Look in the “Event Reservations” category.

The Athens Farmers Market has re-opened for the season, and is every Saturday morning at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.

Market News

The last dangers of frost are now behind us for another year, and the nights are warm enough now to keep even the tomato plants happy. If you’re still looking to fill a few spaces in your garden, we have (among many other live plants) tomato, pepper, and eggplant seedlings. Many of them are old heirloom varieties that produce fruit that is exceptional in flavor and appearance. Beware, though: growing heirlooms is one sure way to get hooked on gardening, and before you know it you’ll be wanting to sell your excess through Athens Locally Grown. If you haven’t started a garden, why not dig one hole and throw a tomato plant in it. You know, just for fun.

One of the newest innovations in sustainable farming is the “distributed farm”. There are entire CSAs fed not from one single farm, but by a group of growers who plant gardens throughout their town, using their member’s yards for space. Why have one community garden when the entire neighborhood can be a garden? It’s working well in those areas that have tried it, but one of the biggest resistances they’ve had is from subdivision covenants and other local regulations that effectively criminalize agriculture. We’ve got the same problem here. Just ask the Athens Locally Grown members who got ticketed for having a few laying hens within Athens city limits.

Another recent innovation is the explosion of “local food blogs”, diary-like websites that chronicle the writer’s experience finding or growing local food and cooking it, often with beautiful photography. There are several in Athens, but today I want to point out two of them. The first is from one of our own growers, Nature’s Harmony Farm. Tim and Liz Young began farming only last year, but they didn’t do anything by halves. They went all in, and have been documenting their adventures, both good and bad, on their weblog. Now their site has become a destination for other aspiring farmers and lovers of good food worldwide, and is worth a regular visit from all Athens Locally Grown members who want to know what sort of love and effort goes into raising animals for meat in a way that modern factory farms have totally moved away from. Second, Twin Yolks is written by a recent transplant to Athens and a recent convert to local foods. She expresses her wonder and joy at all Athens has to offer, writes about the meals she makes with ingredients she purchased at Athens Locally Grown (and now the Saturday market too), takes great photos, and even provides recipes. She’ll inspire you to find the same joy in your food. Of course, just because you’re reading this email, I know you already do.

Thank you all for your continued support of our local growers and for doing your part to cultivate the thriving local food system we have here in Athens. We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street!

Coming Events

Our guest this week for Meet the Grower is Jennif Chandler from Shady Brook Farm in Danielsville. Jennif is responsible for all of the lamb available at our market. She has also recently begun “farming out” her sheep flock to people needing large lawns and other greenspaces neatly trimmed. They really are the best lawn mowers money can buy.

Our first Farmer for a Day event is a week from today, Sunday May 17th at Roots Farm. You can make reservations for this event by adding them to your order. Look in the “Event Reservations” category.

The Athens Farmers Market has re-opened for the season, and is every Saturday morning at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.

The Comer Farmers Market has also begun, as have markets in Watkinsville & Winder (I believe).

Market News

We have 580 products listed this week, which I think is a new record for us. There is a wide array of heirloom lettuces, so if all you’ve had is the usual iceberg and romaine, you’ve got a great chance to try something new you just can’t find at the grocery. There are several offerings of young beets this week, too, and I promise you these are like no beets you’ll find at the store. There is more asparagus, snap peas, many types of flower bouquets, a variety of herbs, more spinach, cabbages, kales, and plenty of other goodies.

The days have suddenly gotten hot, but the nights are cool and we’ve gotten just enough rain to keep the plants happy. Still, if the days stay hot like this, the cool weather items (some of which are just starting to produce) may stop producing at any time. Some of the baby cabbages in my garden, for instance, have already gone straight to flower.

There are a couple items I’ve been forgetting to mention. First is we’ve had complementary coffee at pickup each week, thanks to 1000 Faces Coffee. Please help yourself if you’d like. Also, the state legislature did craft a bill that officially put the market property up for sale. The wheels of government turn slowly, however, so we’ll be able to remain there until likely September at the very earliest, and potentially even later than that. I’ll keep you informed on the state’s progress on selling the property.

Thank you all for your continued support of our local growers and for doing your part to cultivate the thriving local food system we have here in Athens. We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street!

Coming Events

Our guest this week for Meet the Grower is Melissa Tufts from Two Swallows Farm in Comer. Melissa is one of the founding farmers of Athens Locally Grown, and has been with us since 2002. Melissa grows a wide array of vegetables, but is best known for her array of garden seedlings and other transplants. Her husband Michael’s traditional Shaker brooms are objects of both functionality and beauty.

The Athens Farmers Market is reopening for the season on Saturday May 9th at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.

Our first Farmer for a Day event is May 17th at Roots Farm. You can make reservations for this event by adding them to your order. Look in the “Event Reservations” category.

Market News

The grower is IN

One drawback to ordering your produce online is that, compared to a traditional market, you don’t get to put a face to the food. That is to say, you may know the name of the farm your food is coming from, but unless you go on all of our farm tours, you might not know just who that is, who the person actually is. Well, starting this week, we’re hoping to change that with a new table on Thursdays we’re calling “Meet the Grower”. Each week we can arrange it, we’ll have a different grower on hand for you to meet, talk to, ask questions of, thank, and so forth. They’ll bring info about their farm, photos, stories, possible samples, and other things to help you get a better sense of the specific place and people behind your food.

We’ll start things off this week with Todd Lister from Veribest Farm. It’ll be virtually impossible to meet him and not get more enthused about your food.

I was going to do my usual thing and talk about the weather, the state of everyone’s gardens, and so forth. I’m having a hard time thinking about all of that, though. As many of you who have been with us for a while probably know, I’ve been an active member of the Town & Gown Players since literally the day I moved to Athens in 1997. Much of my creative energies and time these days go into Locally Grown, but the people at Town & Gown are still the closest thing I have to family in Athens. I’ve spent countless days at the playhouse, met my wife there in fact. Three of my friends were gunned down there yesterday, including two of the first friends I made in Athens. I know there is some overlap between the membership of Athens Locally Grown and Town & Gown, and that some of you were even there. Please keep everyone, especially the families, in your thoughts. A lot of people are hurting, and Athens is temporarily a darker place. This will be a very hard, sad week.

Thank you all for helping make Athens a better, brighter place to live. We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street.

Coming Events

Split Creek Farm (the goat dairy that offers the wonderful cheeses and fudge every other week) is holding their spring festival on Saturday, May 2nd. Spring means babies at Split Creek, and this even is a wonderful family affair. They’ll have tours and demonstrations throughout the day, and you’ll find details and directions on their website.

The Comer Farmers Market opens on Saturday, May 2nd. There is a bit more info here.

Athens Montessori School Birdhouse Auction is Saturday, May 2nd at the Lyndon House Arts Center. The reception & Silent Auction begin at 5:30pm with a live auction of the many birdhouses created by local artists at 7pm.

And finally the Athens Farmers Market is reopening for the season on Saturday May 9th at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.

Market News

Even though there are many new items this week, you may notice that the actual quantities available for many items we’ve had recently are down a bit. The “March Blizzard” and all of the much-needed rain disrupted spring planting for pretty much everyone, and so there’s a bit of a gap right now in the spring greens. It should be temporary, and might last only this one week. I know my garden is doing great, as the warm days, cool nights, and plenty of rain is exactly what my little plants love most of all. I was out today, finally putting in supports for trellising for all of the snap peas, which have until now just been sprawling across the ground. I’ll try to harvest enough to share with you all, but to be honest, these Amish heirloom peas rarely make it from the garden to the house. They’re just too delicious to resist, even during that little walk.

We have scheduled our “Farmer For a Day” program for the year, and by “we” I mostly mean “Marc Tissenbaum”, our Farmer For a Day volunteer coordinator. Each month, participants will visit a different sustainable farm to gain insight into some of the low-impact agricultural methods used in our community. They will also be able to match faces and names with farms that provide fresh, chemical-free goods to Athens area markets, restaurants, and individuals. In addition, the farmers will receive some much-deserved recognition while getting a little help and potentially picking up a few new customers. All in all, it will help individuals create an even stronger sense of community in Athens, GA.

One Saturday or Sunday a month from May through October, we will meet at our host farm at 10am. From 10 to noon, participants will get to see first-hand what goes into producing their food by helping with small, fun and interesting projects the grower will have prepared. We’ll then have lunch (free for all volunteers) followed by a full tour of the farm. The tours generally wrap-up by 2 p.m. Our food sponsors this year are Daily Groceries Co-op, Athens Locally Grown, and participating farmers.

Each tour is limited to 25 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. You can make reservations right on the Athens Locally Grown website as you’re shopping. You’ll find all of the events listed under the “Event Reservations” category, and you can add your reservations to your cart right alongside your veggies for the week. For example, if you plan on bringing four people, add four reservations. Directions will be provided and a carpool will be organized for each tour.

The list of farms and dates are as follows:

Roots Farm (Winterville), May 17
Greendale Farm (Madison), June 6
Dancing Sprout Farm (Athens), July 11
Mills Farm (Athens), August 9
Johnston Family Farm (Newborn), September 5
Boann’s Banks (Royston), October 3
The May and August tours fall on Sunday; the other monthly tours fall on Saturday.

The Johnston family run a dairy farm, Greendale produces free range eggs and pasture raised chicken, and the other participating farms emphasize vegetable production, with Mills Farm, additionally, utilizing their mule to grind corn grits, polenta, and meal. We’ll end the season with a big feast at my farm during the Hunter’s Moon in October. I’ll open that event up for reservations later this summer.

As always, we thank you for your continued support of Athens Locally Grown and our member growers! We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street.

Coming Events

Nature’s Harmony is hosting a Volunteer Day on the Farm on Saturday, April 25th. Here is some info, in their words: “Many of you have graciously asked from time to time about helping on the farm. Well, if you’re still interested, here’s your chance. We are having a volunteer day on the farm on Saturday, April 25, 2009. The day will start at 9:00 a.m. and go until 4:00 p.m. Afterward, we hope you can stay for an early cookout featuring meats from Nature’s Harmony.” They’ve got a variety of projects planned, and it doesn’t matter if you have farm or carpentry skills. Contact Liz Young for more info at liz@naturesharmonyfarm.com

Split Creek Farm (the goat dairy that offers the wonderful cheeses and fudge every other week) is holding their spring festival on Saturday, May 2nd. Spring means babies at Split Creek, and this even is a wonderful family affair. They’ll have tours and demonstrations throughout the day, and you’ll find details and directions on their website.

The Comer Farmers Market opens on Saturday, May 2nd. There is a bit more info here.

And finally the Athens Farmers Market is reopening for the season on Saturday May 9th at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.

Market News

I’m trying something a little different with the email this week. Some of the other locallygrown.net markets (did you know that there are nearly 100 communities across the country now using our system to feed themselves?) asked me if they could send out “newslettery” emails instead of just the plain text ones like I usually do. I tweaked the system a little to make it easier to do just that, and thought I’d give it a try myself. What do you think?

I know I’m always talking about how the market is growing, but last week I actually dug up some old numbers to see how they looked. I noticed last Thursday that is was still a month before the traditional start of “farmers market season”, yet our availability and total sales hod more of a mid-summer look to them. So when I got home I looked through the records and saw that last week’s total sales were just about twice the same week from last year, and a full ten times larger than the same week just two years ago. By pretty much every metric, sales, number of growers, number of customers, and items available, we’ve been pretty much doubling every single year. Many of our growers have told me that they are planting even more than ever before this season, to try to meet the demand of Athens Locally Grown and the Athens Farmers Market. And when/if we move to a new location, I’ll have to make sure the new place can handle the growth too. It’s a challenge, but really it’s a good problem to have. Thanks to you all and your demand for locally produced food for making it all happen!

We will be doing our popular “farmer for a day” program this year, starting in May. We’re still working out the schedule, and we’ll announce at least the first one as soon as its set. We’ll do one a month, and for those of you not familiar with the program, we visit a farm, spend a couple hours pitching in to do simple but much needed work, have a provided lunch, and then take a full guided tour. Space is limited, and we’ll be taking reservations as soon as we schedule the dates. There’s no charge, and it’s a great way to visit the farms and get a better idea of the people, places, and effort behind your food.

As always, we thank you for your continued support! We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old market on Broad Street.

Coming Events

The Southern Seed Legacy is holding their 12th Annual Seed Swap next Saturday at the Agrarian Connection Heritage Farm in Oglethorpe County. Don’t let the name fool you — you don’t have to bring any seeds to swap. You can find many heirloom seedlings and seeds to try, for free or for a donation to the SSL. Or just come for the old timey music and the slow cooked barbeque. All the details are on their website.

Split Creek Farm (the goat dairy that offers the wonderful cheeses and fudge every other week) is holding their spring festival on Saturday, May 2nd. Spring means babies at Split Creek, and this even is a wonderful family affair. They’ll have tours and demonstrations throughout the day, and you’ll find details and directions on their website.

And finally the Athens Farmers Market is reopening for the season on Saturday May 9th at Bishop Park. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.