Athens Locally Grown

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Our Website: athens.locallygrown.net
On Twitter: @athlocallygrown
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/athenslocallygrown
On Thursdays: Here’s a map.

Market News

I was hoping to get into the garden this weekend, but the rain at my house just didn’t let me. I woke up on Friday to a pretty heavy frost that caught me off guard — I barely got my daughter to the bus stop in time after I scraped off the windshield, and when I got back I looked after my many tomato plants sitting out waiting to get into the ground. They all got burnt back, and I lost a few, but most of them will pull through. Still, we had it better than some this weekend. There was a tornado, bringing heave hail with it, that went through the counties just south of Athens, ending somewhere near Washington. I haven’t heard of damage yet, but I had friends out caught in the hail, and our ALG growers in the path have all reported shaken but ok.

The rain did stop long enough yesterday for our second Farmer for a Day event to proceed unhindered at Blue Moon Farm in Madison County. Cathy Payne, organizer of our events this year, reports that “the weather was cool and cloudy, perfect for weeding. We covered several rows of blueberry plants, leaving them well weeded and properly mulched, in less than 2 hours. We enjoyed new connections and camaraderie over the work, meal, and farm tour.” Photos of the event can be found on Facebook here. Our next tour will be held at Covenant Valley Farm in Oglethorpe County on Saturday, May 18th in the afternoon (later in the day than most of our events). They produce grass fed Angus cattle, eggs, pork, honey, handcrafted lip balms, beeswax candles, and Georgia pecan honey butter for ALG and other markets, and the event will include a supper featuring grass fed Angus sliders and vegetarian options. The event is free, but spots will fill fast, so be sure to make your reservations by adding them to your order. You’ll find them in the “Event Reservations” category.

Looking through the event listings, I see one very rare thing: for maybe the first time ever, there is a surplus of eggs. This will not last long, so if you go through a lot of eggs, you may want to stock up now. These fresh eggs can easily last a couple months in your refrigerator (I only today opened a carton I bought right before Easter), so don’t be afraid to buy several weeks’ worth now while the surplus is here. I know I’ll be taking advantage of the savings, and might get several extra dozen just to pickle for eating later in the summer when the weather gets hot and the hens just don’t feel like laying.

Thanks so much for your support of Athens Locally Grown, all of our growers, local food, and our rights to eat it. You all are part of what makes Athens such a great area in which to live. We’ll see you on Thursday at Ben’s Bikes at the corner of Pope and Broad Streets from 4:30 to 8pm!

Upcoming Local Food Events

May 18th: Be a Farmer For A Day at Coventant Valley Farms This is the third FREE event in the Farmer for a Day Tour Series of 2013. We arranged five tours this year, scheduled around the needs of various small farms. Each one is unique. Be sure to get your event ticket today! Each event will offer you a chance to experience real work on the farm, so come prepared to work! The work session will last for two hours. You may want to bring your own work gloves, weeding or digging tools, etc. if you have them. Be sure to prepare for the weather appropriately and dress for getting dirty or muddy. You will be in an agricultural setting and can expect sun, rain, bugs, wildlife, dogs, electric fences, pets, and farm animals to be part of the experience. Do not bring your dog with you for an “outing” as this would stress the livestock and disrupt work. Please plan to closely supervise your children during all activities. Water will be provided during the work session and a nutritious lunch is also provided. Farmers will have products available for purchase at the event, so you may want to bring cash/checks and a cooler with you. If you have special dietary needs, plan accordingly to bring those with you. To save resources, feel free to bring your own water bottle and dishes. Covenant Valley Farms Tour Event Nolan and Annie Kennedy own Covenant Family Farms in Colbert – Oglethorpe County. They produce grass fed Angus cattle, eggs, pork, honey, handcrafted lip balms, beeswax candles, and Georgia pecan honey butter. The day will shape up like this: 1:45-2:00 Meet and greet 2:00-4:00 assist with general gardening chores including weeding, building raised beds, livestock care and feeding, and working with honeybees. 4:00-5:00 Farm Tour 5:00-6:00 Light supper including grass fed Angus sliders and vegetarian options. Opportunity to shop from the farm store for honey, lip balms, candles, beef, pork, eggs, and honey butter. NOTE: Honeybees on the property. Bring epipen if needed, and avoid wearing black. We hope you can join us for a fun day of volunteering, meeting new friends, delicious food, and fresh farm air! This is a free event! You will be contacted to confirm registration and be given the address and directions. You will be asked for a phone number in case of emergency cancellation. If you do not get a confirmation, please email Cathy Payne. For questions, contact Cathy Payne, event coordinator, at broadriverpastures@gmail.com or 706-283-7946.

Other Area Farmers Markets

The Athens Farmers Market on Saturday has opened for the season on Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons (see their website for info). The Watkinsville market has opened as well. The Washington-Wilkes Farmer’s Market in Washington is open every Saturday 9-12 behind the Washington Courthouse, and several ALG vendors also sell there. Most of the other area markets are preparing to open back up as well very soon!

All of these other markets are separate from ALG (even the Athens Farmers Market) but many growers sell at multiple markets. Please support your local farmers and food producers, where ever you’re able to do so!

We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!