Athens Locally Grown

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

Market News

The biggest news this week is the weather. It looks like we are in for another brush with the arctic in a few days, and while there is a lot of uncertainty in the forecasts, they’re starting to paint a pretty dire picture. Possible outcomes for ALG range from we hold Thursday pickups like normal all the way to we cancel market altogether for the week. We should all know by Tuesday evening (when the storm hits us) what the outcome will be, so I will keep you all informed. In the meantime, order as normal for now, and if we end of needing to adjust or cancel pickups, we will let you know so you can adjust your own orders as need be.

I’m going to leave you with some words from Matt Daniels of athensgaweather.com earlier today:

“I’m going to be honest in this status update. I don’t like the latest trends in the weather models. Let’s not focus on how much snow/ice will we see. We need to focus on the impact of this upcoming storm.

When it came to Hurricane Sandy, people focused too much on the winds of the storm when it was obvious the storm surge was the strongest part of it. At that point, it didn’t matter if it was a Category 2 storm or a tropical storm. The impact was the same.

When it comes to this storm, we will focus on the impact. What is the impact? Snow and ice. I’m very concerned about ice. Ice is something we haven’t seen in many years and I fully expect power outages if the models verify. With that said, buy your supplies now. Grab extra food in case you get stuck inside. Make sure you know of ways to stay warm. Have a kit in your car that has supplies such as blankets, extra food/water, and a safety kit. This has the potential to be a high impact storm that will affect North and Eastern Georgia.

Share this status, let people know, be prepared. Don’t let this storm surprise you. This storm will be a long duration event over a couple of days (Tuesday through Thursday). Have your electronics fully charged before it hits, and fill up your vehicles with gas in advance.

We will be here with the latest information as it comes available. However, we felt it was very important to push this information out there now. You have a full 24-30 hours to get things done before the storm hits. I’m pretty sure something significant will happen. However, if nothing happens, what’s the worse you can do? You’ll simply have extra food lying around."

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 (hopefully) on Thursday at Ben’s Bikes at the corner of Pope and Broad Streets from 4:30 to 8pm!

Upcoming Events

The “Starting a Small Farm Business” program is designed to provide farmers with information on the business aspects of operating a farm. This workshop covers important tools and resources a farm business needs to establish a solid foundation during its formative years. Participants will learn business basics such as defining target market, record-keeping, understanding cash flow, and the importance of a business plan. Registration: $30, includes light refreshments. Registration limited to 30 participants. Register online at http://www.georgiasbdc.org/ce/athens or call 706-542- 7436 for more information. Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 (Register by Feb. 7th) Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm Location: Oconee County Extension Office, 1420 Government Station Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677

The 2014 Master Composter Program is beginning January 29th. This nine week program is for those who would like to learn a great deal about the composting process and volunteer in the local community teaching others about the wonders of composting. DATES: Wednesday evenings, January 29th – Wednesday, March 26,2014 including two Saturday morning field trips as follows: Saturday, February 22 and March 16, 2014. TIMES: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM LOCATION: ACC Solid Waste Department Administration Building Training Room, 725 Hancock Industrial Way, Athens 30605 COST: $145 TO REGISTER: Contact ACC Cooperative Extension at (706) 613-3640

Winter is traditionally the time of year for farming conferences, since, in the past, farmers largely took the season off. That’s no longer the case, as the bountiful harvest offered at our market this week can attest, but it’s still the time of conferences. There are two coming up in the net few weeks you may be interested in. The first is offered by Georgia Organics, and is being held down in Tybee Island on February 21-22 this year. Not only is it a great conference for learning (I attended my first GO conference back in 2002 before I even put a single seed in the ground at my then new farm), but it can’t be surpassed for camaraderie and socialization with people who believe like we do in the re-building of sustainable local food systems. If you want to attend, you can find more information at their website here: http://georgiaorganics.org/conference. The South Carolina Organization for Organic Living has a much newer conference, but is even closer to us. It is being held on March 1st in Greenville. It is only one day, but it’s a jam-packed one. You can find more information here: http://www.scorganicliving.com/2014_Conference_Classes.html

Other Area Farmers Markets

The Washington-Wilkes Farmer’s Market in Washington is open every Saturday 9-12 behind the Washington Courthouse. Bishop has started their first ever “Bishop Central Winter Market” that runs every Sat. from 10-2 pm downtown Bishop, at Bradford Pottery on Hwy 441, from Dec 14 through Jan 18, featuring all local veggies, grass fed meats and cheeses, eggs, baked goods, farm crafts and more. The Athens Farmers Market has closed for the winter. You can watch for news during the offseason on their website. The other area markets I haven’t mentioned are also all closed for the season. We’ll be here all year round, however!

All of these other markets are separate from ALG (including 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!