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

There are a number of exciting products listed this week! First off, the first berries of the summer are listed, in VERY limited quantities. Blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are all making their first appearance, which means we ought to be seeing truckloads of them in the coming weeks.

I’m also really excited about a first for ALG: locally grown and bottled cooking oil. Front Field Farm listed this last week and I didn’t see it in time to write about it, but they’ve got it listed again until it’s gone. They grew a plot of non-GMO canola at their farm in Danielsville, and took the seed to a canola mill in Commerce for pressing and bottling. The first run is in, and it’s a really nice product, and not something we’ve seen in Athens for a long, long time. Their first bottling was a small run experiment, but it worked well enough their planning on growing more this season and bottling that as well. Grab some while you can, because there will be a gap between bottlings.

Finally, we welcome Morgan County Cheeseworks to ALG. You’ve likely seen Bob Weckback’s cheese at other markets and restaurant menus around this part of the state, and now you can buy them directly from him through ALG. This week he has both his feta and his own semi-firm style of cheese listed.

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 Events

UGA Organic Farm Twilight Tour
Organic and sustainable agriculture experts from the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will host the fourth annual Organic Twilight Tour on Tuesday, June 23, from 6-8 p.m at the Durham Horticulture Farm at 1221 Hog Mountain Road in Watkinsville, Georgia. The open house is a chance for farmers and gardeners to learn about some of the newest research being conducted on the 90-acre farm, where the college’s organic research plots are located. Researchers and students will give talks and describe demonstration plots where the latest organic cultivation practices are tested. This open house is free and no registration is required. More information is available at SustainAgGa.org. A rain date is set for 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24. For more information, check the UGA Sustainable Agriculture website at http://SustainAgGA.org or email Jessica Cudnik at jescud@uga.edu.

Inventing a More Sustainable Agriculture: Field Day at UGA J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center’s West Unit
Research faculty and University of Georgia Extension specialists with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are hosting a sustainable agriculture field day at the J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center in Watkinsville, Georgia, on Thursday, June 25, from 6-8 p.m. Researchers will discuss the latest findings on production practices for corn and in forages that can help increase profitability and decrease environmental impacts. Farmers and those interested in conservation land management should plan to attend. Registration will be free and is on-site. Parking will be available at the Oconee CountyCivic Center at 2661 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville. Shuttles will transport participants to and from the J. Phil Campbell Sr. West Unit field site every 10 minutes. For more information, check the UGA Sustainable Agriculture website at http://SustainAgGA.org or email Jessica Cudnik at jescud@uga.edu.

UGA Extension’s School Garden Workshop for Teachers
University of Georgia Extension is hosting an online and hands-on training program for Georgia teachers who want to start new school gardens or maximize the use of existing school gardens. The workshop will cover garden care and maintenance as well as strategies to build lesson plans, around the school garden, that cover state standards in all subject areas. Teachers will leave with a complete lesson plan that can be used when they head back to class in the fall. The hands-on workshop portion of the class will be held at in Athens, Georgia, at UGArden on Thursday, June 25. Pre-registration is required and the course will cost $25. Teachers will receive a certificate of completion for their records. To register or for more information, visit http://ugaurbanag.com/schoolgarden.

Other Area Farmers Markets

The Athens Farmers Market is open on Saturdays at Bishop Park and Wednesday afternoons downtown at Creature Comforts. You can catch the news on their website. The West Broad Farmers Market from the Athens Land Trust is open Saturday mornings and their farm stand is open Tuesday afternoons. They have a website too. A new Athens Sunday market has opened up at the Classic Center, every Sunday from 11 to 4 now through October. They have a website here: http://www.sundaycentermarket.com. The Comer Farmers Market is open in downtown Comer on Saturday mornings. The Oconee County farmers market is open Saturday mornings in front of the Oconee County Courthouse in Watkinsville. The Shields Ethridge Cultivator Market is held monthly in Jefferson. If you know of any markets operating, please let me know.

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!