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

It’s been a week of exploring other local food systems in our region for me, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I got to go up to Clayton, GA on Friday for the beginning of their yearly Garlic Festival, and it was great to see the resurgence that community has undergone recently. They were recently proclaimed the “Farm to Table Capital of Georgia” by an act of legislature, and it was clear to see how they made a strong case for themselves. Their town center is small, but it was lined with eateries and storefronts advertising their locally grown foods. After helping judge the garlic pie contest (they were all pretty great, by the way) I had a perfect bowl of mixed veggie gazpacho at Fortify, run by long-time champion of the North Georgia farmer Chef Jamie Allred. Next time you’re up that way, rest assured you’ll have no shortage of food options up there.

And today I went to the Sunday farmers market in Chattanooga, and was blown away by how huge that has gotten in recent years. It’s been a decade or so since I’ve been by the markets there, and the market I attended today was the largest farmers market I’ve been to in the south, hands down. There were well over a hundred vendors, a dozen or more food trucks, and even a cocktail bar. I spent several hours just walking around looking at everything, and I’m not sure I saw everything there was to see.

Athens Locally Grown is finishing up or 15th year in operation, and it astonishing the changes that have happened in our local food systems since 2002. It’s great to see that it’s not just Athens, too, but our entire region that has been lifted up. Here’s to that trend continuing!

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!

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 Wednesdays from 11am-2pm in the atrium at St. Mary’s Hospital. They have a website too. The Comer Farmers’ Market is open for the season on Saturday mornings from 9am to noon. Check www.facebook.com/comerfm for more information. The Oconee County Farmers Market is open on Saturdays in Watkinsville. Their website is www.oconeefarmersmarket.org. Washington, GA also has a lovely little Saturday market, running from 9-1. You can learn all about them here: www.washingtonfarmersmkt.com. If you know of any other area 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!