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

I don’t know about you, but I am loving all this rain we’ve been getting lately. Yes, I still haven’t finished planting my entire garden, but getting all this water in the ground is even more important. The Broad River, at the back of my land, has been full all spring, and it’s good knowing that later in the year, when things do get hot and dry, my well can water my gardens without worry of running dry. The days are heating up, though, so I guess Spring really is behind us. The asparagus and strawberries are almost gone, and I hear some of the local orchards are already picking peaches.

A few of you noticed last week the 3 Porch Farm has started listing one of the most popular items of summer, their honeypops. I ordered a few myself, and I’d already eaten them before pickups were over on Thursday. They have a freezer right there at Ben’s Bikes, so you don’t have to worry about them melting before you get there.

Also, you may have noticed that the numbers on the salmon from Doug’s Wild Alaska Salmon have been dwindling. Doug and his family have headed back up to Alaska for the summer fishing season, so what we have now is all we’ll have until they return in the fall. If you like grilling these filets and burgers during the summer months, fill your freezer now!

One other note this week. The state of Georgia has given administration of the SNAP program (food stamps) over to a new company, and they’ve made the transition this week. I’ve dealt with some terrible bureaucracies in my day, and this has been one of the worst. I’ve yet to receive the new equipment, and the old equipment was turned off today. So, until the new equipment arrives, we will not be able to accept SNAP cards as payment. If you rely on this, please be aware that the Athens FArmers Market, on Saturdays and Wednesdays, not only accepts SNAP, but they also are able to double your dollars thanks to a grant from Wholesome Wave Georgia. We’ve not been accepted into that program, so we encourage you to spend your SNAP dollars there while they’re open, and then return to us when they close in the Fall.

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

June 22nd: Be a Farmer For A Day at Dragonfly Farm in Nicholson, Georgia This is the fourth 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. David Hoescht is the farmer at Dragonfly Farm. He performs miracles- transforming areas of his property into fertile landscapes of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. These are all fed with his own home made compost and vermicompost. Come see how he does it, and help harvest berries and vegetables. Hands-on composting demonstrations! Meet new people, and purchase flowers and other farm products. A Local lunch will include products from Dragonfly Farm such as greens, field peas, and fruit cobbler. To sweeten the pot, thousands of day lilies of wide variety will be in full bloom that weekend! Bring a fishing pole if you’d like to stay a while after we work. 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!