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

A happy Fathers Day goes out to all you dads out there tonight. I was able to spend part of mine getting some quality garden time in, which is always nice. I can’t remember the last time I was this optimistic about my garden this late in June. I’ve been able to stay ahead of the weeds, most everything I planted germinated, I’ve got mulch down, and even the eggplants have outgrown the flea beetles. I’ve probably jinxed it all by typing this, but it really has been a great growing season. Yeah, the rain has been intense at times, but it beats the other extreme every time.

Looking ahead on the calendar, I only just noticed that the 4th of July falls on a Thursday this year. In years past, we would have spent a lot of time working out an alternative, but the explosion of area farmers markets now means you have alternatives pretty much every other day of the week. So, we’ll just plan on giving our growers a much earned day off and just skip our own market that week. I’ll remind you again between now and then so you can do your shopping for the 4th at one of the other markets.

And to follow up on the EBT status, the new contractor the state of Georgia has hired to administer the program has shut off the old equipment used to scan cards and has yet to send us the new equipment needed. Until they do, we can not accept EBT/SNAP cards. I apologize for this, and hope they get their act together very soon. If you rely on EBT/SNAP at our market, 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.

Finally, our next Farmer for a DAy event is this coming Saturday at Dragonfly Farm in Nicholson. I enjoy all of our Farmer for a Day events, but the last time we were at David Hoescht’s farm was one of my favorites (don’t tell our other growers I said that). We have only a very few slots still open, so make your reservations ASAP if you’d like to join us this coming Saturday. Look down a few lines for more details.

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 Oconee Farmers Market is now open on Tuesdays 4-7pm on Main Street next to the First Christian Church along with their Saturday hours of 8am-1pm in front of the Court House in Watkinsville. The Washington-Wilkes Farmer’s Market in Washington is open every Saturday 9-12 behind the Washington Courthouse. The Royston Farmers market is Thursday mornings downtown. Many of the ALG vendors sell at multiple markets, so you can find plenty of good food at these other markets.

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!