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 weather this week has me at a loss for words. All the growers I’ve talked to, too. Farmers are always ready to talk about the weather, but now they seem to all just throw up their hands and mutter something under their breath. Livestock tend to shrug off short-term changes in the weather and go about their business, but the weather induces more permanent changes in plants. An early heat wave can make fruit trees bud early, for example, leaving them vulnerable to a later frost. Cold, wet weather is great for leafy greens like cabbages, since it makes the leaves grow quickly to better capture the fading sunlight, but fruiting plants don’t at all care for it. Annually will grow more slowly and keep going right on until frost, but perennials can mis-interpret the weather as a sign that winter is nearly here, and they’ll begin to go dormant. Pollinators will begin to huddle in their hives, and that leaves fewer out in the rain to fertilize the flowers that are on the plants.

We will undoubtably get some more typically summer weather in the coming weeks, maybe even with temperatures in the upper nineties or higher. And when it comes, it’s possible even the plants will just throw up their hands, mutter something to themselves, and just give up. It’s things like this that keeps farming interesting.

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!

Farmer for a Day!

“The 5th and final event in our 2013 series of Farmer for a Day Tours will be held Sunday, September 15, from 10 am to 2 pm in Winterville, Clarke County. Each event offers you a chance to experience real work on the farm, so come prepared! The work session will last for two hours. You may want to bring your own work gloves, weeding or digging tools, pruners or lopping shears, etc. if you have them. Be sure to appropriately prepare for the weather 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 a day in the country. Please plan to closely supervise your children during all activities. Water will be provided during the work session and lunch is provided. Farmers may 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, bring your own water bottle with you. Full Moon Coop was a collective of sustainable fruit & vegetable farms founded in 2002 by a group of farmers, ecologists, chefs and educators. Their mission is to offer innovative farm-based solutions in attempt to answer the social, environmental and economic challenges of today. Today, they are one farm located at Roots Farm in Winterville, GA. Full Moon Coop invites you to rediscover the abundance of regional and seasonal eating by connecting to the land where your food is grown and the farmers who grow it. This is a kid-friendly event, and a hat and work gloves will come in handy. The work session will probably include weeding. Don’t miss this final event of the season! For questions, contact event coordinator Cathy Payne at broadriverpastures@gmail.com.”

This is the last tour for the year, but we will be having our annual “Hunter’s Moon Feast” in October at my place here in Royston. I’ll have more information about that later, but you might want to go ahead and circle October 19th on your calendars.

Other Area Farmers Markets

The Athens Farmers Market is open on Saturday mornings at Bishop Park and Wednesday evenings downtown (see their website for info). The West Broad Farmers Market is open Tuesday afternoons as well as the first Saturday of the month (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. The Comer Farmers Market, on Madison Street downtown, is open Saturday mornings from 9am to 1pm. Their Facebook page is at Facebook.com/Comerfm.

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!