Availability for March 26

I spent the past two days on the campus of Agnes Scott College in Decatur, attending the annual Georgia Organics conference. Both the conference and the organization has really grown and expanded since I first began going eight years ago, and as I say every year, this one was the best conference yet. The highlight was the keynote address by Michael Pollan. His talk was essentially a “state of the movement” address for local and sustainable foods. One take-away was a quote from President Obama: “Make me do it. Show me the movement.” This was in response to a long discussion about sustainable foods and the pressures opposing them from the industrial food industry and government policies that directly or indirectly support that industry. The president, while he supports what we’re trying to do, needs to know there is a cry from the populous to reform those governmental policies that have encouraged monocultures of corn and soybeans and factory meat farms at the expense of so many other things. By buying a portion of your food from your local farmers, and be spreading the word about who they are and what they offer, you’re adding your voice to the cry that the president needs to hear.

On a related note, after that conversation, President Obama turned to his wife Michelle and said, “This is your issue, baby”. She apparently took that to heart, with the planting of an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn. If that or anything else has given you the urge to plant your own garden, but have some questions, please let us know. If we can’t answer them, we’ll point you to some resources that can. And no, we’re not worried about you growing all your own food and leaving Athens Locally Grown. It turns out that growing some of your own food changes your eating habits enough that gardeners often buy even more items from farmers markets than before :)

There are a few events coming up you might like to know about. First, I’ll be teaching a cooking class at The Rolling Pin in Beechwood on Monday, April 6th, from 6:30 to 8:30pm. The topic is all about the egg, and I’ll go through as many techniques for perfectly using eggs as two hours will allow. The cost is $35, and you can register at www.athensrollingpin.com. On April 18th, The Southern Seed Legacy will hold its 12th annual Seed Swap near at UGA’s Agrarian Connections Farm near Crawford. Even if you have no seeds to swap, come for the free seeds to try in your own garden, the great array of heirloom tomato and pepper seedlings, the bluegrass music, and the traditional barbeque. It looks like their website doesn’t show the current date yet, but you’ll be able to find out more at http://www.uga.edu/ebl/ssl/activities/seedswap/. This is on my short list of “don’t miss” yearly events.

Finally, on June 28th as part of AthFest, Craig Page, executive director of P.L.A.C.E. and myself will battle it out in an “Iron Chef” style local foods cooking competition. The event has just gotten approved and there are many details to be worked out, but I’m excited and already nervous.

Now, on to this week;s listing. I see several exciting things added this week, including the season’s first asparagus and a number of native wildflower seedlings ready to be planted. There are over 400 items in all. The farms are gardens are really starting to return to life!

Thanks for all of your support. We’ll see you on Thursday from 4:30 to 8pm at the old farmers market on Broad Street!