The Weblog
This weblog contains LocallyGrown.net news and the weblog entries from all the markets currently using the system.
To visit the authoring market’s website, click on the market name located in the entry’s title.
Suwanee Whole Life Co-op: Market is OPEN for orders!
ORDERING:
The market is now open for ordering!
suwanee.locallygrown.net
If you do NOT receive a confirmation email immediately after you placed your order, then your items are still in your cart and your order is not complete. All orders must be placed by 5pm on Sunday.
PICK UP:
Pick up is on Tuesday at 4942 Austin Park Avenue, Buford 30518 from 1pm to 6:45 pm.
PAYMENT:
We take checks, cash, credit card and Dwolla
If you are planning to pay using Dwolla please make sure your deposit includes the 25 cents fee. For example, if your order total is $22.50 make your deposit for $22.75.
Please make sure you understand our pick up policy before you order.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Nora
Heirloom Living Market Lawrenceville : Market is Open! Come on in...
The Market Is now Open…Happy Shopping!
Pickup Day and Time: TUESDAY 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Pickup Location: Crossfit Ozone
519 Hurricane Shoals Rd., Suite J
Lawrenceville, GA 30046
~Maryanne
“Like” us on facebook!
Take me to the Market.
Heirloom Living Market Hamilton Mill: Hamilton Mill Market is Open ... Come on In!
The Market Is now Open…Happy Shopping!
Important News
Thank you for your support!
See you at Market on TUESDAY!
See you at Market on TUESDAY!
“Like” us on facebook!
BUY LOCAL ~ Know your Farmer!
Heirloom Living Market Lilburn: Come on in...the Market is Open!
The Market Is now Open…Happy Shopping!
Market closes SUNDAY at 8:00pm
For the week of New Years, pickup will be on Tuesday, December 30th from 4:00 – 6:00pm!
Pickup Day and Time: Tuesday 4:00 – 6:00pm
Pickup Location: All Saints Lutheran Church
722 Rockbridge Road SW
Lilburn, GA 30047
Click Here for Map
Thank you for your support!
See you at Market on TUESDAY!
See you at Market on TUESDAY!
“Like” us on facebook!
BUY LOCAL ~ Know your Farmer!
Joyful Noise Acres Farm: Good morning!
I hope you all are having a wonderful week.
I want to take a moment to welcome the new Farm Members. Enjoy browsing the market and please let me know if you have any questions. You are also welcomed to contact any of the farmers or artisans to inquire about their products or methods. So Welcome and thank you for choosing JNA Farm Market for your local food needs.
Given the holiday yesterday, some of the growers may be later updating their items but there is still plenty of goodness to choose from.
January 10 is the SourDough Baking class. Please sign up under the Event tab on the Market. This will be a hands on class to learn about sourdough bread, flatbreads, crackers, muffins and pancakes.
Warmest blessings to all,
Mary yBeth
Suwanee Whole Life Co-op: Merry Christmas! Tuesday pickup next week
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Suwanee Whole Life Co-op
How to contact us:
Our Website: suwanee.locallygrown.net
Pick Up Location: 4942 Austin Park Avenue, Buford GA 30518 on Tuesdays
Facebook: Suwanee Whole Life Co-op
Tuesday Pick Up
I hope everyone had a joyful Christmas! Due to the holiday the market will open a little later than normal tomorrow.
We will have Tuesday pick up as usual next week. There is no schedule change due to the holidays! If you have a produce box, Nature’s Garden Express will deliver to the warehouse on Tuesday.
If you are planning on going out of town please and won’t be able to pick up your produce box *on Tuesday please make sure your box is on *VACATION HOLD. You can call Nature’s Garden at (770) 441-9976 to put your box on hold.
Thank you! Happy New year!
HELP! We need Volunteers!!
*THANK YOU Diana,Heather,Virginia, Stephanie, and Lanay for helping on Tuesday! You guys are a blessing! We couldn’t have a co-op without volunteers and we appreciate you all so much!
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS NEXT WEEK FOR THE 5-6 PM slot! Please consider helping out if you can.
If you are interested in volunteering, I have created a volunteer sign up on Signup Genius. I am asking for volunteers to sign up for 1 hour shifts from 2p to 6:45 pm. No packing is involved just need someone to be there to assist other members. You are welcome to bring your kids as long as they are supervised. Here is the link to the sign up http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A44AEA623A7FA7-volunteer
The link is also posted on the About page on our website.
Thank you in advance for your support!
Upcoming Group Buys
Below is a list of upcoming co-op group buys to help with planning and budgeting. All dates are subject to change.
Yesteryear Homewares & reCap – Milk Carriers and Pour caps – 1/16/15 – 1/18/15
Great Lakes Gelatin – Collagen Hydrolysate 1/23/15 – 1/25/15
Green Pasture – Fermented Cod Liver Oils- 1/23/15 – 1/25/15
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!
Middle Tennessee Locally Grown: Manchester Locally Grown Online Farmer's Market - It's Time to Order
Manchester Locally Grown Farmers’ Market
How to contact us:
Our Website: manchester.locallygrown.net
On Facebook: Manchester Locally Grown Online Farmers’ Market
By e-mail: tnhomeschooler@yahoo.com
By phone: (931) 273-9708
On Thursdays: Here’s a map.
Hello, friends,
Welcome to another week of shopping at Manchester Locally Grown online farmers’ market. We are now open for ordering. This week, pickup will be on Tuesday the 30th. This means ordering will end on Monday at noon. We will be back on our regular schedule next week.
Here’s a message from Dogwood Valley Greenhouse:
Dogwood Valley Greenhouse has some very nice herb baskets which will make useful as well as pretty table decorations this winter. With a little water and a little artificial light, they will produce clippings for your wintertime cooking. Available herbs are:
LEMON BALM
MINTS (chocolate, peppermint, pineapple [variegated], spearmint, grapefruit)
OREGANO (Greek or variegated)
ROSEMARY
RUE
SAGE, Garden
STEVIA (small but healthy)
THYME (Lemon, English, silver-edged, citrus, lime)
Please specify three herbs to be included. Finished basket is approximately 12" diameter and 6" tall.
We have a couple left-over kissing balls that will make good decorations for your winter garden for several more weeks. Right now these are on after-Christmas close-out special, marked half-price.
We also have some other nice houseplants, dish gardens, windowsill gardens, and hanging baskets to brighten up your indoor wintertime. Check them out on the market!
Here is a message that I have received from White City Produce & Greenhouses:
Last week was my last week on the market till Spring. Thanks to everyone for your support this season, and we’re looking forward to a great 2015 season! Happy New Year!
However, our local area has several other sources for seasonal vegetables and fruits – YES! even in winter! Please check the offerings of Frontier Family Farms, Solace Farm, Doorstep Bakery, and Basically Breads. Sometimes we have to get a little creative in winter, in order to include fruits and vegetables into our diets. These farmers can help!
I’d like to point you toward some great information concerning getting hold of fruits and vegetables during fall and winter. From GAIAM Life, we learn the reasons to eat items which are available seasonally include:
At The World’s Healthiest Foods, we read:
In fall, turn toward the more warming, autumn harvest foods, including carrot, sweet potato, onions, and garlic. Also emphasize the more warming spices and seasonings including ginger, peppercorns, and mustard seeds.
In winter, turn even more exclusively toward warming foods. Remember the principle that foods taking longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. All of the animal foods fall into the warming category including fish, chicken, beef, and lamb. So do most of the root vegetables, including carrot, potato, onions and garlic. Eggs also fit in here, as do corn and nuts.
Please note that a great many items on the seasonal list are available at Manchester Locally Grown market. We are your source of fresh, local seasonal products. Order some today and give them a try. Boost your immune system while supporting your friends and neighbors who have grown and produced these items.
A sampling of items available from our local farmers: (L to R) Sourdough Bread from Basically Breads, Duck eggs from Solace Farm, Extra sage Sausage from Weaver Farms, Popcorn from Wayne Diller, and Windowsill Herb Collection from Dogwood Valley Greenhouse.
This week and next,we’ll see you for pickup of your order on Tuesday between 3:00 and 4:30 at Square Books, 113 E Main, Manchester. We can also hold your order in the refrigerator till Wednesday, if that’s more convenient for you. Just call (931) 273-9708 if you prefer to utilize this free service.
Thanks so much for your support of Manchester Locally Grown Market, all of our growers, local food, and our right to eat it. Please encourage our local farmers by helping to spread the word about our wonderful market to everyone you know. Nothing makes a farmer more excited than seeing new customers on the market!
Blessings,
Linda
Gwinnett Locally Grown: Market is open! Merry Christmas!
The Market is open Thursday at 9 – Monday at noon After that, ordering is disabled until Thursday morning. Pick up your order Tuesday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. only at Rancho Alegre Farm at 2225 Givens Road, Dacula, GA 30019. New to The Market? Learn about how it works here.
MARKET NEWS
Holiday Schedule
We will be open Tuesday, December 30th so you can order for New Year’s!
I want to give a special thanks to all of you who support our Market! We feel it’s important to eat well to keep us in good health. We are honored to be able to provide the Market to you every week. It is my sincere hope that all of you have a very wonderful holiday and that you are with those you love to celebrate this wonderful time of year! We appreciate each and every one of you!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
The Veggie Patch at Bouchard Farms
USDA Certified Organic
Local USDA Organic Produce Farm
Website: www.veggiepatchga.com
The Veggie Patch grows a huge variety of organic vegetables practicing sustainable organic farming in order to provide locally grown produce for a healthy lifestyle. On our 300 acre farm we harvest from about 30 acres as well as from 7 green houses.
The Veggie Patch organic veggies can be purchased at Athens Farmer’s Market, on-line locally grown markets, at the farm, or join our CSA to get a veggie box every week.
Callidora Farms
Website: www.callidorafarms.com
Grass-fed, pasture raised meats
Callidora Farms is owned and managed by Raul and Genel Rivera (The Farmers). Farming is new to them, but it has been in Raul’s heart since his childhood days. In 2008, Raul began searching for the perfect land to purchase and start farming. After 5 years of searching, he finally found the perfect 71-acre plot in historical Madison, GA where he and his family could live the dream of operating a sustainable farm. Soon after buying the land, The Farmers realized that sustainable farming is both a way of life and a business. Having little knowledge in farming, the first year and a half was a definite learning curve. During that learning curve the one philosophy they adhered to was to provide natural solutions to all of the challenges that they face so that the animals experience the best life possible.
A growing number of people want to know where their food comes from, how it is being raised, and who is raising it. The Farmers believe that the best way to obtain these answers is to get connected to farmers who are very passionate about how food is raised. Their passion for staying connected to their food source drives them to continue to seek better ways to farm.
We also have yummy baked goods in time for the holidays!
Rancho Alegre Freshly Made
Website: ranchoalegrefarm.com
Rancho Alegre Freshly Made produces freshly-made products for you and your family. We focus on gluten-free, low carb baking as well as healthy salsas with NO PRESERVATIVES. Everything made fresh on market pick up day.
If you are trying to be gluten-free or are looking for delicious freshly-made products, order from Rancho Alegre Freshly Made.
We also have Wilderness Family Naturals Coconut Sugar, Flour and Organic Popcorn in the Market for sale! When you come to pick up your order, check them out! They are also now online!
Please be sure to check out ALL our great Growers to prepare for your Holiday baking and meals!!
Remember we have Kombucha available! If you are not familiar with it, Kombucha is a naturally fermented tea with natural probiotics! It has been around for centuries originating in Asia. It is said to have healing properties and because it is naturally fermented, is a great support for the digestive system. When your here, ask me for a sample! I’d love your feedback!
If there is something you’d like to see in the Market, please let me know! I would love your imput!
Remember…
The Market is extending their hours! The Market will now be open from 4:00 to 7:00pm!
Having said that, if you place an order with us, PLEASE remember to pick it up on Tuesday. As I am so grateful for your orders, I also have a family at home waiting on me too! We cannot hold orders, especially cold items due to limited refrigeration space, so please be courteous and come for your order.
CLICK HERE NOW to Shop Gwinnett Locally Grown!
Thanks for all your support!
Shop often and eat well!
Cheryl Gelatt
Market Manager
grow@ranchoalegrefarm.com
Fresh Wishes,
Pilar Quintero
Market Host
Rancho Alegre Farm
Please email grow@ranchoalegrefarm.com for questions pertaining to Market or Raw Milk. It is very difficult to return phone calls. Remember to interact with us on Facebook and follow us on Meetup to get notification on all our wonderful events and news.
Athens Locally Grown: Availability for October 14
It’ll be just a quick “opening bell” email from me tonight. The biggest news of the week is that Athens Locally Grown has finally been approved to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program EBT cards! I say “finally” because I’ve been trying for almost five years, as soon as the USDA approved EBT use at farmers markets, to get ALG accepted into the program. I could go on at length about the bureaucratic odyssey I’ve undergone, but the important thing is we have been accepted. We can’t yet accept EBT payments, however! We still have to get the accounts set up and the equipment in place. I’m hopeful that we’ll have everything we need by the time the Athens Farmers Market (both locations began accepting EBT payments this season) closes for the year next month. If I can make that happen, then there will be an uninterrupted opportunity for those needing EBT to obtain fresh, locally grown food. Athens Locally Grown is not yet part of the Wholesome Wave program (a non-profit that doubles the value of SNAP money spent at farmers markets), but I’ve enquired about becoming a part of it in 2011. I’ll keep you all informed!
Athens Locally Grown Hunter’s Moon Feast: October 23, Saturday, at Boann’s Banks (Royston, Franklin County)
“The October full moon has been known as the “Hunter’s Moon” for millennia, and was a time of feasting throughout the Northern hemisphere. We revive the notion here with a day of feasting at Boann’s Banks (the farm of Athens Locally Grown managers Chris and Eric Wagoner) on the banks of the Broad River outside Royston. It’ll be a low-key affair, without any farm work for you to do. Just good food and drink (Eric will prepare a variety of dishes using locally grown vegetables and locally raised meats, and perhaps brew an adult beverage. There’s also the likelihood of home-brewed beer, and the possibility of good live music. There’ll certainly be good company (all of you), and a river to splash in. There’s even some camping space, for those who really want to enjoy the moon. Come any time, but I’ll be aiming for 2pm to have the BBQ and other dishes ready. Stay as long as you’d like, even into Sunday. Nights are chilly, though, so bring a tent if you’re wanting to do that. There is no charge for Locally Grown members and their families. We do ask that you bring a dish to share, and if it’s made from Locally Grown ingredients, so much the better." You can make your reservations for the feast on the Market page of the website, under the Event Reservations category.
The Athens Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning at Bishop Park from 8am to noon and every Tuesday evening at Little Kings downtown. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.
Also, Watkinsville has a thriving farmers market every Saturday morning, behind the Eagle Tavern. And further east, Comer has a nice little market Saturday mornings as well. 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!
Athens Locally Grown: Availability for September 16
To Contact Us
Our Website: http://athens.locallygrown.net
On Twitter: @athlocallygrown
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/athenslocallygrown
Recipes
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Served hot or cold, this soup is packed with a savory-sweet roasted pepper flavor that might have you skipping the main course and opting for a second bowl of soup instead. It’s preferable to use home-made roasted red bell peppers in this soup. From Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables.
Serves 4 to 6
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 small potato, quartered
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or thyme, or 1/2 tablespoon dried, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 large red bell peppers, roasted, skinned, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
salt
freshly grated Parmesan cheese croutons (optional)
1. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, potato, garlic, bay leaf, and herbs; sauté until potato and onion begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the roasted peppers, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 30 seconds.
2. Pour in stock or water and scrape up any of the flavorful caramelized pieces stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer; cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Purée soup in a blender or food processor or run it through a food mill. Return it to the pot and heat until warmed through. Add the balsamic vinegar and a few grindings of fresh black pepper. Taste; add salt if desired.
4. Garnish each serving with some Parmesan, a little fresh herb, and croutons if desired.
Coming Events
Athens Locally Grown Hunter’s Moon Feast: October 23, Saturday, at Boann’s Banks (Royston, Franklin County)
“The October full moon has been known as the “Hunter’s Moon” for millennia, and was a time of feasting throughout the Northern hemisphere. We revive the notion here with a day of feasting at Boann’s Banks (the farm of Athens Locally Grown managers Chris and Eric Wagoner) on the banks of the Broad River outside Royston. It’ll be a low-key affair, without any farm work for you to do. Just good food and drink (Eric will prepare a variety of dishes using locally grown vegetables and locally raised meats, and perhaps brew an adult beverage. There’s also the possibility of home-brewed beer, and the likelihood of good live music. There’ll certainly be good company (all of you), and a river to splash in. There’s even some camping space, for those who really want to enjoy the moon. Come any time, but I’ll be aiming for 2pm to have the BBQ and other dishes ready. Stay as long as you’d like, even into Sunday. Nights are chilly, though, so bring a tent if you’re wanting to do that. There is no charge for Locally Grown members and their families. We do ask that you bring a dish to share, and if it’s made from Locally Grown ingredients, so much the better." You can make your reservations for the feast on the Market page of the website, under the Event Reservations category.
The Athens Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning at Bishop Park from 8am to noon and every Tuesday evening at Little Kings downtown. It’s a totally separate entity from Athens Locally Grown, but you’ll find many of the same growers at both. And of course, you can learn more about that market on their website.
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!
Market News
August and September bring many new people to Athens, and many new people to Athens Locally Grown, so I thought this week I’d give a brief primer on how ALG works. Those of you who have been with us during these last nine years probably already know all this, but I’ll try to keep it interesting for you too.
First off, ALG is best thought of like a traditional farmers market, because except for the lack of tents and tables, that’s very much how we operate. The growers are putting their own items up for sale directly to you, at prices and quantities they have set. The market volunteers and I are here to make sure it all happens smoothly, but the growers are all selling their products directly to you. GRowers do have to apply to sell through the market, and I personally approve each of them before they list their products. Here’s a summary of the standards we have set:
- All growers must use sustainable practices and never use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
- All growers can only sell what they themselves have grown
- All growers must be from the greater Athens area. Right now, this means within about 75 miles
- All animals raised for meat or eggs must be pastured
- Handicrafts must be made primarily from items produced or gathered on the farm
- Prepared foods must use organic ingredients if at all possible, and locally grown ingredients if at all possible
- All proper licenses, when required by law, must be obtained
When I’ve turned down requests to sell through ALG (and I have turned down many), the items clearly broke one or more of those standards. There are a few edge cases that I take on a case by case basis, such as coffee. In cases like that, we set the standards as strict as we can. With coffee, for example, the beans must be sustainably grown, they must be roasted locally, and the roaster must have a direct business relationship with the farm that grew the beans.
So, the growers list their available products and set their prices. For most all of the products, they do this before they’ve harvested the items, so they have to estimate how much they will actually have. They’ve gotten pretty good at this guess, but it is a guess, and the unpredictable nature of farming means they may have far less than they thought (thanks to deer, a hail storm, etc.) or they may have far more than they thought (a nice rain can double the growth of lettuce overnight, for example). Most of them are conservative with their estimates, and so they let you continue to order, even if they’ve already sold more than they guessed they’d have. That’s why popular items may have a quantity in the negatives when you look at the listings. The system will still let you order, on the chance that they’ll actually have enough, but you’ll get warnings along the way that you’re taking a gamble.
I do not collect items from the farm, and do not know myself until Thursday afternoon what the growers were able to harvest and bring in to town. The growers do have each other’s contact information, so if one grower is short and another has a surplus, they may arrange with each other to get all the orders filled, but in general, if a grower cannot fill an order for something, they’ll remove that ordered item, and you’ll see a comment on your invoice indicating that. Since i’m not a middle-man, I can’t arrange for substitutions myself.
When the growers bring in the items you ordered on Thursday afternoon, packaged and labelled with your name, I pay them on your behalf out of our shared cash box during the hour before we open the market. Then, you arrive and pay into the cashbox for your order. We then rush to the bank to deposit the money to cover the checks we just wrote to the growers. As explained elsewhere on the website, you are really ordering directly from and paying the growers yourself, but our shared cashbox system makes things convenient for you and them. (Imagine if you ordered from ten growers having to write ten checks when you picked up your items!) This shared cashbox system does mean that if you place an order and then never arrive to pick it up, we’re left holding the bag. For that reason, you are responsible for paying for orders not picked up, and that amount is automatically added on to your next order for your convenience.
For a number of legal reasons, ALG never takes possession of your ordered items. We don’t buy them from the growers and resell them to you, nor do we repackage them in any way. The growers drop off your items for you, and you arrive and pick them up. The market volunteers facilitate that happening. Because of the need to maintain that separation, we cannot deliver, nor can we generally hold your items later than 8pm on Thursday if you fail to come pick them up. We start calling those who haven’t arrived by 7:30, but most of the time we just get answering machines and voice mail. Anything still at our pickup location at 8pm will get divided up among those there at the time, primarily our volunteers, and then we finish loading up the truck and leave. There are some things you can do to insure you won’t get charged for things you didn’t come get:
1. If you know prior to Tuesday at 8pm that you won’t be able to come get your order, send me an email and I will cancel your order.
2. If you find out later that you can’t come, send me an email. So long as I know before market begins, I can put the things you ordered on the “extras” table, and your fellow customers will almost certainly buy them for you.
3. If you discover Thursday while we’re at market that you can’t arrive, give me a call at 706-248-1860. I’ll put your items on the “extras” table, and if they sell, you’ll be off the hook.
4. If you have a cell phone, make sure that number is the number on your account. You can go to the “Your Account” page on the website to be sure. If you’re out and about and I get your home phone or your work phone, no one gets helped.
There’s often a sizable pile of things up for grabs at 8pm. If you’re in the area and want to do a little extra shopping, swing by at about ten til (or wait until then to come get your own order). There may be things for sale you want, and you can save a fellow customer a charge to their account. Our volunteer workers get to split things up as a benefit of working, but paying customers do come first. And it usually seems there are several things sitting there that were in high demand that week.
Finally, we have recently switched to a paperless system, so we do not have paper receipts for you when you pick up your order. An electronic receipt is generated, though, and can be found on the website. Go to the “Your Account” page, view your order history, and you’ll see an invoice for each order. By 2pm on Thursday, it will show what we expect to have for you that evening. After we fill your order, it will show exactly what we packed for you, and what, if anything, was missing. You can view that at any time, even years from now. If we didn’t get you something we should have, or if anything you got was of unacceptable quality, please contact me ASAP. I’ll share the problem with the grower so we can insure it won’t happen again. If you’re logged into the site, most of the growers have their contact info on their profile page (off the “Our Growers” page), so you can contact them directly if you choose.
So, that’s ALG in a nutshell. If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or even complements, please send them my way!
Thanks so much for your support of Athens Locally Grown and everything we’ve tried to accomplish. With your help, we’ve been able to build something truly great and inspirational to people all across the country, more than you could know. Thank you also for your support of 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!