StPete.LocallyGrown.Net:  Market NOW Open - Mar. 16, 2015 - Welcome Valued Customers!

South Cumberland Farmer's Market:  Connecting Children with Nature - Symposium

Connecting Children with Nature
featuring Richard Louv
Friday, April 10, 2015
The University of the South
Sewanee, Tennessee

The Friends of South Cumberland State Park invite you to the Connecting Children with Nature Symposium featuring Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.
The symposium will be held at Sewanee, The University of the South and is open to nature educators, state park staff and environmental education teachers and students. Morning concurrent sessions on a variety of topics are featured, followed by an afternoon panel discussion with Richard Louv and special guests.
The workshop is free but space is limited. Registration required.
Please register at the link below:
http://richard-louv-at-sewanee.eventbrite.com

Conyers Locally Grown:  Available for Friday March 20

I hope this finds you all doing well. Sorry for the delay, the market is open and ready for orders. We will see you Friday at Copy Central between 5-7.
Thank you,
Brady

Atlanta Locally Grown:  Available for Saturday March 21

I hope this finds you all doing well. Sorry for the delay. The market is open and ready orders. We will see you Saturday at your selected delivery location; Brookhaven, Piedmont or Sandy springs.
Thank you,
Brady

Princeton Farm Fresh:  The Market is Open

Could it be that it is finally Spring? Our sheep think so, and consequently I have been on lamb duty this morning. Our first set of lambs (a boy and a girl) were born just an hour ago. I look forward to more veggies in the coming weeks?
See you at the market on Friday,
Angela

Citrus County Locally Grown:  Spring has sprung!

Our growers thank you for supporting local growers and businesses. Your orders make a real difference

I’m sorry for the delay in the blog. We’ve been busy, busy, busy!

A reminder…COW MILK IS AVAILABLE but we need to get our order to the farm on Tuesday so we will stop taking orders for milk, MONDAY NIGHT. Please do place your order early as to not be disappointed!!

A New Earth Farm and Feed is back on the market with Goat Milk and Goat Cheese

3 Rock Farm
This week we have Eggs and Microgreens! Microgreens contain considerably higher levels of vitamins and carotenoids — up to five times greater than their mature plant counterparts. Put some Microgreens in soups, salads and sandwiches and add some extra nutrients today with these varieties:
*Arugula
*Bok Choy
*Mild Brassica Mix
Expect Spring vegetables soon!

Thank you for supporting your On-Line Farmers Market. Your purchases have made a difference to many families

Your CCLG Team

THE MARKET IS OPEN
The link below will take you there.

www.citruscounty.locallygrown.net/.*

Tullahoma Locally Grown:  Yarn and Fiber!

Good morning!

Tom has listed his oh-so-delicious Austrian Pea Shoots and Deep-Set farm has watercress.

This week Solace Farm listed a Scottish Highland Tanned Hide and some gorgeous handspun alpaca yarn.

Also this week Fuel So Good Coffee Roasters has a 1 lb Whole Bean “Healing Grounds” for Partners for Healing. $5 per purchase is donated directly to Partners for Healing, a Tullahoma not-for-profit providing health services to uninsured in Coffee, Franklin and Moore Counties. We source only Fair Trade Organic (FTO) green coffee beans. This means many things to the consumer (you), the coffee farmer and us as a responsible business.

An announcement from Dogwood Valley Greenhouse:
Hello, spring! The daffodils are beginning to open! Dogwood Valley Greenhouse has daffodil bouquets in clear glass vases available on the market this week. We also have several succulent planters which will be a great table or desk decoration or Easter gift. They can also be moved outside for the frost-free time, from early May till October. What wonderful cheerful gifts for a friend, or for yourself!

Joyful Noise Acres Farm:  Maple Syrup and Olive Oil

Don’t forget to place your orders before 8:00 tonight.

*Joyful Noise Acres Farm, Four Mile Farm and White Gates Farm *are taking orders for whole hams and Leg of Lamb for the holidays. Send an e-mail to Marybeth@pasturedmeats.com to reserve yours. Please indicate the size you would like and we will do our best to have it for you.

One of our market customers has purchased 3L tins of Olea Estates Organic Olive Oil. This oil comes from Greece, is a single pressing oil and is delicious. With all the evidence surrounding Olive Oil being cut with other oils, it is difficult to find pure oil. Cindy has done her research on this matter. If you are interested in a tin, her email is gloryspill@gmail.com. I will have the oil here on Wednesday for those of you that would like to taste it. When you order a tin directly from her, you can pick it up here. The cost is $72 per tin.

*Maple Syrup *Time: It is time to order the syrup. We are looking for mid April delivery. I am listing it on the market for your convenience but prefer you complete the order form and snail mail it back with your check. Email me for a copy of the form.

Thanks and have a great day!
Mary Beth

Heirloom Living Market Lilburn:  Market Tidbits -- Please Read

I hope you will take a few minutes to read a little news from the Market this week…

Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to provide you with what you want from the local Farmers/Growers and Producers; but, please understand that Buying Local means supporting those who are committed to providing ‘Local’!

Tidbits

Please keep Tammy Burnell of Burnell Farms in your prayers. She was hospitalized last Thursday and had Gallbladder surgery. She is recovering but in pain. Please pray for her fast recovery.

…on a happier note…
Marie Wheeler of Bakery on Brooks and her fabulous husband Chuck Wheeler are celebrating their 41st Anniversary tomorrow! Marie does not have items on the Market this week so that they can take time to celebrate.

Offerings you may want to check out…

Greg Hutchins of Heritage Farm has outstanding grass-fed Meats! On Special this week are: Boston Butt, Bone-In Pork Shoulder Roast and Thick cut Pork Chops!

Availability of Chicken is still a way off yet. Growing out chickens over the winter is tough in Georgia! They need pasture and worms and warmer ground to get all of the nutrients that make them grow! We are working on finding another source until Greg’s chickens are ready for processing. We will have Ground Chicken and Sausage coming up in the near future!

Burnell Farms is going strong bringing us some great winter veggies! Last week they added Hibiscus Flowers, (great for drying and making Hibiscus Tea), Fennel, Kohlrabi and ‘Cheddar’ Cauliflower. Some of you may remember this Cauliflower which Tammy also offered last year. Slightly orange in color and a mild taste with a creamy texture when cooked!

Don’t forget to check out all of the Organic Baked Good from Dabrielle of My Daily Bread. Pasta Salad, Jams and Jellies and Pumpernickel Bread are on Special this week! Be sure and check them out!

Last week at Crossfit and Hamilton Mill Markets, Carrell Farms had samples of Cranberry/Sage Alpaca Sausage and Basil Sun-Dried Tomato Alpaca Sausage! My favorite is the Cranberry Sage! I would say that the field was pretty evenly split — both have rich flavors with the Cranberry Sage being a tad sweeter than the Sun-Dried Tomato Basil! Perhaps Lilburn Members will break the tie this week when they will have samples available at Market! Both varieties come in 1# packages; however the Cranberry Sage is made in smaller breakfast sized sausages while the Sun-Dried Tomato Basil are ‘full size’! I have already added both to my cart this week. Of course their wonderful Water Buffalo offerings are also available! Try some Soup Bones for wonderful Bone Broth! Add in the Ox Tail for an especially delicious treat! Roasts, steaks, ground …they have it all!

Don’t forget to check out Shalley’s line of Skin Care products. My new favorite is her Silky Bamboo Lotion! A little goes a long way – and it feels exquisite on your skin!

Jay and Patti Parsons of Dances With Bees offer both Honey and Natural Skin Care products made with Honey or Beeswax. Patti’s Beeswax Candles are wonderful, also!

I received an email from Vicky of Fry Farm and she let me know that she does have Rutabagas and Red Spinach available. They are not yet listed on the Market, however, if you would like to order, please email me and let me know. So glad that Vicky, Steve and Matt are back and I look forward to them adding additional offerings as Mother Nature continues toward Spring!

I have spoken with Doug of Doug’s Garden who is busy, busy, busy training new helpers and getting seedlings planted! Doug has told me that this year he is going to be offering a “flat” of lettuce, living! This will enable you to pick your lettuce before your meal! What a cool concept! He is still working out the logistics. Pictures and more details coming soon!

Check your Grocery List and get your orders in before 8:00pm this evening for delivery on Thursday!

Thank you for your support!

See you at Market on Thursday!

“Like” us on facebook!

BUY LOCAL ~ Know your Farmer!

Northeast Georgia Locally Grown:  Locally Grown - Availability for March 18 , 2015

Hey Local Food Lovers,

Sustainability has been on my mind a lot lately. If I had to guess, it’s probably on the minds of most of our farmers too. That’s one of the things that sets this whole group of individuals involved in the Locally Grown market apart from the average person. That includes all of you reading this too. There may be a few customers who just want fresh food, but I’m guessing that most of you care about the conscientious efforts to protect the environment that are going on behind the scenes at each of the participating farms.

Here are a few of the ways that I see connections between LOCAL FOODS and FARMING and SUSTAINABILITY.

Pastures practicing rotational grazing and mob stocking are actually creating a way to PUMP Carbon into the soil forming a CARBON SINK for CO2 from the atmosphere. Think of it this way. TALL GRASS = TALL ROOTS and when the cow comes to eat all that grass aboveground, the roots don’t all decompose they form a stable carbon pool in the ground which is also a source of immense fertility and enhances the ability of rainfall to soak into the ground. Grasslands well managed build topsoil faster than almost any other natural system. But only if they are well managed and it takes a special kind of farmer to do it. There’s only a small handful in our region. The beauty is, not only is it better for the environment (including potential benefits to climate change), but the animals are happier and better fed, and grassfed meat is better for us (chloroplast is where omega 3’s come from….not fish….fish get it from algae).

A few of our farms use some form of rainwater harvesting. The community garden in Clarkesville is 100% fed by capture rainwater. Rainwater harvesting is increasingly important to our urbanizing north Georgia region. North Georgia is at the tip top of a bowl called a watershed, specifically the Chattahoochee watershed. This is one of the smallest watersheds in the country serving a population well over 5 million people. Unfortunately, every time we build anything we disconnect rainfall from landing on the ground, soaking into the earth and slowly releasing into rivers and streams naturally. Farmers that are recycling the rain that falls from the sky reduces the pressures we put on water we pump out of the ground, or from surface waters. This is something that you can do as well. Recycling water from your roofs for gardening. Or simply encouraging rainfall at your home to go into the ground, not into a pipe. Pipes are bad for rainfall. They make it go downhill fast and forever.

The recycling of organic wastes (so called wastes) is a valuable way to rebuild topsoil fertility. Keeping organic wastes out of landfills actually reduces the production of methane gas which is a harmful greenhouse gas that is a byproduct of burying any organic waste in a landfill. Decomposition in the absence of oxygen is called anaerobic decomposition and produces methane which is 20x worse than CO2 per lb in increasing the greenhouse effect. Many if not most farms are involved in some form of composting, or at least using composted materials as a source of fertility. If there’s one thing you could start doing today to get involved in organic sustainability, it would be to start composting your kitchen scraps. It’s a lifelong activity just like brushing your teeth.

Here’s the way we figured out how to do it at our house with the least amount of hassle. Every meal we have veggie scraps (we don’t add citric wastes, meat, dairy, or hot peppers because micro-organisms don’t like these) and we put them in a ziploc bag that then goes in the freezer. This stops decomposition until the bag is full, then I carry it outside. I have a pile of leaves from my oak trees. I put a small circular cage on top of the leaves then add the food scraps and put several layers of leaves on top. This reduces any unsightliness, smells, and can even reduce things like flies if you really bury the scraps deep. Plus, the sandwiching of greens and browns helps the pile break down.

I feel extremely fortunate to have been involved in sustainability efforts for nearly 20 years now. However, let’s admit this to ourselves. We are all still taking baby steps in learning to live sustainably with our environment. True sustainability is a never-ending reinvention of ourselves and our behaviors. And what joy to learn about the earth and how to live in harmony with her patterns and habits. Sometimes I try not to pretend we’re saving the world through our actions. We’re just trying to do the best we can right here where we are, this piece of land that we control.

Why? Because its beautiful to live closer to the processes of the earth. In ecology there’s a term for organisms that live together to mutual benefit. It’s called symbiosis. Each action we take can either have a regenerative effect on the earth, or an extractive effect. It’s rarely just neutral. Keep that in mind as you walk the earth, and as you decide what you’d like to eat this week. EATING WELL isn’t the only way to walk sustainably by a long shot, but if you were going to just choose one practice to adopt, what a good way to go. We hope that your practice to EAT WELL may lead to a dozen other small steps towards sustainability.

EAT WELL and LIVE WELL!

Justin, Chuck, Andrew and Teri