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Monday, June 2, 2008
Who should sell at a farmers’ market?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I went to the new Riverside Farmers Market in Roswell last weekend, hoping to pick up a few fresh vegetables. The parking lot was packed, and there were vendors selling ornamental plants, baked goods, some rosemary and honey. There had been eggs, but they’d gotten snapped up early, the usual story.
But no vegetables. A line of people stood at the information booth, where they were told the farmers wouldn’t be in for a few weeks, because cool weather this spring had delayed harvests. I blogged last week about the market, after organizers assured that there would be at least three vegetable farmers there. So I’m not sure why the disconnect between what was supposed to happen, and what did.
But it reminded me of something I’ve been meaning to write about. It’s tough to start a farmers market in Atlanta. There’s a limited supply of growers to provide goods. Many already sell at two or more markets. And the Riverside Market limits its sellers to a 100-mile range. (You can check out the AJC’s list of area farmers markets here.)
Some of the smaller markets seem to be struggling this year to find growers, while others are thriving. Spruill is off to a slow start, because the cool weather has delayed some of its farmers, although Garmon Farms is always there with produce and chicken and duck eggs. High gas prices are keeping some farmers at home until they have a big selection to sell and it’s worth their while to drive in.
So what do customers expect when they go to a farmers market ? (I’m not talking about grocery stores like DeKalb Farmers Market or the International Farmers Market, where there is no direct contact with growers.)
Many of the markets around Atlanta are producer-only, which means only the people who grow the food can sell it. A handful allow “truck farmers,” people who load up the pickup truck at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park with boxes from various wholesalers, then sell the produce to customers at farmers market booths.
That assures there will be something to buy at the market if the local growers aren’t producing yet. And in some markets near low-income areas, it provides easy access to a broad range of fresh fruits and vegetables that residents may not get otherwise. But it’s not what some people would consider a true farmers market.
When you shop at a farmers market, do you expect the produce to be locally grown? Does it matter if you’re buying tomatoes from someone who gets them from a wholesaler, or if you’re purchasing directly from the farmer? If you’ve been to a farmers market with lots of vendors but few, if any, farmers, do you go back?
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Where Have All the True-Blue Joints Gone?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
REXALL GRILL IN DULUTH: One of the area’s best family-style joints.
Photo: T. Levette Bagwell/AJC staff
I spent the holiday weekend in Destin, Fla. and trekked back to a local favorite of mine: Elmo’s Grill on Highway 30-A in Santa Rosa Beach.
We stumbled sunburned into Elmo’s several years ago for the first time, where they serve some of the best fried shrimp and oysters, EVER, and an evening’s worth of seriously watered-down rock-n-roll from bands called “Kimosabbe” and the like.
We left hours later, saturated with fried shrimp and beer, having danced the electric slide and the limbo line until we were too exhausted to move.
Elmo’s is a true joint; the kind of place that serves great local seafood and lots of Panhandle hospitality. It’s also a slice of real Americana.
Atlanta’s growth is making little mom and pop joints like Elmo’s harder and harder to find, and rising fuel and food prices are going to affect smaller businesses like these. That’s why we need to support them.
Where’s your favorite family-style joint or dive in the city? I love Kool Korners, Rexall Grill, Chef Liu’s, Palomilla’s and Blu to name only a few … what’s your pick?
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