Weblog Entry

WONDERFUL GOINGS ON AT WHITE HILLS LAVENDER FARM!
Lisa Kessler at White Hills Lavender Farm reports a slew of excitement at their lovely place in Dearing, GA. Please join us in celebrating all these milestones with this new local farm:

1) White Hills Lavender Farm has been listed in “Everything Lavender,” which is a national site listing the best lavender farms to visit throughout the United States. Lisa notes: “We are the only Georgia listing, and hope to do the honor proud!”
2) White Hills Lavender Farm will host a “Culinary Herbfest” on June 8. The price includes an herb-inspired lunch, relaxed class and thing to take home.
3) White Hills Lavender Farm and JandL Farm and Stables joined together to hire their first, shared Farm Student Intern. Augusta Locally Grown is thrilled to see more entry-level job opportunities for young people being created through its network of local farmers!!!
4) Lisa was been brought aboard as the herbal educator for this summer’s “Eco Adventures Camp” at the historic Hickory Hill Farm in Thomson, GA. Campers will learn how early Georgia settlers farmed and how to help sustain farming into the future. Visit www.hickory-hill.org to enroll your 10-15 year old!

FARM INTERNS NEEDED AT EAST GEORGIA PRODUCE:
East Georgia Produce of Bartow, GA, is presently seeking farm interns willing to work hard and learn a ton during these summer months. Give Matt a ring at 706-410-4570 if you’re interested.

HUGE PLANT SALE AT SHADY CREEK GREENHOUSES:
Eric Becker, our hydroponic farmer at Shady Creek Greens, also runs an extensive greenhouse business of non-edibles. He is hosting a big sale on May 31, June 1, June 7 and June 8 at his farm in Avera, G. Annuals, perennials, ferns, tropical plants, hanging baskets, herbs and vegetables will all be available at wholesale prices. Call 706-547-2680 for more information.

FIELD DAY AT BYNE BLUEBERRY FARM:
There’s still time to sign up for the “Field Day” educational event at Byne Blueberry Farm this Tuesday, May 28, starting at 9am. Pruning, pollination, organic soil management, beekeeping, and some livestock care will be offered in ongoing workshops. The price is $25, including lunch and a tshirt. Augusta Locally Grown is sponsoring two college interns to attend, and Evans Towne Farmers Market extraordinary volunteer, Carly, is also going! Contact Dick Byne to enroll at dick@byneblueberries.com.

EVANS TOWNE FARMERS MARKET CONSIDERS EXTENDING ITS SEASON THROUGH FALL:
We are excited to announce that Columbia County and the Friends of the Library have graciously invited us to continue the Evans Towne Farmers Market beyond the end of June. We are now surveying farmers and other vendors to see if we have a critical mass of participants willing to make the decision final. Farmers and other potential vendors who haven’t yet received the survey may request one at kim@augustalocallygrown.org.

SAVING SEED SAVING:
On Saturday, I will attend the March Against Monsanto in Athens, representing myself, my family, and Augusta Locally Grown. Several local farmers, many of them from the Hobby Farmers Association of the CSRA, will attend the sister protest in Columbia, SC. And a handful of hardy Augusta-area folks are taking their message all the way to the mothership march in Washington DC this weekend. To learn more about what’s got us so stirred up, visit www.march-against-monsanto.com.

Please know that while I wave signs demanding corporate responsibility and (especially!) government accountability, I will also be deeply mindful of my own complicity in the crisis. I only saved three kinds of seeds this year: sweet basil, because I love the smell of the seeds; arugula, by mistake; and an ugly winter squash whose name I don’t know but whose seed was delicious in its toasted form. For as many different things as I grew, I didn’t take the time to save their precious gems. As a society, in general, we’ve lost of the art of seed saving, seed sharing and seed knowing. By simply not doing it, we gave up one of the oldest art forms in human history. And now we’re marching in the streets because we know should have been more actively involved in saving seed saving.

Let’s counteract this conundrum. Let’s save seed saving. And let’s do it as a community of good food lovers. Soon.

Cheers!
Kim