At Georgia Organics, we love farmers.
Farmer Prosperity is at the very heart of everything we do. And now, more than ever, we’re focused on ways that we can support our farmers and, in turn, the health of our communities across the state.
In the coming weeks, we will share news, stories, and encouragement from the organic farming community and offer ways for you to engage with and support local farmers.
This weekend, we’re asking you to prioritize your health and the health of your farmers by shopping locally, dining locally, and showing intentioned support to the farmers, chefs, and small business owners who are the lifeblood of your neighborhood.
Be safe though. It is important to do so consciously and with an abundance of care, operating out of a place of safety. If you feel sick, stay home. But, if you don’t, go eat at a restaurant that buys from farmers and go shop at a local farmer’s market.
We believe wholeheartedly that good food begets health and safety and that your local farmer is the best provider of the good food you need – food in its purest form, grown with love, and delivered in the most direct way from the ground to your (clean) hands.
This is what our farmers do and who they are.
They are caretakers of the land AND the community, and we need to rally around them and shop, eat, and engage with them from a position of hope instead of fear.
Here are some of the ways you can prepare for your weekend:
Ensure you are following personal health precautions as advised by the CDC and local leaders.
Follow and engage with your farmers and farmers markets on social media.
If you feel healthy, shop at your local farmers market this weekend and observe proper food storage practices to get the most out of your purchases.
And if you’re well, dine at your local restaurants this weekend.
If you’re not already a part of your local farmer’s CSA, connect with them about joining. We’ll be sharing updates from our Georgia Organics Farmer Members on available CSAs next week. But for now, you can simply Google CSA with the name of your community to explore your options.
Please also stay engaged with us – both by checking your inbox and following us on social media (@GeorgiaOrganics). We hope to provide a platform for hope, resources, connection, and community during this uncertain time. And most of all we will be THE place to learn how to best support the farmers that we exist to serve.
FARMERS MARKETS
Several voices are speaking up to help encourage eaters to, barring any illness, continue to shop – safely and with preparedness in mind.
We spoke to Katie Cash Hayes, Executive Director of Community Farmers Markets on why it’s critical to lean on our farmers and the organic community in times like these.
“The local food community is very resilient, but only if we use it,” she said. “It cannot be understated how much farmers rely on farmers markets.”
Community Farmers Markets offered this statement to its community members:
We have always believed in the importance of providing fresh, healthy, locally-grown food for our communities. As our food system faces new challenges, it’s especially important that we continue to provide (and match) EBT/SNAP dollars for folks at market. Additionally, we have always understood it is our responsibility to provide safe, inclusive spaces for people to access produce and products. Many of our farmers and vendors rely on the farmers markets as their primary source of income. It is important that we support our vendors so that our growers and producers can stay in business, while we remain vigilant and committed to the health and safety of our community.
We rely on the support and cooperation of everyone in our community to help our farmers and vendors to survive during these uncertain times. Our winter markets, the Grant Park Farmers Market and the Decatur Mini-Market, are open. After all, our local food ecosystem may be the saving grace during this time of mass-produced product shortages. There is no shortage of food and goods at our local markets!
Here are some benefits of shopping at the farmers markets:
Farmers markets are largely open air gatherings, rather than contained stores.
Locally-grown produce has known sources with fewer touch points than a conventional grocery system.
Maintaining a healthy diet is more important than ever. Eat those fruits, veggies, and herbs!
The Farmers Market Coalition has also issued “Farmers Markets Respond to COVID19,” a helpful round up of information and advice from farmers markets, state associations, health departments and the Centers for Disease Control.
Farmers market operators and supporters should make the case for markets to remain open wherever possible. Farmers markets are essential to the livelihood of farmers and food access, not just a social gathering. While markets may need to close in extreme circumstances such closures could be disastrous for both farmers and the shoppers who rely on the market.
For those who are observing social distancing, online providers like Fresh Harvest are an excellent way to have food from Georgia farms delivered to you.
SUPPORT THE CHEFS AND RESTAURANTS THAT SUPPORT FARMERS
We also spoke to several partner restaurants in our Farmer Champion campaign about what they’re doing to continue serving their guests and supporting our farmers. The chefs and restaurants who are a part of our Farm to Restaurant program are committed to sourcing from local and organic farms. We’re particularly proud to see them maintain these commitments in times like these. We highly recommend that you consult our list of Farmer Champion restaurants as you make dinner plans this week.
Courtesy of Murphy’s Restaurant.
For Joy Pugh, Operations Director at Murphy's Restaurant, it’s business as usual, but with an added emphasis on being a place of comfort and supporting the neighborhood (particularly first responders). “We’ve been here for forty years and our guests and community have always supported us, and we’re going to support them in this time.” Furthermore, she added “we’re keeping our delivery schedules going and will continue to work with our farmers such as Woodland Gardens, Tucker Farms, Native Seafood, Decimal Farms, and Enchanted Springs no matter what. We understand that we’re part of the food chain with them, and we’re here for them. More than ever now, they are important – This is food that is safe, we know where it came from.” They have also announced that they will now offer their Murphy’s Meals To-Go, dinners available for pick up that serve four, and they are also launching a boxed lunch program.
Chef & Owner Terry Koval, The Deer and The Dove. Credit: Kate Blohm.
Terry Koval, Chef and Owner of The Deer and The Dove echoed Joy’s commitment to continue sourcing from the farmers that contribute so much to his menus. When asked if he was keeping up his farmer orders coming to the restaurant, he responded without hesitation: “Oh, that’s not even a question. It’s extremely important to keep supporting our farmers. This is where all of my ingredients are coming from, and that will never change for us.
We hope this and our forthcoming coverage will provide hope and inspiration for ways to continue your support of the good food movement and ways to stay strong, healthy, and connected with local food community. Stay tuned for more and stay in touch with us on social media. Together, we can weather the coming weeks by staying connected, hopeful, and well-fed thanks to the farmers.