JUNE/JULY 2016
FOOD 15
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Potatoes were the first food to be grown in space.
The French referred to the tomato as the apple of love.
A LOCAL TAKE ON FARM TO TABLE EXCHANGING STORE BOUGHT PRODUCE FOR FRESH We’ve all had the “I need to eat healthier” epiphany. The thought gives you a big burst of energy and you rush to the nearest grocery store to buy some of nature’s goodies only to find they cost a pretty penny. By the time you get your produce home, you begin to notice all of the “grown in Mexico” stickers and wonder how long that avocado sat in a truck. Then comes the devastation of biting into a wax-covered apple or baby carrots that taste like chlorine and finding your strawberries completely white in the middle. It’s no wonder we don’t choose healthier options when it comes to our meals. Produce tends to be expensive, tasteless and shipped over from who-knows-where. So what do we do? Where can we find reasonably priced, local and delicious produce? Would you be surprised to know that there are several options to get it all in your town? From Columbia, Tennessee to Florence there are plenty of options for us to get healthy, low-cost and tasty produce. Your first option is to visit the local farmers market. For those who have never been, it’s set up similar to a flea market or craft fair with individual vendors selling their goods. Larger markets also include local honeys, canned goods like pickles or jam, fresh flowers, crafts and maybe even a food truck or two. Farmers markets allow you to have a grocery store experience, but with much better quality and often dramatically lower prices. Columbia’s own farmers market is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. until noon at Riverwalk Park downtown. The market in Florence is located at 451 Fairground Road and runs from 6
a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Both markets begin in June and last through October. Our next possibility is great for those who are more adventurous in their cooking or those who don’t have a lot of time on their hands. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a subscription-based service provided by a local farm near you. Every week you’ll pick up a crate with a variety of produce from their farm including milk, eggs, vegetables and fruits. Depending on the farm, specialty items like fresh cheese, meats, honey, coffee and homemade pasta may be included. CSAs also run through the winter so you can enjoy all seasons of crops, but you aren’t able to customize what comes in the crate (so if you’re a picky eater, I’d stick to the farmers market). Pick-up times are once a week at a designated location and allow customers several hours to come get their goods, which is great for those of us with tighter schedules. Some local farms with CSA programs include Farm & Fiddle, Bountiful Blessings and Allenbrook farms in Tennessee, and Windy Hill or Cottonwood Farm in the Shoals. If you really want to get handson with your produce buying, then consider picking your veggies right off the vine at a local pick-yourown farm. It’s an exciting way to experience farm life — picking fruit or vegetables, visiting with the animals and maybe even milking a cow if you ask nicely. Pick-yourown farms give you the chance to see the whole process of growing the vegetables, harvesting them and cooking a meal with them back home. It’s a great activity for groups of friends or families to spend time together doing something new. If
FARM FRESH IS BEST, COLUMBIA FARMER’S MARKET AT RIVERWALK PARK you’re interested in a fun day at the farm, then be sure to check out the ones listed above in Tennessee or Bluewater Farm and Jack-O-Lantern Farms in Florence. Now think back to the wilted lettuce, sour blueberries or underripe tomatoes you bought during your last grocery trip. Think about the shipping costs that go into the price you pay at the supermarket for lackluster fruit. If they don’t sound very appealing now then you probably won’t get very far with your new health kick. You’ll need real food with real flavor to help you continue with healthy choices. Farmers markets, CSAs and pickyour-own farms are all fun ways to find the best tasting local produce at a price that will make the healthier option the easier option.
STORY BY LEXI PECK