Homegrown Produce has made a name for itself by selling several different varieties of fruits and vegetables that many usually do not encounter at the typical store. Amanda expanded on this by saying, “We are educators. We love people’s curiosity. They come up to the stand amazed by the bright purple potatoes or the romanesco broccoli. Nature has such a bounty of color. Love that we run the gambit.” The Homegrown Produce farm is a certified LA farm backed by the LSU AgCenter and uses all organic practices. “You can taste how fresh our produce is. Our product lasts longer too, because it was picked more recently,” says Faccenda. “The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an online presence to stay in touch with our customers and keep the business going. Our self-promotion through Facebook and Instagram has nearly doubled the business.” Amanda explained. With this expanded online presence, the farm now releases a highly anticipated list every Thursday of what is expected at the upcoming weekend markets. “People wait all week for that list. They do their meal-planning days leading up to the market and come list in hand,” says Amanda. As I can personally attest, you need to arrive early for their specialty items. It goes fast! Amanda was kind enough to share with me the upcoming summer roster: • Zucchini • Yellow squash • Several varieties of eggplant • Huge selection of tomatoes, including heirloom (Mr. Ernie’s favorite) and Creole (the local favorite) • Peaches • Plums • Watermelon • Cantaloupe • Lettuce varieties • Peas • And much, much more

EDGE June | July 2021

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