Shortening the Supply Line: buying from local farms

Shortening the Supply Line: buying from local farms

by LeeAnna Tatum

Farm to table is a popular concept for restaurants indicating a direct relationship between chef and farmer. But what about home cooks who are looking for the freshest ingredients from local farms? How does the average consumer achieve farm to table dining?

And more importantly, how do we shorten our supply line when it comes to getting food on the table? One of the many lessons of dealing with a global pandemic was an object lesson on the importance of local foods.

From farmers’ markets and direct farm sales to retail shops and home delivery services, there are lots of ways right here in Southeast Georgia for consumers to access fresh, local farm goods! If you have been interested in shifting some of your grocery dollars toward local farms, but aren’t sure how; you are in the right place!

When most people think of local produce, farmers’ markets are often the first thing that comes to mind. They have, after all, been around in essentially the same form since the beginning of civilization and cultivated agriculture. Located centrally to the highest population centers of the region, the markets are where the farmers bring their goods and wares to the people.

While farmers’ markets are still an excellent way to connect with your local farms, there are now more ways than ever to start incorporating locally grown foods into your grocery-shopping routine.

Let’s take a look at just a few of the ways that consumers can access food from farms in our local communities. I’ve included a few specific examples from Southeast Georgia many of which have been featured in past issues of Southern Soil.

Direct from Farm Purchasing

Many farms, especially those located near population centers, are set up for direct sales to customers. In fact, most farms can accommodate direct sales even when it’s not their primary way of doing business.

Whether it’s with a farm stand, farm store, or market; farms equipped for direct sales will usually have established hours of operation. Purchasing directly from a farm is a great way to get to know your farmer, understand more about how your food is grown or raised and to gain a greater connection to and appreciation for your food.

Comfort Farms is a nonprofit farm located in Milledgeville. The farm hosts an onsite market on Saturdays where customers can purchase meats and seasonal produce. Meals prepared on site from farm ingredients are also made available to purchase. Throughout the year, there are also scheduled events designed to help people form a closer connection to their food sources.

In Richmond Hill, you can stop by the farm stand at Northern Belle Farms for fresh eggs, seasonal produce, plants and a growing assortment of other products as available.

Hunter Cattle Company near Brooklet has Moo Ma’s Farm store where they have carried an assortment of local products including those from their own farm. However, as with so many other things, COVID has prompted some ongoing changes in how the farm is operating.

With an increase in customers and health restrictions limiting the number of people who could be in the store at any given time, the farm is transitioning from onsite shopping to online shopping. This new business model will allow them to carry a larger inventory of local products.

Farm stand at Northern Belle Farms in Richmond Hill

Online Ordering

Speaking of online shopping, some farmers’ markets have made the move to a more virtual experience - either as a compliment to a traditional market or, in some cases, replacing it altogether.

The Statesboro Farmers Market has had a weekly online shopping option for many years in addition to the weekly, seasonal market that is held downtown on Saturdays. This option became extremely popular during the early weeks of shutdowns and grocery shortages that occurred due to the pandemic and continues to go strong.

For a small fee based on a percentage of total sales, shoppers can browse the market from the comfort of home, order from local farms and producers, and pick up their orders from a designated location on a specific day and time bracket. Local delivery is also available for additional charges.

WayGreen, Inc. of Waycross is a nonprofit food coalition recently designated as an official “Food Oasis” by Georgia Organics. Along with traditional markets, WayGreen now also offers shopping options online with weekly pickup locations and delivery options.

These online markets offer a convenient twist to the traditional farmers’ market experience.

Brick and Mortar Retail

If traditional shopping is your thing, you’ll feel quite at home shopping in local retail stores that stock their shelves with farm-fresh products!

Brighter Day Natural Foods Market located in Downtown Savannah has been a cornerstone for healthier food choices for local residents for decades. For area farmers, the retailer has offered a reliable outlet for goods and produce.

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Now under the co-ownership of Kristin Russell (who also co-owns The Sentient Bean next door), an even greater effort is being given to source products for the store locally. Kristin has been a long-time supporter of local farms, but the pandemic which hit only months after she took over ownership of Brighter Day, served to further emphasize the importance of a local supply line.

Kristin Russell of Brighter Day Natural Foods Market

“We never ran out of eggs, we never ran out of milk, we never ran out of bread,” Kristin said of the months following the initial shutdowns, “because it was all coming from the low country. We all worked together to make it work and it was a breeze compared to what I can see with (traditional) grocery stores.”

There are a number of mom-and-pop stores located throughout the region that offer local produce like Uncle Don’s Local Market located on St. Simon’s Island. And Polk’s Plus, a fresh produce market located in Pooler that sources many of their goods from area farms. Polks also has a home delivery option called Polk’s Plus to Go.

Home Delivery

Home Delivery options became especially popular this past year, but you don’t have to limit your shopping to big grocery chain stores.

Billy’s Botanical is a small aquaponics farm located in Richmond Hill. Prior to COVID-19, the farm relied primarily on restaurant purchases. But as restaurants closed and supply lines to grocery stores were interrupted, Billy Dugger saw an opportunity to help his community and keep his farm in business by transitioning to direct-toconsumer sales.

Coordinating with other local farms, Billy’s Botanicals offers home delivery of bi-weekly farmbags that consist of seasonal products from local growers and producers, as well as fresh local seafood caught just miles offshore.

Local Farmbag, Savannah is a home delivery business that has been around for more than a decade. Sourcing seasonal products from organic farms in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina; this local business takes the farmers’ market to its customers’ front door. Customers choose the size of the farm bag and the frequency of delivery.

“We deliver the farmers’ market to your door. So, ideally, anything you can see at the farmers’ market, we can deliver,” Erik Lyons explained. “There is a growing percentage of people that are starting to think of this service as a fundamental thing that larger cities should have. Or that is a service that is not gimmicky … or a luxury item, it’s not something that only people with money can do, or some pie-inthe-sky, hippie concept anymore.”

Erik and business partner Steve Howard started the business after the market they managed at The Trustee’s Garden in Savannah went on hiatus over the winter. They realized that customers still needed a way to connect with local growers in the off-season.

Traditional Farmers’ Markets

For those who embrace fresh air, take delight in the weekly meet and mingle, and enjoy being part of a community; the traditional farmers’ market is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Forsyth Farmers’ Market located in historic downtown Savannah is one of the area’s most established markets. Started in 2009, the market operates year-round and is a catalyst for food activism in the community.

Aside from the weekly market, the organization has implemented a number of innovative programs to improve food access, support local farms, and improve community health through good nutrition.

Halyard Restaurant Group owned by Chef Dave Snyder hosts a new market that was started up in 2020, Farmer Fridays. This market offers an opportunity for residents and visitors to St Simons Island to meet and shop from some of the farms local to Coastal Georgia and surrounding areas.

While this is by no means a comprehensive list, it will hopefully provide some idea of the ways that shopping and eating local can be incorporated into your weekly routine. To connect with local farms, stores and markets here in Southeast Georgia, be sure to check out the directory on our website!

Most farmers that I meet tell me the same thing - they started farming because they wanted to provide good, quality, safe, healthy, humane food for themselves, their families and their communities.

The pandemic has brought with it a greater focus on local food systems and a unique opportunity for farmers to feed their own communities - something they have wanted to do for a long time. Supporting our local farmers is vital for so many reasons, not the least of which is to help ensure that they can earn a living through farming. If we are not there to support our farmers when they need us, they will be unable to be there when we need them!

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