Nutritious Ways to Enjoy Spring

Spring has arrived in Atlanta, and that means it’s the season for fresh fruits and vegetables! We’re offering you a few fun ideas for getting outside and finding colorful, healthy, and local food.

Farmers Markets
There are a few year-round farmers markets, but in spring, markets around town really come alive! Not only are they great places to find fresh and interesting food, they also give you a chance to meet the farmers that make that food grow. In addition to produce, you might find fresh flowers, cooking demos by well-known chefs, live music, and local arts and crafts.

Never visited a farmers market before? Georgia Organics has some tips for your first trip at http://georgiaorganics.org/forEaters/5tipsforfirstfarmersmarket.aspx.

Here are a few of our favorite markets:

Morningside Market (open year round)

• The market is located at 1393 N. Highland Ave in Atlanta. Visit http://www.morningsidemarket.com/ for more details.
• This market is open from 8:00-11:30 a.m. every Saturday.
• Check out free cooking demos by local chefs Ron Eyester (Rosebud) and Shaun Doty (Yeah Burger) in April.
  

Decatur Farmer’s Market (open year-round)

• The market is open on Wednesdays (4:00-7:00 p.m.) and Saturdays (9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.).
  
• It can be found in the Bank of America parking lot (Commerce Dr. and Church St.) on Wednesdays and across from the Chick-fil-A on N. McDonough St. in downtown Decatur on Saturdays.
• For vendors and other information, visit http://decaturfarmersmarket.com/wordpress/.
  

Marietta Square Farmers Market (opens 4/2/2011)

• The market operates from 9:00-12:00 at the Marietta Square. Free parking is available.
• More information can be found at http://www.mariettasquarefarmersmarket.net/.

Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market (opens 4/9/2011)

• The market is open 8:30 to 12:00 on Saturdays, and it’s held at the Cathedral of St. Philip at 2744 Peachtree Road in Buckhead.
• April’s chef demos will be presented by Ron Eyester (Rosebud), Jay Swift (4^th & Swift), and Linton Hopkins (Restaurant Eugene).
• Visit http://www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com/ for a list of farmers, special events, and other helpful information.

Piedmont Park Green Market (opens 5/7/2011)

• The market’s hours are 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays. It can be found near Piedmont Park’s 12^th Street entrance.
• More information is available at http://www.piedmontpark.org/programs/green_market.html.

For more markets in the metro area (or markets closer to home), go to www.localharvest.org, click the button beside Farmers’ Markets, and enter your city.

Pick Your Own

Looking for a study break? If you’re up for a short road trip, you can visit one of many Georgia farms. A major advantage to living in and around Atlanta is that even though you’re in the city, you’re not far from several farms that allow customers to visit the farm and pick their own fruit. Some of the closest ones are listed below, along with the picking season.

Washington Farms

Strawberries (April-June) and Blueberries & Blackberries (Summer)

• Washington Farms has two locations: one in Loganville (about 1 hour from downtown Atlanta) and one in Watkinsville (near Athens).
  
• Visit www.washingtonfarms.net for prices, directions, and more details.

Adams Farm

Strawberries (April-June) and Blueberries, Blackberries & Raspberries (Summer)

• Adams Farm is located in Fayetteville, about 45 minutes-1 hour from downtown Atlanta
• Visit http://www.pickyourown.org/PYO.php?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adamsfarmfayettevillega.com for more details.

Gardner Farms

Peaches (May-August) and Blueberries & Blackberries

• Gardner Farms is in Locust Grove, GA—less than an hour from GSU if the traffic cooperates.
• For prices and other helpful information, go to www.pickyourown.org/GA.htm and search for Gardner Farms.

Looking for other kinds of fruit or for a farm closer to you? Visit http://www.pickyourown.org/GA.htm. Remember that there are many other kinds of fruits and vegetables grown in Georgia, and you can pick many of them yourself—or at least buy them fresh-picked from the farm.


***Interested in trying a new vegetable from your trip to the farmer’s market? Recipes are on the way! Next week we’ll give you an idea of some of the foods that are in season this spring, and we’ll also give you some easy, tasty recipes to help you use these delicious vegetables!***