5 MORE easy steps for eating locally.

So.  You read my last post on eating locally, and you took action!  You’ve called the county extension agent, and you know when your farmer’s market is.  You have some herbs growing in a little pot on your windowsill.  Maybe Basil or Parsley.  You’ve made bread with local honey and wheat, and you spread it with some homemade freezer jam. (You must work fast, it’s only been 2 days!)

Maybe you’ve even read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle,  And now you want more.  Okay, let’s see what I can do to help.  Today, let’s focus on the web.  there is a TON of information out there to help you eat fresh, green, and local.  Here are five great websites you can check out to find food available to you here in the great state of Tennessee.

1. First, go to Local Harvest and type in your zip code.  See what comes up.  Find one farm near you and make plans to go check it out.  Let them know you’re interested. (I want to visit Sage Hill Farms, for instance.)
2. Now check out TN Farm Fresh for our region (region 4).  (5/6 of the counties I’m focusing on are listed.  Sorry Moore County.  Let’s work on that!!)
3. If you haven’t been there yet, check out Pick TN Products.  Search by food or area to see what’s available.  For example a search for “Oats” turned up The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge that grinds oats and will ship them to you.
4. My next resource for you would be the Eat Well Guide.  I have a searchable link to their site on my sidebar.  Just enter the food you’re looking for.
5. Finally, another great way to gain access to fresh local food is to join a CSA.  You can look on Local Harvest for one, or maybe check out the Pillars of Light food Co-Op in Tullahoma.  It works a little like a CSA, and a little like a farmer’s market.  You select the food online, place your order, and pick it up in Tullahoma.  It seems like a great idea.  I can’t wait to try it out.

That’s it for now.  Get some paper, and write yourself a list of farms in your area you want to visit, then form a plan of attack.  Be sure to post in the comments how your food adventures go, I’d love to hear about it.