The Weekly Menu: Peaches and Slow Food
The Weekly Menu
Adams Farm White Peaches
Slow Food Movement
Adams White Peaches
Fayetteville, Georgia. Nine miles west of Gone With the Wind territory and about an 1.5 hour drive from my location in northwest Atlanta. Located on the south side of Georgia Highway 54, you will find Adams Farm, one of the 80 farms supported by the Georgia Farm Bureau (www.gfb.org). Depending on the farm you decide to visit, you have the option to either pick, cut, get lost, or just buy. I was hoping to pick but upon arrival I discovered I was a couple of weeks too late.
Adams Farm is a family owned and run farm primarily focused on harvesting berries, peaches, peas, peppers, pumpkins, jams, sauces, and spreads. Open to the public six days a week, the farm allows customers to pick your own berries which I initially wanted to do during this visit. However, the Georgia Farm Bureau’s brochure reminded me that this particular area in Georgia is now in peach season. Therefore, I could only shop rather than pick.
I caught myself by surprise when I noticed the generous baskets of lush, ripe white peaches were upon entering this open-air barn. Their soft skin so rich with its mix of red, pink and light orange, I could not resist snatching them at five dollars a bag. However, they were not the only items that slightly overwhelmed me. Their farm-grown eggplant, zucchini, and peppers looked so well-taken care of that I wanted to take a little bit of everything back home. However, I decided to sample a little bit on their canned products and Vidalia onions instead. They even supply some additional produce from other farms in the state just in case you are looking for something that is not in season in the area. I sensed the staff knew I was an obvious visitor in the area, but they provided friendly hospitable service and useful knowledge. Despite the fact I did not accomplish my initial goal of picking my own produce, I will return in the near future.
On my way back home, I could not help but be amazed by two facts: One, some people in modern society have to travel a good distance away from a city in order to buy fresh, local produce when you can go to a grocery store and instantly purchase produce from thousands of miles away. Should it be the other way around? It just makes no sense when you decide to purchase an orange from Europe when it has been through much more damage and pollution than the orange from Florida.
Secondly, since more people in this country alone depend more on grocery stores, restaurants and corporations for their diet rather than learning basic harvesting skills, what if we experience a catastrophe that would cause people to have to search for our own food? Would we starve to death or would we learn to cultivate our territory in a small amount of time?
In any case, I highly recommend checking out a local farm in your area and discover what your surroundings really can produce. You might be surprised.
Adams Farm
1486 Georgia Highway 54 West
Fayetteville, GA 30214
770.461.9395
www.adamsfarmfayettevillega.com
Slow Food
As slightly kitsch this may sound, I am now a member of the Slow Food Movement! A non-profit organization originating from a protest in Italy back in 1989, this eco-gastronomic community basically aims to counteract the fast-food lifestyle and save the disappearance of local food traditions around the globe. The Slow Food Movement orchestrates a variety of special events to share knowledge about local food culture, exceptional “gastronomic” products, and the art of eating. Initially with 62 members over twenty years ago, The Slow Food Movement today proudly has over 100,000 members in 132 countries.
You can easily become involved with the organization by either joining or making a donation. You can even find a local chapter of the organization to become involved with the slow food movement within your own community. Do not have one yet? Simply contact them and you can construct one yourself.
Even if you do not consider yourself a foodie, the organization is a useful resource if you want to improve your overall diet and well being. The organization holds special workshops and festivals dedicated to certain foods. For example, the organization is holding a cheese festival in Bra, Italy from the 18th through the 21st of September 2009.
Hungry to learn more? Check it out and enjoy: www.slowfood.com .
Fayetteville, Georgia. Nine miles west of Gone With the Wind territory and about an 1.5 hour drive from my location in northwest Atlanta. Located on the south side of Georgia Highway 54, you will find Adams Farm, one of the 80 farms supported by the Georgia Farm Bureau (www.gfb.org). Depending on the farm you decide to visit, you have the option to either pick, cut, get lost, or just buy. I was hoping to pick but upon arrival I discovered I was a couple of weeks too late.
Adams Farm is a family owned and run farm primarily focused on harvesting berries, peaches, peas, peppers, pumpkins, jams, sauces, and spreads. Open to the public six days a week, the farm allows customers to pick your own berries which I initially wanted to do during this visit. However, the Georgia Farm Bureau’s brochure reminded me that this particular area in Georgia is now in peach season. Therefore, I could only shop rather than pick.
I caught myself by surprise when I noticed the generous baskets of lush, ripe white peaches were upon entering this open-air barn. Their soft skin so rich with its mix of red, pink and light orange, I could not resist snatching them at five dollars a bag. However, they were not the only items that slightly overwhelmed me. Their farm-grown eggplant, zucchini, and peppers looked so well-taken care of that I wanted to take a little bit of everything back home. However, I decided to sample a little bit on their canned products and Vidalia onions instead. They even supply some additional produce from other farms in the state just in case you are looking for something that is not in season in the area. I sensed the staff knew I was an obvious visitor in the area, but they provided friendly hospitable service and useful knowledge. Despite the fact I did not accomplish my initial goal of picking my own produce, I will return in the near future.
On my way back home, I could not help but be amazed by two facts: One, some people in modern society have to travel a good distance away from a city in order to buy fresh, local produce when you can go to a grocery store and instantly purchase produce from thousands of miles away. Should it be the other way around? It just makes no sense when you decide to purchase an orange from Europe when it has been through much more damage and pollution than the orange from Florida.
Secondly, since more people in this country alone depend more on grocery stores, restaurants and corporations for their diet rather than learning basic harvesting skills, what if we experience a catastrophe that would cause people to have to search for our own food? Would we starve to death or would we learn to cultivate our territory in a small amount of time?
In any case, I highly recommend checking out a local farm in your area and discover what your surroundings really can produce. You might be surprised.
Adams Farm
1486 Georgia Highway 54 West
Fayetteville, GA 30214
770.461.9395
www.adamsfarmfayettevillega.com
Slow Food
As slightly kitsch this may sound, I am now a member of the Slow Food Movement! A non-profit organization originating from a protest in Italy back in 1989, this eco-gastronomic community basically aims to counteract the fast-food lifestyle and save the disappearance of local food traditions around the globe. The Slow Food Movement orchestrates a variety of special events to share knowledge about local food culture, exceptional “gastronomic” products, and the art of eating. Initially with 62 members over twenty years ago, The Slow Food Movement today proudly has over 100,000 members in 132 countries.
You can easily become involved with the organization by either joining or making a donation. You can even find a local chapter of the organization to become involved with the slow food movement within your own community. Do not have one yet? Simply contact them and you can construct one yourself.
Even if you do not consider yourself a foodie, the organization is a useful resource if you want to improve your overall diet and well being. The organization holds special workshops and festivals dedicated to certain foods. For example, the organization is holding a cheese festival in Bra, Italy from the 18th through the 21st of September 2009.
Hungry to learn more? Check it out and enjoy: www.slowfood.com .
Photo from www.slowfood.com.