Local Table is a free guide to local food and farming for the middle Tennessee area.  It can be reliably found in the Whole Foods store, which is where I picked up my copy, but I know other places that offer free Nashville publications have it, too. This spring 2009 issue offers articles on eating locally and organically, and it offers a comprehensive directory to all the regional farms and farmers markets. It is a very handy resource to those who are trying to eat locally and buy fresh, organic produce straight from the source. 

 

My new focus is buying directly from farms. I make my way to the Nashville area farmers market and hand-pick the fresh farm produce I want to buy directly from the growers themselves. This is the alternative I have chosen instead of buying a direct share from a CSA (which stands for "Community Supported Agriculture." You prepay for the entire growing season and receive around a half a bushel or a bushel of produce a week). 

 

If I go weekly to the farmers market instead of the CSA, I get to choose the exact quantity and type of produce I buy instead of getting a prearranged bushel of produce. It is also better for my budget; as a new college grad, I don't have the $800-$1000 lying around to join a CSA.  However, if I had the money, it is still an excellent value for the quality of the organic produce. The amount of even a half bushel is a ton of food! 

 

Next up: Follow me through a farmers market! Also read about my new exposure to the macrobiotic lifestyle — an eating revolution.