Sunday, February 9 – Saturday, February 15
Every year we celebrate I Love Local Food Week in February. This week is about connecting people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences to the local food movement, and throughout the week we’ll be highlighting different ways to enjoy and support the local food system.
Thanks to partnerships with the City of Gainesville, Alachua County, community organizations, farms, and businesses, we are able to bring you a week full of great events and ideas for how to incorporate local food into your life.
Sunday, February 9
1pm-2pm – Brewery Yoga
Sundays in February & March, First Magnitude Brewing Company hosts yoga practices led by area instructors. First Mag will donate proceeds to Working Food! Bring your own mat, all experience levels are welcome. Stay for a pint of great, local beer afterward.
All Day – Learn More
Sign up for email newsletters or explore the blogs of some of the great organizations working at the front lines of the food movement. Here are a just few to get you started:
Florida Black Farmers Association
Civil Eats, National Good Food Network
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSWAG)
Volunteer and Get Active with Local Food
There are many amazing organizations in our community that need help! Make a commitment to volunteer a few hours of your time, and make a difference for our community! Not sure what your passion is? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Working Food – Help us in the gardens along with our partners, Farm to School to Work and Grow Hub, or join us for one of our many workdays at the center.
Grace Marketplace – A hub of services for our homeless and hungry, Grace is always in need of volunteers with a variety of skills!
Bread of the Mighty Food Bank – Offering emergency food assistance for those in need, BOM always needs help stocking shelves and serving clients. Hosting a food drive is another great way to help!
Family Garden & Brave Harvest – Get your hands dirty working with local growers and volunteers as they build, maintain, plant, and harvest the farms.
Grow Gainesville is a network of community farmers, gardeners, and food lovers that share ideas, resources, and time. Check out their public Facebook group and visit the monthly Third Monday Meeting at Working Food.
Univ of Florida Field & Fork Farm and Gardens organizes activities that explore many facets of food systems, from horticultural practices and food security, to consumption and nutrition. You can help grow healthy and fresh produce that is provided to those in need through the Alan and Cathy Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry.
Monday, February 10
All Day – Meatless Monday
Lighten your dietary impact by forgoing meat just one day a week. Instead, try adding more fresh, local veggies to your diet – good for you and the planet!
Tuesday, February 11
Eating by the Season
In addition to scouting the area farmer’s markets, getting to know the local Self-Pick/U-Pick farms or farm stands will help you become [re]acquainted with local produce seasons. What’ll you do with all that produce? Expand Your Culinary Repertoire – Try one of Univ of Florida Field & Fork Farm and Gardens’ cooking classes.
Here is a list of some of the farms that may have produce available over the next couple of months. (Find a detailed list at the Pick Your Own website. It is important to call before you go: Harvesting schedules change; crops and cultivation practices change; and some farms require appointments.)
Forest Grove Tree Farm Alachua, FL. All year. Pecans, chestnuts. 386-454-7587.
Melrose Organic Blueberries Melrose, FL. September to June. Seasonal vegetables. 352-475-1072, 352-224-8322. Email: blueberi@windstream.net.
Ken Webb – Pecans. Alachua, FL. October to January. 386-454-7587.
Century Oak Grove and Nursery McIntosh, FL. November to February. Citrus. 352-591-1368.
Mark Dunmore Orange Heights, FL. January to April. Greens (mustard, collards, turnips). 352-468-1624.
Green Guys Hydroponic Farm Archer, FL. January to June. Blueberries. 352-871-2236.
Donald King Alachua, FL. February to May. Citrus. 386-462-3092.
Brown’s Farm Orange Heights, FL. March to April. Strawberries, farm market. 352-475-2015. Email: brownsfarmorangeheights@gmail.com.
Wacahoota Farms You Pick Blueberries Micanopy, FL. March and April. Blueberries. 352-538-3290. Email: micanopyupick@outlook.com.
High Springs Orchard & Bakery, LLC High Springs, FL. Blueberries, chestnuts, muscadine grapes, pears, persimmons, other fruit & veg, honey. 352 222 1343. Email: jenny@highspringsorchard.com.
Rogers’ Farm Gainesville, FL. Broad beans, corn (sweet), cucumbers, melons, onions, summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, other fruit or veg. 386-462-2406. Email: rogersfarm1@windstream.net.
Alachua County Organic Farms Micanopy, FL. Blueberries. 352-494-9932, 352-466-4327. Email: mikemorgan20102010@hotmail.com
Wednesday, February 12
Watch for us live at the Union Street Farmers’ Market.
Union Street Farmers Market, Wednesdays 4:00pm – 7:00pm, 111 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
More markets
Come out and visit local farmers including Family Garden, Frog Song, Siembra and Swallowtail at area markets during the week…
Thursdays
High Springs Farmers Market, Thursdays 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm, 115 Railroad Avenue High Springs, FL 32643
Alachua Farmers Market Thursdays, 4:00pm – 7:00 pm, 14801 Main Street Alachua, FL 32615
Fridays
Alachua County Department of Health Farmers Market, Fridays 8:00am – 12:00pm, 224 SE 24th St, Gainesville, FL 32641
Melrose Community Farmers Market, Fridays 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm, 301 State Road 26, Melrose, FL 32666
Saturdays
Alachua County Farmers Market, Saturdays 8:30am – 12:00pm, 5920 NW 13th St, Gainesville, FL 32653
Haile Farmers Market, Saturdays 8:30am – 12:00pm, 5213 Southwest 91 Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32608
The Farmers Market at Midway, Saturdays 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Faith Presbyterian Church 2738 SE State Road 21, Melrose, FL 32666
Thursday, February 13
All Day – Shop Local! / Local Restaurants. Watch here… we are refreshing our favorites!
Friday, February 14
Community Gardens
Planning your Garden
For grow-it-yourself ideas and inspiration stop by HQ to browse our library.
The UF IFAS Extension program has a lot of resources for gardeners. And pop over to Grow Gainesville’s website.
Getting the kids involved? Have a peek at the Working Food Youth Gardens Program on our website. Also, 4H has information about youth projects.
Grow Gainesville, a local group organized to expand the network of area gardeners and homesteaders. Check their website for events and more gardening sites.
Dig In…
City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department Community Gardens…
Dreamers’ Garden – The Grove Street Neighborhood Community Garden, NW 4th Street & NW 10th Avenue
Green Acres Park Community Garden, 700 Block and SW 40th Street
NE 31st Avenue Community Garden, 1700 NE 31st Avenue
SW 40th Place and SW 30th Terrace Community Garden, 2947 SW 40th Place Community Garden
McRorie Community Garden, 615 SE 4th Ave
Other Community Gardens & Info…
Porters Community Farm, 518 SW 3rd St, Phone: (863) 800-0364,
Fifth Avenue Community Garden, 911 NW 5 Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
UF Organic Garden, 2701-2799 SW 23rd Terrace. To inquire about plot availability, e-mail Campbell at plotcoordinator@gmail.com, or call (352) 378-6103
Saturday, February 15
Seed Dispersal at Haile Farmers’ Market. (The next dispersal will be at the Grow Gainesville meeting on Mon, Feb 17.)