If individuals or small restaurants really want to buy and support locally grown food in Knoxville, I think the systems already in place are pretty good. There are lots of farmer's markets from Oak Ridge to East Knoxville, on various days throughout the week. I'm not yet keyed in to this community like I want, but I'm already on a few email distribution lists from farmers that tell me what they're growing and how the crops look. All you have to do is show up to farmers markets and ask.
However, what if you're passionate about wanting to get local foods into larger establishments--like hospitals, schools, or churches? Do current food distributors tap into the local angle?
NPR had a good piece on this morning. Click here and then the "Listen Now" button. The gist is that a website called Local Dirt is hoping to connect those interested in buying and selling locally. When I did a search for local farms near Knoxville, 7 popped up within 100 miles and the closest on their list was 59 miles away. We know there are closer farms. I suppose they just need to get on the site if they're interested.
So if you have established relationships with either local farmers wanting to branch out or local institutions wanting to buy locally, encourage them to check this out.
And if you're still not sure where to find a farmer's market, check out Coupon Katie's list here and Couponing in Critical Time's tips here.
Do you go to farmer's markets? What are your favorites?
