Food for thought or thoughts on food: Buying Locally in Cleveland,TN

Okay, so i promised that I would try to do some research and find places to purchase food locally. It has been a crazy adventure, but I have found some great places to start. I live in Cleveland, TN, so I will start there and then I will branch out into surrounding areas. Chattanooga is full of places to buy local fare.

Cleveland:

Five Points Farmers Market-The market opens on May 27th at the Museum Center on Inman Street. The market is open every thursday from 4-7pm.

Clover Wreath Farms: This farm offers CSA's(but they are already closed for the 2010 season). They also offer eggs, dairy, honey, vegetables, and fruit. Their website also gives a great description of how a CSA works. 

Chattanooga:

Main Street Market: Held every Wednesday night from 4-6. The market is located on the corner of Main and Williams. Across from Hiroshi's Sushi.

Chattanooga Market: If you are interested in getting a big majority of all the local farm in one place then just come out to the Chattanooga Market on Sundays starting April 25th. There is always food, music, art, and lots of local fare. 

Sequatchi Valley Farms: They offer grass fed beef and pork. There is also news that they will have cheese this summer! You can also buy Dancing Fern Nursery Native Plants.

Crabtree Farms: Offers produce and plants. You can also pick your own strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Crabtree Farms also offers a CSA.

Like I said, this is just a small offering of the local farms around the area. I would also like to offer one more GREAT resource for learning about local food in the Chattanooga, TN area. It is called Taste Buds. Here is the link: tastebudsguide.org Here you can find more local farms, restaurant that serve local food, events, and more. I hope this helps to begin your journey!