Sweeten Up Summer With a Trip to Georgia Farms

ATLANTA, July 7, 2009 – Want to pick fresh blackberries for a homemade cobbler or discover how goat's milk becomes a nationally acclaimed cheese? Step into Georgia's backyard this summer and learn how our fresh foods are produced, and discover the local restaurants, markets and festivals that showcase them. (See a full list of links below this release.)
Start off your Georgia food journey right, with the cream of the crop the Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville.  This 140-acre dairy is a must-see for any cheese-lover.  A collection of 150 goats and 30 Jersey cows produce the milk used to make this dairy's award-winning artisanal cheeses.  Call in advance and Sweet Grass will schedule a Friday tour that includes information on the milking and cheese-making process, a visit with the goats and a trip to their newly opened retail store, which gives tour participants discounts.  Continue your Georgia cheese adventure about 200 miles northeast of Thomasville in Swainsboro at the Flat Creek Lodge. Flat Creek also produces prized cheeses and offers a dairy tour in addition to overnight lodging and outdoor activities that include hunting, fishing, and skeet shooting.  During the summer, the lodge also sells freshly harvested blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.

If you'd rather harvest your own produce, visit one of the many small farms across Georgia that welcomes visitors to 'pick-[their]-own' produce.  Some of these include Calhoun Produce in Ashburn, Enota Mountain Retreat in Hiawassee; Holt Heritage Farm & Supply in Euharlee,  Kauffman's Farmarket in Montezuma,  Koinonia Farms near Americus and Whippoorwill Hollow Farm in Walnut Grove.  Contacting farms in advance is advisable to learn what crops are in season and when the best time is to schedule a visit.  Koinonia Farms, which follows organic farming practices, also features a bit of South Georgia history in that it started as a racially integrated Christian farming community in the mid 1900s and served as the first place that Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller built homes for the poor.  Visitors can stay a night at Koinonia or at the nearby Plains Historic Inn near the home of Georgia's most famous farmer, former President Jimmy Carter.    Also, don't miss out on food-themed trips that teach you about some of Georgia's staple crops like peaches, pecans and its official vegetable- the Vidalia onion.  The Vidalia Onion Museum off Highway 280 in Vidalia or the UGA Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center which performs vegetable plot crop research  in the area, both offer interesting insights into the production, harvesting and history of this sweet onion.  Also, local farms such as Braddy Farms in nearby Mt. Vernon and the Pecan Orchard Plantation near Vidalia grow the Vidalia onion as well as other fruits and vegetables and welcome visitors to learn more about farming.  Lane Southern Orchards in Fort Valley also welcomes visitors interested in learning more about the cultivation and harvesting of peaches and pecans.  With more than 4,000 acres of orchards, Lane offers visitors a perspective on large-scale agricultural production  that includes guided riding tours of the property and a look at the company's packaging facility.

About 130 miles southwest of Fort Valley is White Oak Pastures, a 142-year-old family cattle farm near Bluffton, that provides a must-do educational  experience.  Operated by the Harris Family, White Oak raises free-range, grass-fed cattle using environmentally friendly and humane farming practices.   A trip to the farm will help explain why the Harris family believes their farming practices produce beef that is tastier and healthier than conventional beef.   A Georgia food itinerary should also include a visit to the beautiful Georgia coastline, where eating fresh seafood is a way of life.  Explore the coast with charter fishing tours like those operated by Miss Judy Charters in Savannah,  Capt. Mark Noble Charters on St. Simons Island and Capt. Gary Altman in Brunswick.

Also in Brunswick is Credle's Adventures , where you can hop aboard the Lady Jane shrimp trawler.  The crew on the Lady Jane will help you catch wild shrimp and boil it for you while you're still in open waters!  You can also buy wild Georgia shrimp at seafood retailers that include Boone's Seafood in Darien;  Dubberly's Seafood in Savannah; City Market, Knight's Seafood and Poteet Seafood Co. in Brunswick, and Walker's Seafood in Waynesboro, near Augusta.    After getting your fresh shrimp, make sure to find another essential ingredient for a Georgia coastal favorite- shrimp and grits.  Freshly ground grits can be found at Lott's Country Store and Grist Mill in Willachoochee, the Nora Mill Granary in Sautee Nacoochee and Mills Farm near Athens.  Lott's grinds organically grown local corn using machines more than 100 years old.  Nora Mill Granary uses the adjacent Chattahoochee River as a power source to grind its corn and farmer Tim Mills of Mills Farm makes grits using a milling device that he designed to be powered by his red mule.

Pair your locally grown food with Georgia-made beverages.  Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens and Atlanta Brewing Company and Sweetwater Brewery in Atlanta brew beer that can be tasted in their facilities and purchased in local retail stores.  They also offer tours of their facilities.  Other brewers sell their beer on site at their brewpubs, which sometimes feature locally grown food.  Five Seasons Brewing in Atlanta, for example, sells its homemade brews but also features locally grown foods from Crystal Organic Farms of Newborn, Riverview Farms of Ranger, and Sweetwater Growers of Canton.  Similarly, some Georgia wineries also sell local cheeses to pair with their wines.  Three Sisters Vineyards in Dahlonega, for example, carries cheeses from Sweet Grass Dairy.  Some Georgia restaurants also carry food from local farms.  They include Cakes and Ale in Decatur,  Cha Bella in Savannah, Farm 255 and Five & Ten in Athens, La Maison on Telfair in Augusta, The Blue Bicycle in Dawsonville, The Farmhouse at Serenbe, WaterHaven in Atlanta and The Hil in Chattahoochee Hill Country and others. The Beechwood Inn in Clayton also uses local foods for its breakfasts and special dinners.

Local farmers' markets are another great way to experience Georgia-grown foods.  Several cities and towns across the state host local farmers' markets including Albany, Alpharetta, Athens, Atlanta, Carrollton, Decatur, Euharlee, Hawkinsville, Macon, Perry, Plainsville, Sandersville, Sautee Nacoochee, Savannah, Tifton, Thomasville, and Zebulon.  For a more comprehensive list of farmers' markets across the state, see Georgia Organics' local food guide that also details area farms, specialty grocers and restaurants that support locally grown foods.

Finally, don't miss a chance to participate in one of the many local festivals that celebrate some of Georgia's finest foods and beverages.

A list of farm-and-food friendly festivals in 2009 follows.

July

Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival, Clarkesville, July 19

August
Tom Watson Watermelon Festival, Thomson, Aug. 1
Tomato Festival, Young Harris, Aug. 22

September
Savannah Craft Brew Fest, Savannah, Sept. 4-5
Annual Apple Pickin' Jubilee, Ellijay, Sept. 12- Oct. 31
Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival, Jekyll Island, Sept. 18-20
A-Maize-ing Journey, a corn-maze festival, Thomson, Sept. 18- Nov. 15
Plains Peanut Festival, Plains, Sept. 26
Honey Bee Festival, Hahira, Sept. 28-Oct. 3 Honey Bee Festival

October
Rock Shrimp Festival 2009, St. Marys, Oct. 3
Brunswick Rockin' Stewbilee, Brunswick, Oct. 9-10
Georgia Apple Festival, Ellijay, Oct. 10-11 and 17-18
Georgia Peanut Festival, Sylvester, Oct. 17
The Great Decatur Beer Tasting Festival, Decatur, Oct. 17
Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) Wine Festival, Martinez, Oct. 17
Harvest Fest at Cane Creek Vineyards, Young Harris, Oct. 24
National BBQ Festival, Douglas, Oct. 30-31

November
Toccoa Harvest Fest, Toccoa, Nov. 7-8
Annual Holiday Gingerbread Village, Augusta, Nov. 20-29
Swine Time, Climax, Nov. 28

December
Yuletide Feast, Lumpkin, Dec. 12
Georgia Wine Highway Weekend, Dec. 12-13

Other must-do annual food festivals include the Vidalia Onion Festival in Vidalia, the Crawfish Festival in Woodbine and the Georgia Strawberry Festival in Reynolds, all held in April.  The Sweet Onion Festival held in Glennville in May and the Georgia Wine Country Festival in Dahlonega during June should also be on the itineraries of Georgia food lovers.   Festivals, farmers' markets and on-site visits offer a great way to get out and see Georgia's finest products.  Don't miss a chance to spend a weekend or longer reaping your local harvest and meeting the farmers, grocers and retailers who keep Georgia-grown food alive.  Plan your Georgia food journey at www.exploregeorgia.org.   The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.

Venue Links: (in alphabetical order)

A-Maize-ing Journey, corn maze
http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Event/Overview/1600192/Corn-Maze   Annual Apple Pickin' Jubilee
http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Event/Overview/1601692/Apple-Pickin-Jubilee   Annual Crawfish Festival
http://www.woodbinecrawfish.com/
Annual Heirloom Tomato Festival
http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Event/Overview/1600814/Annual-Heirloom-Tomato-Festival
Annual Holiday Gingerbread Village
http://www.augustamuseum.org/calendar_events.htm   Atlanta Brewing Company
http://www.atlantabrewing.com/index_2.html   Beechwood Inn
http://www.beechwoodinn.ws/abouttheinndirections.html   Blue Bicycle
http://www.bluebicycle.net    Boone's Seafood
405 Boone Dock Rd., Darien
(912) 437-4239
Braddy Farms
http://www.vidalia-onions.org/
Brunswick Rockin' Stewbilee
http://www.brunswickstewbilee.com/   Cakes and Ale
http://www.cakesandalerestaurant.com/   Calhoun Produce
http://www.calhounproduce.com/   Capt. Gary Altman, Happy Hookers Charter Service
http://www.goldenislescharterfishing.com/   Capt. Mark Noble Charter Fishing
http://www.georgiafishing.net/
Cha Bella
http://www.cha-bella.com/   City Market
http://www.citymarketseafood.com/
Credle's Adventures
http://www.credlesadventures.com/index.html
Credle's Adventures' Lady Jane Shrimp Boat
http://www.credlesadventures.com/page2.html    Crystal Organic Farm
http://crystalorganicfarm.wordpress.com/about-us/
CSRA Wine Festival
http://www.csrawinefestival.com/   Dubberly's Seafood
http://www.sweetsavannahshrimp.com/
Enota Mountain Retreat
http://enota.com/eco-village.htm
Farm 255
http://www.farm255.com/
Flat Creek Lodge
http://www.flatcreeklodge.com/
Five & Ten
http://www.fiveandten.com   Five Seasons Brewing
http://www.5seasonsbrewing.com/index.html   Georgia Apple Festival
http://www.georgiaapplefestival.org
Georgia Organics' Local Food Guide
http://www.georgiaorganics.org/foodguide/LFGguide.pdf?PHPSESSID=05ed6a283b1e7bd7c7c4b3db7cf28f80   Georgia Peanut Festival
http://www.gapeanuts.com/calendar.asp   Georgia Strawberry Festival
http://www.ga-strawberry.org/   Georgia Wine Country Festival
http://www.dahlonega.org/index.php/component/jcalpro/view/180/100046.html   Georgia Wine Highway
http://www.georgiawine.com/   Habitat for Humanity
http://www.habitat.org/   Harvest Fest at Cane Creek Vineyards http://www.cranecreekvineyards.com/   Holt Heritage Farm & Supply
http://www.holtfarmsupply.com/   Honey Bee Festival
http://www.hahira.ga.us/honeybee.html
http://www.hahira.ga.us/2009%20honeybee%20festival%20info.htm   Jekyll Island Shrimp & Grits: The Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival
http://www.jekyllisland.com/shrimpandgrits/   Kauffman's Farmarket
http://www.kauffmansfarmarket.com/
Knight's Seafood
827 Bay Street, Brunswick
(912) 265-2722   Koinonia Farms
http://www.koinoniapartners.org/
La Maison on Telfair
http://www.lamaisonontelfair.com/   Lane Southern Orchards
http://www.lanesouthernorchards.com/   Lott's Country Store & Grist Mill
http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Listing/Overview/19386/Lotts-Country-Store-And-Grist-Mill
Millard Fuller
http://www.habitat.org/how/millard.aspx   Mills Farm, Red Mule Grits
http://redmulegrits.com/index.html   Miss Judy Charters
http://www.missjudycharters.com/   National BBQ Festival
http://www.nationalbbqfestival.com/   Nora Mill Granary
http://www.noramill.com/   Pecan Orchard Plantation
http://www.pecanorchardplantation.com/501.html   Plains Peanut Festival
http://www.plainsgeorgia.com/peanut_festival.html   Plains Historic Inn
http://www.plainsinn.net/   Poteet Seafood Co.
5067 Blythe Island Highway, Brunswick
(912) 264-5340   Rock Shrimp Festival
http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Event/Overview/1600904/Rock-Shrimp-Festival   Riverview Farms
http://www.grassfedcow.com/   Savannah Craft Brew Festival
http://www.savannahcraftbrewfest.com/   Sunflower Farm Festival
http://www.sunflowerfarmfestival.com/   Swine Time Festival
http://www.swinetimefestival.com/   Sweet Grass Dairy
http://www.sweetgrassdairy.com/
Call (229) 227-0752 to set up a tour   Sweet Onion Festival
http://www.glennvillesweetonion.com/Festival.html
Sweetwater Brewing Co.
http://www.sweetwaterbrew.com/   Sweetwater Growers
http://www.sweetwatergrowers.com/   Terrapin Beer Co.
http://www.terrapinbeer.com/   The Farmhouse at Serenbe
http://www.serenbefarmhouse.com/   The Hil
http://www.the-hil.com/   The Great Decatur Beer Tasting Festival
http://www.decaturbeerfestival.com/   Three Sisters Vineyards
http://www.threesistersvineyards.com/   Toccoa Harvest Fest
http://mainstreettoccoa.com/calendar.html   Tomato Festival, Young Harris
http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Event/Overview/1600828/Tomato-Festival   Tom Watson Watermelon Festival
http://www.exploregeorgia.org/Event/Overview/75416/Tom-Watson-Watermelon-Festival   Vidalia Onion Festival
http://www.vidaliaonionfestival.com/   Vidalia Onion Museum
http://www.vidaliaonion.org/vidalia-onion-museum.php   Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center
http://www.caes.uga.edu/CENTER/vidalia.html
Walker's Seafood
106 E. Sixth Street, Waynesboro
(706) 554-1018   White Oak Pastures
http://www.whiteoakpastures.com/   Whippoorwill Hollow Farm
http://www.whippoorwillhollowfarm.com/   Yuletide Feast
http://www.westville.org/calendar/index.cfm