I loved the "Shop Your ATH Off" ad I saw in this week's Flagpole Magazine encouraging Athenians to shop local this holiday season. Readers can pledge to spend at least $100 at locally owned businesses at www.flagpole.com and register to win gift certificates from those shops.

One of my favorite local holiday markets at Big City Bread sadly won't be open this year, however there are a slew of other local holiday markets where you can buy pottery, arts and crafts and other items all made by local peeps. Many of these events start THIS WEEKEND! Check out the list below or click HERE for The Flagpole's Holiday Shopping Guide.

Enjoy the Christmas Parade downtown tonight at 7pm and remember to pump a little money into our local economy this year!

Railroad Arts District Holiday Market on the loading docks at the Chase Park Warehouses. Friday Dec.4, 2-9pm. Part of the big First Friday event happening in the RxRAD. www.railroadartsdistrict.blogspot.com

Trace Studio Collective's pottery sale Friday Dec.4-Sunday Dec.6 from 2pm-7pm. 160 Tracy Street, 2A

Marmalade Pottery will have its holiday sale on Saturday Dec.4 from 5pm-9pm and Sunday Dec.5 from 9am-5pm.

R.Wood Studio pottery sale Saturday Dec. 5, 9am-4pm www.rwoodstudio.com

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Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: Athens | Local

UGA's Grady School of Journalism produced a new video explaining how Athens Locally Grown works. Check it out HERE and learn more about their online farmer's market and easy system for getting your veggies locally!

You can visit Athens Locally Grown online HERE.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: athens | local | food

Since 2001, the web-based Athens Locally Grown farmers’ market has gone from a few growers to a collaboration of more than 100 area small farmers serving over 1,800 members. Despite its success, it provides limited avenues for education and social interaction. Prior to the establishment last year of the Athens Farmers’ Market, there were few meeting places outside of Locally Grown’s weekly pick-up for members. So, Locally Grown created the “Farmer for a Day” tour: guided by growers, guests visit local farms and experience the work, the food and the culture of sustainable agriculture. This year’s series of tours runs once a month through October. The first tour is this Sunday, May 17 at Roots Farm in Winterville, where many spring veggies and herbs are being harvested now.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: locally grown | sustainable | Athens

Most of us, used to shopping in grocery stores that provide produce from around the world in all seasons, have lost touch with our local growing cycles. Just because you can buy lettuce all year round, doesn't mean that lettuce can be grown all year round in your region.

While the convenience and nutrition that comes from access to a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is nice, the environmental impact of shipping all those foods across the country or world can be steep. And many of us want to support local farms -- and the rural landscape -- by purchasing locally grown foods.

To help, Natural Resources Defense Council has created a new widget that allows you to search for seasonal produce by state and season. It won't tell you if that asparagus in the supermarket was actually grown locally, but it will tell you if it could have been, based on local growing conditions. It's a good place to start for anyone trying to reduce their "food miles" and a useful tool for anyone curious about where food comes from.

Want to know what you should be eating NOW in Athens, GA? Go here to get the widget in your favorite format -- then add it to your Yahoo! Widgets, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, bookmarks, and more. Source: The Daily Green News

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: eat local | food | organic

People looking to save on the grocery bill or reassure themselves about recent concerns over food safety have spurred a gardening boom. The trend has hit even the White House, where Michelle Obama recently planted a vegetable garden on the White House lawn.

Call it a "kitchen garden," a "recession garden" or a "victory garden" - uncertain times seem to have spurred a need to have a supply of food close at hand.

Check out one local Athens' couple's plight to expand their community garden in today's Athens Banner-Herald. Click HERE for the full story!

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: local | garden | athens | green