Local Farms & Local Chefs

Written by David Melton

Published on March 31, 2022

The idea originated In 2018. “Let’s go camping at one of our partner farms and invite a local chef to join us”. The goal was pretty simple – first, brag to our friends that we got to go camping for work. Second, highlight that the same produce that is on the menus of Atlanta’s best restaurants, fills Fresh Harvest customer baskets (and kitchens) every week. Below is a collection of our subsequent ‘farmer/chef camping and filming trips’ that we hope captures the vibrance of the local food community in Atlanta.

Woodland Gardens + Little Bear

Our most recent trip was in the Spring of 2021. We spent the weekend at Woodland Gardens, near Athens, GA, with farmer Celia Barss and Chef Jarrett Stieber of Little Bear. When it comes to working with local restaurants and chefs, Woodland is the king. They have truly perfected the model. And Jarrett is the perfect partner because he has a keen understanding of the impact he can make along the food supply chain by sourcing from a local farm like Woodland. Each dish not only tastes amazing, but it represents fair wages for farm workers and sustainable farming practices.

Videographer Casey. The only thing better than his camera skills are his campfire stories. | Woodland Gardens

Zac preps dinner on the Kudu Grill. | Woodland Gardens

Rodgers Greens & Roots + Chef Chris Edwards

In the Spring of 2019 we camped, harvested, and filmed at Rodgers Greens & Roots with Chef Chris Edwards, the former Executive Chef at King + Duke. Over an amazing lunch with the farm staff, farmer Ashley and Chef Chris discussed how food grown the right way sustains communities, regenerates the natural ecosystem, and overflows with quality and taste. Chris expressed that local food should not only be in Atlanta’s best restaurants, but in our kitchens as well. “There’s great opportunity to support local agriculture in Georgia. If you have the mindset to try new things, the food is so good, you’ll have to try to mess it up!”

David takes pictures of other people taking pictures | Rodgers Greens & Roots

Joe captures all the tasty drone footage | Rodgers Greens & Roots

Signal Mountain Farm + Talat Market

Our first trip was to Signal Mountain farm that sits atop Signal Mountain near Chattanooga, TN. Farmer Thomas is known for his heirloom tomatoes but he also grows a wide variety of other veggies for FH customers. Chef’s Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter of Talat Market made the trip with us and prepared an unbelievable meal. At the time (2018) Talat Market was a locally sourced Thai pop-up. Now they boast their own brick and mortar restaurant in the Summerhill neighborhood, near Little Bear ATL.