See You at the Farm?

Making the most of good ideas, City Roots offers hands-on classes and the All-Local Farmers' Market keeps its home game plan going all football season.

First, the All-Local Farmers’ Market: as you might imagine, traffic around 701 Whaley can make it hard to have a market there when Carolina has a home game.  Last weekend, the All-Local set up shop at City Roots near Owens Field, because USC was playing Georgia at noon. That worked so well that the market has decided to operate from City Roots for every USC home football game, no matter what time the game starts.

Market manager Erin Curtis says they thought the every-home-game plan would be less confusing for customers.  So look for the market at City Roots this Saturday, September 18.  Then, next Saturday (September 25), there’s no home game—so the market is back on at 701 Whaley.  Hours are the same, 8am-noon.  If that’s still hard to remember, check for updates on the market's website or on Facebook.

City Roots, Columbia’s only in-town farm, is easy to get to, even with a noon game at Williams-Brice. Last Saturday, I took Holly Street over from Devine all the way into Rosewood, then turned right toward Owens Field.  No traffic to deal with at all.

And City Roots is a fun place to visit. For the market, some vendors were set up in front of a patch of sunflowers. Others were in and around the barn.  You’re welcome to check things out while you’re there, so you can buy great local stuff and do a mini farm tour all in one outing.

I also see that the market will have live music this Saturday and some new vendors in their lineup.

Now about those classes: City Roots is partnering with the USC Green Quad to offer classes. Tomorrow, they’re offering their first session, called  “composting with or without worms.”  Over the next few months, you can learn about growing vegetables, raising backyard chickens, and a host of other things suited to the “urban” farm.  City Roots has posted all the info on their Facebook page (click on the Boxes tab) and the Green Quad has details online too.