Where’re the Farmers?
January 20th, 2008If you care to venture past the railroad yards in northwestern Birmingham, Alabama, and go north a block, you’ll find a conglomeration of food distributors along Finley Avenue. Buried in the middle of this is the Jefferson County Truck Growers Association, the only farmer’s market open this time of year in Birmingham.
Even with a sign that looks something like the traditional Las Vegas welcome sign, the market is still difficult to find. Once you get there, though, you’re likely to see farmers’ trucks parked underneath the rows of sheds, displaying their seasonal produce. Elsewhere on the grounds is a flea market and larger produce stores that ship in their wares.
Today I went, and there was nobody there.
I’m exaggerating. There were a few flea market sellers there, and the produce stores were open. As I left, I drove around back and saw that there were some Latino families selling flea market wares and produce — but I doubt that it was local produce (peaches and tomatoes in January?).
It snowed yesterday for the first time this winter, and today it was a nippy nineteen degrees (that’s cold for us Alabamians). I can hardly blame the farmers for not wanting to be out in that weather — even if their crops did survive the frost.
So I left, disappointed. I only have one more option for local produce now — Jones Valley Urban Farm. Of course, they’re not growing that much this time of year, either. We’ll just see what they do have.
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