In early summer, greens, cabbage, peppers, and cucumbers come to market, followed by tomatoes, watermelon, potatoes, peaches and other fruit, as well as row crops such as squash.
“Walmart buys a lot of local produce because they have a strong program to support local farmers,” observes Jerry Williams, general manager at Flavor-Pic Tomatoes and Alex Kontos Fruit Company, Inc. “We are also seeing more emphasis on local produce from the foodservice and local retail sector than ever before. Not only does this support local farms, but the locals are the ones going to the restaurants and stores. This has helped local growers tremendously, allowing them to expand their business and farms, as well as to become better operators in terms of production and coming online with some of the safety standards.”
ALABAMA FARMERS MARKET
Also known as the Jefferson County Truck Growers Association Farmers Market, or Birmingham Farmers Market. An open-air facility with nine numbered sheds, the North End Shed building, and the Watermelon Shed, as well as warehouse bays, office space, and a small flea market.Location:
344 Finely Ave.
West Birmingham, AL 35204
(205) 251-8737
http://www.alabamafarmersmarket.org/Summer hours:
24 hours/day – most vendors open 7 days per week
5:00 am – 8:00 pmOff-season:
24 hours/day – most vendors open 7 days per week
5:00 am – 6:00 pmWholesalers:
Flavor-Pic Tomatoes – (205) 323-7306
Stone Tomato – (205) 254-3474
Bama Tomato – (205) 252-2002
Salsa Fresh – (205) 251-8016
Graves Produce – (205) 324-5778
Ray Gilliland – (205) 294-2083
Sun-Up Produce – (205) 320-0011
Olin Bice – (205) 287-4989
Smith Produce – (205) 322-7508
James Tucker Produce – (205) 328-2460
Tommy Tucker Produce – (205) 382-2599
Farm House Produce – (205) 251-6530
Clayton Farms – (205) 919-2410
Kenneth Hicks – (205) 913-7735
The network and cooperation between different strata of food growers and handlers in Alabama is commendable, and working. “We have partnered many of our farmers with the local grocery stores that are buying from them,” Wambles says. “And this has spilled over into more local restaurants buying from local growers. Basically, we’ve built a local food system out of the farmers’ market movement.”
