customers about the organic movement and the benefits of home gardening. A past president of Florida Organic Grow- ers (FOG), Oakes operates a five-acre organic farm near Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, where he grows most of the produce offered at his store between November and March.
food campaign to patrons of farmers’ markets; he also teaches volunteers and apprentices, and is offering a series of one-day organic garden seminars at Eden on November 7 and 14 and December 5. Subjects at Eimerman Educational Center vary from compost- ing and worm ranching to container gardens and growing sprouts. Another gardening series, from October 16 through the end of Novem- ber, is conducted in a 60-by-50-foot community garden. “The incentive for curious newcomers, as well as those who are looking to learn new tech- niques, is that they get to take home their harvest,” says Puig, who adds that anyone interested in ordering fresh from Eden’s gardens can do so on Facebook, at Garden@EdenForAutism. “You can order a $10, $15 or $20 assortment of whatever we have in season, and pick it up at our 2801 County Barn location on Tuesdays and Fridays, between 2 and 5 p.m., beginning this month.” Yet another produce alternative is the trays of seedlings that Eden sells to backyard gardeners. “The most deli- cate time in a plant’s life is the first two months,” advises Puig, who notes that buying fresh seedlings gives the local gardener a hardier head start. Puig also opens Eden gardens to homeschool and other groups. “We’re looking to build a real sense of community, which is eas- ily done around gardening,” he says.
HOME GARDENS Frank Oakes, owner of Food & Thought Organic Farm Market & Café, in Naples, is truly a champion of the backyard garden. In fact, he’s never happier than when he is educating his
natural awakenings November 2010 41
Adamantly organic—everything at Food & Thought carries a USDA certified organic label—Oakes deplores the tragic decline in home garden- ing. “It is very unfortunate that people can’t grow more nutritious produce as cheaply as they can buy convention- ally grown, but less wholesome, food in the grocery store,” he says. “It’s to your benefit to not only find out where your food comes from, but to also meet your farmer and find out how he grows it. Fortunately, that’s getting easier to do here in Southwest Florida.”
Whether grown in a backyard or community garden, or bought from a farmers’ market, CSA, co-op or local organic market, nothing is better for the body or a favorite recipe than a selection of local, in-season produce, obtained your way.
For more information and local re- sources, see the following list of pro- duce hot spots (through page 43).
Local Produce Hotspots
Treat your locavore palate to garden-fresh produce at any of these local markets, join a CSA, or visit area farms to see who grows your food and where it comes from.
CSAS
GREEN VILLAGE ORGANIC PRO- DUCE CO-OP
GreenVillageOrganics.com Email:
GreenVillageOrganics@gmail.com 239-784-6136
Weekly $15 or $25 bag of various organic produce at six different locations in Naples.
FARMS AND FARM TOURS
GARDEN AT EDEN FLORIDA 2101 County Barn Road, Naples Saturday farm tours, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Facebook page: Garden@EdenForAutism Contact: John Puig
JohnPuig.com
INYONI ORGANIC FARM Immokalee Road, seven miles east of I-75 (Produce is sold at For Goodness Sake Organic Marketplace & Café, Third Street South Farmers’ Market and St. Monica’s Farmers’ Market) Contact: Nick Batty, owner, at 239-980-3605
OAKES ORGANIC FARM 7455 Sanctuary Road, Naples (Produce is sold at Food & Thought Or- ganic Farm Market & Café)
For more information, visit
FoodAndThought.com and click on Events
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