What is sweeter than fresh summertime treats from a local farmers market? Picking your own fresh produce and then diving into Lake Lanier’s cool water of course! Summer brings so many choices for fresh produce and handmade specialty foods in Georgia that it’s hard to choose which is best. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite farm fresh locations to fill your picnic basket for beach days this summer.
Georgia’s Sweet Spot
A centennial farm that has been in the Echols family for generations, Jaemor Farms is the second most visited attraction at Lake Lanier (we bet you can guess the first.) Founded in 1912 in Lula Georgia, six generations have lovingly tended its crops and market. Millions have visited the farm to shop their amazing market and to pick apples, peaches, strawberries and flowers. Don’tmiss their homemade breads, pies, cakes, jams and jellies. Fancy yourself a farmer? Select live plants, trees and flowers for your home garden. No visit is complete without a cone of their homemade peach ice cream.
Home of the Happiest Cows on Earth
Known for having “milk so fresh the cow doesn’t even know it’s gone” this family-owned dairy,and creamery offers fresh milk products as well as a variety of other local products in their store. Interested in knowing more about the day to day running of Mountain Fresh Creamery? Sign up to take their farm tour. Here you will meet their Holstein herd and learn all about what goes into harvesting fresh, delicious milk. Stop by the Silo for a hand spun milkshake or scoop of their homemade ice cream.
Farm Fresh Flowery Branch
This quaint downtown is known for the Flowery Branch Farmers Market with vendors gathering to sell fresh veggies and plants, homemade bread, fresh ground coffee, beef jerky and more. Food trucks gather around the market shed so if you’re not in the mood for cooking, they’ve got you covered with dinner ready to go. Be sure to try the delicious homemade empanadas, brick oven pizza and fried catfish. Bring a chair and relax on the market pavilion lawn while you listen to live music and enjoy special programming including the annual Tomato Sandwich Party every July. From the late fall through early spring, their Winter Market is held the 2nd of 4th Thursday each month.
Seafood and then Eat It
What is it about visiting beach destinations that makes us crave seafood? Even though Lake Lanier is hours away from the ocean, we have the luxury of readily available fresh seafood. Be sure to check out the Atlanta Highway Seafood Market and the Gainesville Seafood Market & Eatery. Here you can purchase fresh fish, shrimp and more to create your perfect summertime seafood meals. Both locations have on site dining and will gladly prepare your market selections to go saving you the trouble of cooking.
Let’s Go to Market
For 40 years serving the people of North Georgia, the Hall County Farmers Market allows only local farms and artisans as vendors. Everything at the market is grown locally, harvested fresh, and sold by the farmer that grew it. The farms are inspected by their market manager to ensure that they bring in only the crops they grow. Open May through September on Tuesdays and Saturdays this market is conveniently located directly off Interstate 985.
Berry Pickin’ and Grinnin’
Cool Springs Blueberry Farm is a country oasis nestled on five acres in Gainesville, Georgia. Theirmodest farm is home to hundreds of blueberry bushes providing the most perfect blueberries around. The you pick blueberry season typically runs from late June to mid-August. Outside of blueberry season, the farm offers a number of activities and events for families to enjoy like festivals, movie nights, summer camps, trick-or-treat and more.
What’s Glowing is Growing
Have you ever seen a farm inside a 30,000 sq. ft. building? Green Box Mushrooms grows specialty mushrooms indoor year-round in high tech farming facility with air, temperature and humidity controlled growing rooms. Producing hundreds of pounds of Oyster Mushrooms a day, they plan to expand to other varieties such as Lion’s Mane, Chestnut mushroom, King Trumpet, Beech Mushroom and more. GBM is a 100% sustainable farm utilizing agricultural by-product to produce fresh gourmet mushrooms and organic compost for land farmers. GBM offers monthly you pick events and hosts VIP tours for private groups by appointment.
