By By MaryClaire Foster
My time in Atmore is winding down with less than two weeks to go before I pack up and head back to Trussville.
As I was once again making the three plus hour drive from Birmingham this weekend and rejoicing over the fact that it will no longer be the bane of my existence, I also began thinking about what I would miss about my little big adventure and all the things I have yet to do in Atmore.
When I first moved here I had plans, big plans. I was going to fully immerse myself in the socially conscious lifestyle, check one with my job at a newspaper. I thought the transition would be a cinch.
Then after moving into my apartment I immediately began recycling. That went extremely well at first. I’d collect a bin full and faithfully take it to the Recycle Depot. Then the new wore off. “Not again,” I’d think as I saw the bin fill up. My dread of having to sort it eventually overcame my care that it was taking over my kitchen and while I’m still a recycler, that bin overflows a little more often.
Besides living a greener lifestyle by recycling, one of the first things I asked about when I moved here was if there were any farmers markets. I was excited to be told there was and vowed to be a frequent shopper.
I’ve written before about the blog eatingalabama.org that was kept by two couples who for a year only ate food grown in Alabama and how important I think it is to shop locally.
Sadly unlike my foray into recycling, my shopping at the farmers market never quite got off the ground. Then as I was brainstorming for an idea for a lifestyles feature, I drove by the Atmore Farmers Market and saw a pretty good crowd of people shopping.
Like so many other experiences I’ve had at the paper, getting to hang out at the farmers market was both educational, and much like how the food was described to me, just plain good.
After leaving the market, I again told myself I’d be better at doing my part to support the local economy. I plan on starting here in Atmore and continuing the effort in Birmingham. I hope you will join me in supporting our local farmers.
There is a large network of farmers markets across the state. Check out the Alabama Farmer’s Market Authority’s Web site at http://www.fma.alabama.gov/ to find out where they are located and get recipe ideas for those fresh fruits and vegetables.
MaryClaire Foster is news editor for The Atmore Advance. She can be reached via email at lifestyles@atmoreadvance.com