Over the last couple of decades, buying locally grown foods has seen a substantial growth in popularity in small communities all over the country, and Bulloch County is no exception.
The Farm to Table Movement
People wanted to connect the food their family ate directly back to the farmer whose soil it was grown in. Local, small farmers realized people were looking for this connection once again, and the uptick local farmers markets facilitated this movement.
Locally owned restaurants all over the country began putting value back into regional goods. Georgia schools also developed a “Farm to School” program, “a movement that connects all parts of the food system with all aspects of the school day.”
The importance of local food is not only good for local communities, but for the state economy as a whole. Here in Statesboro, the local farmers market just celebrated its 17th year, and Brooklet has just started its first farmer’s market.
It's now a tradition on Saturday mornings for many families, where they rely on the local produce, meats, and more for the week. Some of the original vendors that made the Statesboro Farmer's Market a huge success are still eagerly selling their goods at the market today.
Market produce is fresh, local, helps sustain our local farmers, and also reduces the carbon footprint.
Currently local meat, dairy, produce, and fresh eggs can be found weekly at the Statesboro Main Street Farmer’s Market and on Statesboro Market 2 Go. Check out some of these local vendors for your own farm-to-table experience below.
Local Meat:
- 920 Cattle & Company (Millen, Ga.): Available every other Saturday at the Statesboro Farmers Market and online. "We believe the secret to tender, flavorful, tasty meat pivots around good animal nutrition. That's why our specialized nutritional plan includes full access to grass and forages, with supplemental minerals, vitamins and feed as needed and near finish.”
- Hunter Cattle Grassfed Beef (Brooklet, Ga.): Available at Statesboro Farmer’s Market, Forsyth Farmer’s Market, and various retail stores. HC is dedicated to sustainable practices and animal welfare. “We raise the highest quality, grass-fed beef and farm products for better flavor and nutrition.”
- Westwood Angus Beef: A multi-generational Registered Black Angus cow-calf/ seed stock, offering their own home grown pasture raised, grain finished premium Angus Beef. Available on Statesboro Market 2 Go and online.
- Southern Swiss Dairy: Grass-Fed Beef. "Our beef is cut from our farm raised steers. Right before the meat is harvested, the steers are supplemented with our home grown forage to improve the taste of the meat. Our cattle are fed a mixed ration of forages that are grown on our 950 acre farm.” Available on Statesboro Market 2 Go and online.
Local Produce:
- Hazelnut Pastures (Brooklet)
- Jacobs Produce (Rocky Ford)
- Mack Family Farm (Statesboro)
- Poor Robins (Sylvania)
- Ole McDonnell’s Farm (Effingham County)
- Caruca Farms (Emanuel County)
- Fishheads (Sardis)
- Better Fresh Farms (Metter)
- D&FH (Statesboro)
- Double Branch (Register)
- Terrys Table (Leefield)
Local Dairy:
- Southern Swiss Dairy (Waynesboro)
- Bootleg Farm (Springfield)
Local Eggs:
- Faye Franklins’s
- Jacobs Produce
- Bootleg Farms
- Old McDonnell's
- The Milkhouse
- Daisy Mae
- Hazelnut Pastures
- Mill Creek Farms
For a full list of vendors and local goods, visit Statesboro Market 2 Go, the online market associated with the Main Street Farmer’s Market. The in-person market takes place every Saturday morning from 9am-12:30pm, April to November, in the market building behind Visit Statesboro at 222 S. Main St.
Additional Resources for buying local:
