How many bags of spinach do you throw out a month? Probably more than you’d like to admit, right? Statistics show that Americans waste $161 billion worth of food annually — the average family of 4 throws out $1,500 each year. Buying locally might just motivate you to think before your food — and your money — wind up in the trash.
We’ve rounded up farms selling everything from seasonal veggies to kombucha in and around Tampa Bay.
Meacham Urban Farm, Tampa | Named after a former principal of Tampa’s first African American school, the downtown urban farm grows tons of seasonal fruits and veggies. Head to the farm store to buy a box, or shop farm eggs, chicken, sourdough breads, baked goods, and kombucha.
And they’re in the process of expanding to beef. Sign up for the waitlist.
Brick Street Farms, St. Pete | Order your vertically-grown butter lettuce, bok choy, Swiss chard, and tons of other greens and veggies for delivery or pickup. Members score 10% of online and in-store purchases, so you can get more greens for your green.
What is a vertical farm, you ask? Brick Street offers two-person tours where you see exactly how the farm grows 68 acres of worth of greens on just a third of an acre of land in downtown St. Pete.
Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, Tampa | Looking to start eating more seasonally? The community-supported agriculture farm offers Harvest Share Memberships from November to April, packed with a variety of cooking greens, salad mix, herbs, fruiting vegetables, and root vegetables.
The Tampa farm also hosts yoga on the farmhouse porch, a market, and field trips focused on plant biology and agriculture.
Fat Beet Farm Kitchen & Bakery, Tampa | Opt in for a weekly subscription box filled with micro greens, dill, and other veggies, pick up a steaming slice of Bacon Spinach Fontina Quiche, or order catering from the coastal farm. Plus, the Tampa spot also sells baked goods, prepared sandwiches, salads, and take and bake delicacies — making your hosting duties so much easier.
Local Harvest and the Florida AG Coalition are great resources — listing out farms in the state + sharing which produce is currently in season. If price or commitment seems daunting, consider sharing a box with a friend. Many farms can be found at one of our local farmers’ markets.
