[wallstreet1986]

Barber's Milk and Orange Juice (Birmingham). Milo's Sweet Tea (Bessemer) - can find it at Publix.

Walmart actually has some Alabama products. I haven't been there recently but the one out on South 280 did about a month ago.

To Alabama commerce and good food - three cheers for the thread!

[MsMuir]

[quote=NicoleC;1808367]Meat and eggs fresh from the farmer down the road, veggies from the back yard or from the farmer's markets and local farmers, fruit and fruit juices from local orchards.
QUOTE]

Where do you find the orchards that sell fruit and fruit juicies? That would be heaven

[Southlander]

Isom Farms, on U.S. 72 between Athens and Huntsville, although their offerings may be slim this year due to the drought. Great fresh apple cider...was just thinking the other day it was time to take a ride in the convertible over there for a quart...yum!

[NicoleC]

Scott's Apple Orchard up in Hazel Green (although they have no crop this year)
Reeve's Peach Farm in Hartselle (also with nothing this year)
Isom Farms, as Southlander mentioned (I doubt they had anything either this year)

Most orchards also have produce stands and sell jellies and such. There's a produce stand on the Beltline west of 65 in what I think is technically Priceville that sells local and semi-local produce, fruits, nuts and honey.

The Easter Freeze killed almost all the fruit this year in N. Alabama and the drought isn't helping either. Please help these guys out and give them some of your produce dollars this year and next if you can. Many of them sell seasonal items like Christmas trees and pumpkins, too.

Pick your own listings: Where to find pick your own farms / orchards in Alabama for fruit, vegetable, pumpkin and Christmas trees
Local farms: Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food
Alabama Farmer's Markets, Roadside Stands, etc.: State of Alabama - Farmers Market Authority

[harry chickpea]

Isoms has been selling peach wood this year. Peach trees don't have a really long life, and I guess some were damaged enough to call for cutting. I imagine the wood is good for smoking foods or yuletide fireplaces.

It fascinates me that there are a lot of veggies that folks around here don't understand. Our home grown winter squash is an example, it was greeted with a puzzled look and a "what do you do with it?" I was surprised when someone else put some of our raw collards into a salad? Another neighbor had never tasted salmon (not a surprise, given that salmon don't migrate to Alabama, and Lash was the only fish market in about a 75 mile radius circle).

For real fun, go to a supermarket, buy a rutebaga and watch the cashiers call out to each other "Linda May, do you know what this is?"

[Southlander]

Winter squash is a newcomer to these parts...I had only seen it in magazines until around 15 years ago. Collards in salad? Not sure I'd want to try that! Last spring I bought a pint of strawberries in the grocery store...the young checkout girl didn't realize strawberries were an actual fruit. She thought it was just a flavor for lip gloss and Froot Rollups.

[NicoleC]

Harry, I love playing "stump the checker" at the grocery store. Some get miffed that they don't know it and others have a sense of adventure when faced with a kumquat or celeriac. Me, if I see something strange and think "what's that?!" it's a sure thing I'm going to buy it and find out what it tastes like.

It was truly sad, however, when I picked up some heirloom tennis ball lettuce heads at the Kroger and they didn't have a SKU for them and insisted they couldn't ring them up and demanded to know where I got them. Um... from a pile of them in your produce section?

Another very sad day was when I picked up canned pumpkin a few months ago -- CANNED! -- and the checker wanted to know what you did with it.

[AnyDayNow]

No way, Nicole?! Was it a very young checker? I shudder to think that someone doesn't know of the lower-calorie delight that is a pumpkin pie. (I say "lower-calorie" because it sure was the healthier choice in my childhood home, between pecan pie and pumpkin pie.)

[NicoleC]

No, is was a man about 45-ish!

He was astonished when I told him you could bake it with butter and/or spices for a tasty side dish.

[Rick in Dixie]

Originally Posted by Southlander

I'll PM you when I get home tonight. It involves mayonnaise, a lot of pepper and WAY more salt that you ever thought possible!!!

Would that be "Bama Mayonaise" ? lol.