If you’ve been thinking of cooking up a “locally grown” theme for your Thanksgiving dinner, I’ve got some good news and bad news for you. The bad news is this: If you haven’t already arranged to buy a Georgia heritage turkey, you aren’t likely to find one at this late date. Locally, humanely, naturally raised turkeys are in such high demand in these parts that most are spoken for before the poults have become proper poultry.

But here’s the good news: You can still buy most everything else for the big meal from local producers—as long as you act quickly. Think about your menu now. Start shopping this week if you can, so you won't be caught by surprise if your favorite farmer runs out of sweet potatoes, or if your usual farmers market is closed for the holiday.

Here’s a partial list of where you can find locally produced ...

Though we Americans tend to overdo the amount of sugar in our diets, I admit to loving the now well-entrenched “spoonful of sugar” food trend ... you know, the one that has us adding a hint of sweetness to otherwise savory dishes. It’s the concept behind Brussels sprouts drizzled with maple syrup and butternut squash paired with caramelized onions.

The idea works with greens, too. This fall I’ve taken to combining naturally sweet root vegetables, like carrots and sweet potatoes, with pungent greens. The net balance is a little surprising, but comforting, too.

If you’ve never tried hakurei turnips before, now is a great time of year to do so. The little round, white turnips themselves taste more like a radish than a traditional turnip, only sweeter. In fact, you can eat them raw like a radish. Their greens are milder than traditional turnip greens as well, but they still ...

Although several farmers markets around metro Atlanta have now shut down until next spring, we lovers of fresh, local food still have plenty of options. In fact, each year more and more markets opt to extend their seasons. Here's an updated list of area markets that are still in operation.

Sunday
Grant Park Farmers Market: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through Dec. 16
Marietta Square Farmers Market: 12 to 3 p.m. through Nov. 18
West End Farmers and Artisans Market: 12 to 4 p.m. through Nov. 18

Tuesday
Emory Farmers Market: 12 to 5 p.m. throughout the academic year (closed during breaks)

Wednesday
Dunwoody Green Market: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. through Nov. 21
Peachtree City Farmers Market: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Nov. 21
Decatur Farmers Market: 3 to 6 p.m., ongoing
Truly Living Well at East Point: 2 to 7 p.m., ongoing

Thursday
East Atlanta Village Farmers ...

At Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta, vegetable-loving children take turns caring for the school’s hens and share in their output of fresh eggs. At Crawford Long Middle School, science teacher Tiarra Moore has commanded an impressive list of grants and awards to build aneducational organic garden and orchard. And at Morningside and Springdale Park elementary schools, students participate in garden-themed science lessons and are treated to cooking demonstrations from visiting chefs.

The “farm to school” movement, which seeks to improve the health of children by creating connections between them and real food, has taken root in Atlanta Public Schools. But many parents, in APS and other metro school districts, hope to extend the movement's reach, incorporating more garden-based lessons into the curricula, serving more Georgia-grown food in cafeterias, building more gardens on school grounds, and creating more ties between local farms and classrooms.  

This Saturday, Nov. 3, Georgia Organics and ...