Meet Your Local Farmer from CR17GG

By Guest Blogger & Leafy Cafe Express Summer Manager - Jennifer Osburn. 

Jennifer is the fresh, new face for Leafy Cafe EXPRESS. Leafy Cafe EXPRESS is currently operating out of The CLUB cafe, St. Simons, Georgia where I operate the Leafy Cafe Meals to GO-GO service. Together with CLUB Management, I created LC EXPRESS as a way to continue to serve healthy food to club members and the entire community. Jennifer runs LC EXPRESS with this philosophy and mission; using locally & sustainable grown ingredients as much as possible. Here is what Jen has to say about a recent visit to one of the sources for the high quality ingredients you will find in 

LC EXPRESS' meals.  Take it away Jen....

photo courtesy of Ellery Mayence

It brings me so much happiness to know where my food comes from. I am not just talking about searching perilously for organic, made-in-the-USA labels.... No, I mean going to Darien to shake hands with a local farmer, Ellery Mayence. Feeding the café customers is a passion of mine and I appreciate the privilege I have of going to Darien to literally witness Ellery harvest giant cucumbers straight from the vine, which I will use the very next day in salads.

GR17GG Cukes in LC EXPRESS salads!

Farm to table concepts are nothing new but there is big reason why they are valuable. Working with local farmers helps you support your local economy, ensure you understand the process your food went through and connects you to your neighbors. By eating local produce you are supporting a food cycle with a small carbon footprint.

Ellery's farm is located in Darien, Georgia, very close to Hwy 17. He took over the farm this year and he and his wife, Kasia, sell their home-grown delights at their farm Coastal Route 17 Green Goods (CR17GG for short)  Wednesday evenings and at the Sea Island Farmer's Market, the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. 

photo courtesy Ellery Mayence

Their soil is simply incredible - the landowner before them enriched the soil with compost, leaf mulch, and manure - and then it largely sat fallow for several years.  The result is soil that is incredibly fertile that will grow most any vegetable one would want. Ellery and Kasia produce chemical-free vegetables (following organic principles) and grow a range of long-stem flowers for cutting.

Zinnias and other long-stemmed flowers for the cutting! Photo courtesy Ellery Mayence

It is important to know your neighbors and local farmers.   Therefore, I would like to introduce to you: Ellery, Kasia and their daughter, Lumi. If you are in Darien, at the Leafy Café or the Sea Island Farmer’s Market - you can rest easy knowing they are taking good care of your vegetables.

Ellery, Kasia & Lumi

Ellery Mayence and his amazing Green Goods!

Thanks Jennifer! And thank you to the Mayence family for bringing us amazing, life giving food! It’s no doubt Ellery manages the soil to be the best it can be. In addition to farming, Ellery is a highly regarded and frequently published Ecologist.

Sláinte!