Great piece on the Atlanta Magazine website reporting that the new managers and operators of the Decatur Farmer’s Market, Community Farmer’s Markets, are already bringing in new vendors.

New vendors have already started coming to the market, and today their ranks continue to grow. In addition to loyal, long-time vendors such as Greenleaf Farms, Zocalo Salsas, Stone Mountain Herbs, and Besmaid Garden Essentials, today you’ll find Laughing Rabbit Farm, Mountain Earth Farm, Watsonia Farms, S & J Wood-fired Pizza, Doggy Dogg ATL, and King of Pops. On Saturdays, all the new farms will be back, plus Scharko Farms.

“There will be more vendors coming, especially at the Saturday market,” says Katie Hayes, director of Community Farmers Markets and acting market manager. “The No. 1 thing we wanted to do was get more farmers.” Also scheduled for upcoming Saturday markets: coffee. It’s not grown locally, but it is roasted locally, and it sure makes an early morning shopping trip more pleasant.

As the article notes, now the market just needs more customers to keep those new vendors coming back.  Keep up to date on the Decatur Farmer’s Market HERE!

On the heels of a post on Atlanta Magazine (thanks DrB!) about CSD suspending admission of tuition students (this was mentioned at the LAST school meeting, but I blanked in posting it), there’s this mention at the end of Superintendent Edwards’ overview for March School Board meeting tomorrow…

Enrollment projections for next year were set at 4036 (K-12). Kindergarten projections : 371.

At this time, we have 112 new Kindergarten students (last year 105). We have 142 new students overall with an enrollment of 10 new students at the 9th grade alone. With the calculation of the PreK students moving up – we are already close to meeting the projection for Kindergarten. We will keep you informed as the spring goes on.

And as the Superintendent said in the Atlanta Magazine piece…

We haven’t even kicked into [the main registration period of] late spring or summer,

In addition to an already reported new location, Decatur Farmer’s Market founders Greg and Nicole Coleson are in negotiations to transfer operational control of the market.  From Atlanta Magazine’s Covered Dish blog…

Market founders Greg and Nicole Coleson are in discussions to transfer operational control of the market to Community Farmers Markets, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Grant Park and East Atlanta Village farmers markets.

The switch would certainly mean an increase in resources devoted to the market, and would likely result in a larger, more consistent collection of vendors.

“We just couldn’t dedicate the time and the energy to it that it needs,” says Nicole Coleson, who with her husband started the market in 2002, right around the time their daughter was born. “So when they approached us, we said, ‘Yes, it’s absolutely time.'”

But the transfer isn’t a done-deal just yet.  Check out the full Atlanta Mag post for all the details.

Angie points out a recent post on Atlanta Magazine’s website noting that former Oakhurst Chef Calavino’s wife, Doria Roberts, is currently running second regionally in the Grammys’ “Gig of a Lifetime” contest.   Says Richard Eldredge on his blog…

As of this morning, Atlanta singer/songwriter/baker supreme Doria Roberts is this close to scoring her dream gig — a live performance at next month’s 55th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Via its Facebook page, the Grammys folks have announced its “Grammy Live: The Gig of a Lifetime” contest. Roberts is a nominee in the South Atlantic competition. The winner and band will be flown to the left coast and offered a chance to perform in front of music industry A-listers on Grammy weekend.

After Roberts and her wife Urban Cannibals chef Calavino Donati mobilized their impressive fan base on Facebook and Twitter over the weekend, Roberts has now pulled into second place with just two days of voting left before a winner is announced. The singer’s fans can vote up to 10 times a day.

The city’s Linda Harris has compiled a list of Decatur, GA honorees for this year’s Atlanta Magazine “Best of Atlanta” list over on The Decatur Minute.  So without further ado, let’s copy and paste!

Restaurant Relocation - Cakes & Ale
Best New Restaurants – No. 246
New Food Trucks – W.O.W.! – Duck’s Cosmic Kitchen
No Excuses Exercise – Walk for Lunch
New Tri & Cycle Spot – Decatur Bikes

Inducted into the Hall of Fame were:
Dine & Drink – Taqueria del Sol
Play & Thrive – Jazmin Spa
See & Scene – Eddie’s Attic

Reader’s Survey:
Gifts – Heliotrope
Yoga Studio – Decatur Yoga & Pilates
Sports Bar – Taco Mac

Three Arts-Related Events that originated in Atlanta but featured locations in Decatur:
City Art Project – Living Walls: The City Speaks
Pop-Up Culture – Flux Projects
Scavenger Art – Catlanta