Connecting farmers and markets

DANBURY (By Lisa O'Donnell, Winston-Salem Journal) - Larry Roark hopes that this spring he will spend more time tending to the fruits and vegetables on his small farm than waiting for customers to arrive at area farmers' markets.

Roark is one of about 20 farmers in Stokes, Rockingham and Caswell counties participating in Piedmont Local Food, a new program that will match farmers with restaurants and other customers who want locally grown food. Although not all of the details of the program have been completed, the idea is to launch a Web site for farmers to sell their produce. It should be up by March.

Farmers would drop off the orders at a central location. The produce would either delivered or available for customers to pick up.