From Staff Reports

Now, residents can get locally grown organic vegetables delivered to their doors this winter by signing up as a member of Mt. Laurel Organic Gardens.

&uot;A locally grown winter vegetable tastes like a totally different vegetable of the same name shipped from California,&uot; says Jerry Spencer, owner of the farm south of Birmingham.

Some of the vegetables you can expect include the last of the summer’s tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. &uot;Our goal is tomatoes ’til Christmas,&uot; Spencer says.

Through the winter months the harvest will include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and a wide variety of salad greens.

An abundance of winter greens range from traditional collard and turnip greens to more exotic greens such as broccoli rabe and young tender mustard greens.

The winter harvest will include weekly deliveries between Nov. 5 and the end of April 2004, with a hiatus starting Dec. 24 and resuming Feb. 18.

The price is $625 for home or office delivery to selected zip codes encompassing most of the Birmingham, Southside and over the mountain areas.

Each week, members will receive a pre-selected box of the freshest produce. For those outside the selected zip codes or who otherwise prefer it over home delivery, produce can be selected from the &uot;moveable feast&uot; farmer’s market trailer at predetermined pickup points each week for a $550 membership.

In addition to downtown Birmingham and Southside, the zip codes that qualify for home delivery include: 35242, 35244, 35226, 35216, 35124, 35243, 35209, 35223.

Delivery of chemical-free, pasture-raised chickens are also available with or separate from the vegetable delivery; as well as turkeys for the holidays.