It's time again for Black Pot Cookin' at the Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm in Jefferson, this Saturday (Oct. 20) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For $15 ($10 kids 12 and under), you get to roam around the farm, which includes a working gristmill, cotton gin and restored schoolhouse, plus you get a plate of food and bluegrass entertainment. What's on the menu? Chicken and dumplings, beans, collard and turnip greens, cornbread, sweet potatoes and fruit cobbler. You can also buy fried pies, cornmeal, grits and honey produced on the farm.

This Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, the folks from Farm 255 are helping harvest at Full Moon Farms, and they're inviting the public to participate. Rachel Bailey says, "We're hoping to use the outing on the 23rd to give people a sense of how farm-to-table works and why we think it's so great. But it's also a chance to learn something about where your food comes from and spend the morning enjoying the farm and the feeling of watching a bucket fill up with produce you've picked yourself." Bailey is organizing a carpool and says there will be light refreshments on hand. RSVP to [email protected].

The next day (Wednesday, Oct. 24), is Food Day at the Athens Farmers Market's downtown edition, in which Farm 255 is also participating, along with Slow Food Greater Athens and Action Ministries. But, Hillary, I hear you say. Isn't every day food day? Yes and no. The nationwide event focuses on food in the Michael Pollan sense: healthy, affordable, sustainable. The Athens edition features a cooking contest called Hometown Throwdown ("Home cooks battle Athens' finest chefs with market produce as their inspiration in an Iron Chef-style competition. Mixed doubles--one home cook and one restaurant cook each on a team (starring Nathan Brand of The National, Aaron Phillips of the Last Resort, Zachary Burgess from Our Daily Bread and others), raffles, face painting, live music and more, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Coming up on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Avid Bookshop will host an author visit by Rebecca Lang, who is touting her new cookbook, Around the Southern Table. Lang talks to HGTV Design Star judge Vern Yip, novelist Cassandra King and musician Zac Brown and provides 150 recipes. Lang is well known as a food author, with many books under her belt and a regular gig on syndicated TV. She writes for Southern Living and many, many other publications.