Kevin Lausman, a master beekeeper and member of the flourishing Suncoast Beekeepers Association, says he plans to lobby city commissioners this month for an end to the city’s ban on backyard beekeeping.

Here in sunny, fertile, Southwest Florida, locovores seem as common as orange trees. Chefs report that customers are asking for regional flavors and dishes; small farms are proliferating; and sales of Earthboxes and other home-growing supplies are brisk. And the crowds keep growing at Sarasota County’s six major outdoor markets—and at all sorts of smaller markets and seasonal stands as well.

What grows in community gardens goes way beyond plants. Just ask Rano Stankevskaya from Moscow, who is growing herbs and beets in Sarasota’s Orange Blossom Community Garden to make Russian borscht for her fellow gardeners. Or Sharon Carr, who visits the garden to purchase fresh vegetables and greens grown by the McBean Boys & Girls Garden Group for the nearby Carr’s Corner Cafe. Or Shelley and William Ramage, whose plot has become part of the curriculum for the five of their nine children who are home-schooled.

Supporting locally grown or raised food – whether at a locally-owned restaurant or at your own table -  is at the heart of the slow-food movement. So is seeking out “clean” food, or produce grown without the use of pesticides or hormones. Promoting “fair” practices, including fair labor, is also part of the movement. And ensuring all parts of a community have equal access to good food is another key concept.