Archive for the ‘Farmers’ Category

Posted by Leonard Edwards | December 7th, 2011

[Cross-posted from Bread for the City's story bank. Tell your story of food and family now!]

I loved my grandfather, James Madison. He ran a tobacco and dairy farm. I spent most of my summers on his farm. We would wake up around 5:00 in the morning, and I would help him bring the cows up from the lower grazing pastures to the milking bays. We would feed the hogs and check the chicken coops for eggs to eat at breakfast. While Granddaddy milked the cow, we would eat breakfast with the milk and eggs. The milk was so fresh my grandmother had to blow the creamy butter away from the rim of the pitcher so that the butter in the milk would not go into our cereal bowls. No pasteurization or preservatives, and, no surprise, we never got sick or had an allergic reaction to all that freshness.

I was sixteen years old before I had a birthday in my home town of Pittsburgh, PA. When I got off the big Greyhound bus each summer in Appomattox, VA, my grandfather would say, “Here comes my city grandson, down to the country to see how real men earn a living.” He would tease me, “Farming is hard work, and city boys do not know anything about working hard.” Then he would laugh with his big, boisterous laugh.

My grandfather was also a very religious, God-fearing man. When the sun started to get a bit hot and I started to fade, he would quote scripture (Genesis 2:15):

“AND the Lord took the man (Adam), and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”

My Garden of Eden is now located at 1525 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC. While working in Bread for the City’s Rooftop Garden this spring and summer, I swear I could feel my grandfather’s presence at times. One day this nice, warm, melancholy feeling came over me, and it was so strong that I started tearing up. I had to get control of my emotions before someone thought that I was crazy. I could hear my grandfather’s voice telling me “farming is hard work, but I prepared you for this very day.” That hot summer day set me up for a healthy make over.

From that moment on, my whole being changed! I made an appointment with BFC’s nutritionist, Sharon, so that I could take advantage of these fresh vegetables that I was harvesting from the Rooftop Garden. Sharon set me up with a good nutritious diet along with correct portion sizes. I lost twenty five pounds, my blood pressure got back to normal levels, and the exercise from riding my bike down to BFC and working in the garden made me feel one hundred percent better. Needless to say, Doctor Randi in the health care clinic was proud of me.

BFC’s Rooftop Garden was not only good for my health, but also my soul! BFC helped me take better care of myself, so I can be a blessing to others in my community. It reconnected me with the teachings of my childhood, that we need to fight for each other and fight for the earth, to be able to take care of each other and stay on our land. I’m glad for my Garden of Eden — a place where more people have the support to be whole people, together in community.

Want to share your own story? Go to Bread for the City’s story bank to share your traditions, memories, hopes and wonders.

Posted by Andrea Northup | August 29th, 2011

What’s a child’s first reaction to a bright orange roasted sweet potato on her cafeteria tray? “Weird!” or “What’s that?!” But take that child to a nearby farm and show her how sweet potatoes are grown; or bring a local chef into her classroom to make a delicious sweet potato dish. Then what? That sweet potato in her school meal is gone before you know it!

The D.C. Farm to School Network is pleased to announce that the third annual D.C. Farm to School Week will take place October 3-7, 2011 in schools across Washington, DC! The week will get students excited about local food and where it comes from. Schools will feature seasonal, local foods in their school meals, and engage students in hands-on food education.

Posted by Alison Crowley | August 15th, 2011

More options for healthy, affordable, fresh produce are coming east of the Anacostia River! On Saturday, September 3rd, a new Farmers Market will launch in the Parkside-Kenilworth neighborhood of Ward 7. This will be just the third currently operational market east of the River and will run from Labor Day through Thanksgiving. The Parkside-Kenilworth Farmers [...]

Posted by Christopher Bradshaw | July 11th, 2011

Aya Community Markets (Aya) is a community-centered economic and holistic health experience that combines education, farmers’ markets and community supported sustainable agriculture to provide access to healthy food and improved nutrition in “food deserts” and underserved communities in Washington, DC.

Join us for our launch on Saturday July 30th from 11am until 5pm at Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church (3000 Penn. Ave. SE).

Aya’s physical farmers’ markets will be a vibrant gathering places and destination points where consumers will come to not only shop for produce, but will be able to access various vendors for goods and services for mental, spiritual and financial health. This holistic approach will attract customers in search of other health experiences such as yoga, exercise classes, or credit counseling which help to improve the community.

Aya Community Markets will offer fresh, local produce, flowers, prepared foods and handcrafted items directly to Ward 7 residents. In addition Aya will host a wide range of family and nutritional programs, including live entertainment, chef demonstrations and youth activities.

Aya will feature:

• Fresh produce and baked goods;
• Handmade arts and crafts;
• Live musical performances;
• Massage therapy, acupuncture and other holistic health services.

Visit http://dreamingoutloud.org/ayamarkets for more!

Posted by Kate Sims | May 31st, 2011

A Spring Harvest Celebration in D.C. Schools

“Salad greens! Salad greens!” was the surprising, yet endearing chant heard loud and clear in the cafeteria of Bancroft Elementary of the Mount Pleasant neighborhood at DC Farm to School Network’s 2^nd annual Strawberries & Salad Greens event on May 25, 2011.

Strawberries and salad greens from farms of the mid-Atlantic region were incorporated into the lunch menufor the day in all 123 DCPS elementary, middle, high schools and educational campuses. Other schools in the city to participate included Friendship Public Charter Schools, CentroNia/D.C. Bilingual PCS, E.W. Stokes PCS, Cesar Chavez PCS (all campuses), Yu Ying PCS, Washington Jesuit Academy, Next Step Public Charter School, and The SEED School.

33 cafeterias across the city also featured a “Where Food Comes From” table. Educational materials provided for those tables included a map and pictures of the farmers who harvested the plants, packets of seeds to grow the plants, and a strawberry and salad green plant to discuss with the kids the process of how part of their lunch was planted, grown, and then harvested.

Festive stickers with the Strawberries & Salad Greens logo were also provided to all students, which they wore proudly on shirts, hands, and even foreheads, as they munched and commented on the special additions to their school lunch: How does it taste? Sweet! Do you know where strawberries come from? The farm! A garden! What do you think these seeds need to grow? Water! Sun! Love! What do you eat strawberries in? Smoothies! Cake! Salad!

Strawberries & Salad Greens is just one example of how DC Farm to School Network is helping introduce fresh produce to kids and create an interest in tasting and learning about where nutritious food comes from.

For more information on upcoming DC Farm to School Network events, please visit www.dcfarmtoschool.org

Posted by Ibti Vincent | May 9th, 2011

After many, many requests from urban farmers, cyclists, and food activists for information on a rescheduled DC Urban Farms Bike Tour, I am elated to let you all know that you can break out your bikes (and helmets, ahem) in less than two weeks. And there are two exciting new additions to the tour, bringing [...]

Posted by Allison Burket | April 22nd, 2011

Did you know that the Field to Fork Network tracks and compiles recurring volunteer opportunities with farms and gardens in DC? Check out this post from the Field to Fork Network’s Bea Trickett:

Check out DC Field to Fork Network’s recently updated events calendar, now featuring recurring volunteer opportunities where you can get involved with DC’s local urban farm and non-profit garden projects!! Different sites have different policies about volunteering and whether you need to go through a volunteer orientation, whether you need to RSVP, or whether you can simply show up day-of – so be sure to click on the event listing for more info on the specific project you’re interested in. Some sites can take large groups of volunteers and others are seeking just individuals.

Depending on the weather, the project, and the season, you could expect to be:

• digging
• weeding
• turning, sifting, or spreading compost
• making woodchip paths
• planting
• mulching
• picking up trash
• painting
• building
• assisting with special events or programs, or
• performing pretty much any other general organic garden maintenance tasks!!

You can be sure that wherever you volunteer, you will definitely get your hands dirty and your hard work will certainly be appreciated!

For more information, or to add events, visit the DC Field to Fork Network website or email dcfieldtofork@gmail.com

Posted by Molly Meehan | March 8th, 2011

The Accokeek Foundation’s Center for Agricultural and Environmental Stewardship, in partnership with the National Immigrant Farming Initiative and the Rural Coalition, is collaborating to present our 2011 Food Justice Series. This series of four open-to-all events will feature a panel of speakers and a period of discussion, and will spotlight the issues that affect food [...]