In this update:

* Public Work Session on MC School Garden Policy
* Faith-Based Communities and Community Gardens
* Local Harvest Veggie of the Month - Brussels Sprouts!
* Young Reader's Edition of The Omnivore's Dilemma
* Resources for Growing Food When You Have No Land
* Past MVG Weekly Updates Now Available in Archive


Public Work Session on MC School Garden Policy

With thanks again to Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin for her leadership on this issue, a briefing on current and planned school garden policy has been scheduled for a a joint working session of the Education and Planning, Housing and Economic Development  Committees. It will take place at 1:00pm on Monday, December 7 at the Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville (the exact room is subject to change, so ask once you have arrived).

Ervin's office describes the purpose and scope of this informational joint work session "is to receive a briefing on the status of the community gardens program; review the policies of MCPS and the M-NCPPC Department of Parks regarding community gardens; and identify next steps." 

The public is welcome, and there may be opportunities to ask questions, but bear in mind that it is primarily an informational briefing (as opposed to a public discussion), happening at a committee work session.

That being said, this will be your best opportunity to learn the current planning of MC Public Schools and the Parks Department for food gardens in 2010. If you want to know about this hot hot topic, join us at the Council Office Building on December 7!
 

Faith-Based Communities and Community Gardens

Montgomery Victory Gardens is pleased to be playing a central role in yet another area of the expanding food gardening in our county - faith-based communities.

Working with Rev. Tim Warner in the County Executive's Office of Community Partnerships, MVG is preparing information and resources on community gardening for interested churches, synagogues and mosques, and will be distributing materials along with our partners, the MC Master Gardeners, at the Office's "Faithfulness Together" conference this coming Sunday, November 22 at Greenridge Baptist Church in Clarksburg.

The focus of the conference is the needs of women and children in our county, and the keynote speaker is Rev. Lula G. Williams, Director of Religious Affairs for the Children's Defense Fund. The conference is open to everyone who is interested in working on these issues through a religious congregation in the county. Click here to see the flyer for the conference. Click here to register.)

We are proud to be invited to this event to spread the word on community gardening, and to be working with Rev. Warner and the Office of Community Partnerships to expand this initiative in the faith-based community. Look for more exciting developments on this in the future!


Local Harvest Veggie of the Month - Brussels Sprouts!

With Thanksgiving coming up, why not try a great local crop that is in season now - Brussels Sprouts.

Before you start to malign this misunderstood cousin of the cabbage, let me repeat what local food author Mary Beth Albright so correctly observed: there are two kinds of people - those who love Brussels sprouts, and those who haven't had them cooked right.  Because if you roast fresh Brussels sprouts (we've also had success cooking them in a iron skillet) they turn nutty, sweet, and a little crunchy. Absolutely delicious.

Brussels sprouts are also densely packed with any number of nutrients, such as vitamins K, A and C, as well as cancer-fighting phytonutrients.

For one of the tastiest, healthiest, in-season local foods you can get for your Thanksgiving table, or for any other meal this fall, go for Brussels sprouts - you won't regret it!

Good recipes are at the two links above - here's  a third.

 
Young Readers Edition of The Omnivore's Dilemma

Michael Pollan's bestselling book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, helped launch many of us on the road to local food. I was delighted to learn this week that a young reader's version of the book has just been released.

From a review by Publishers Weekly: "This youth-friendly version of Pollan's bestseller, with updated facts, assorted visuals and a new introduction and afterword, is as enlightening as it is accessible. The adaptation uses the same 'four meal' format of the original book, as Pollan describes the impact of humans' heavy corn consumption, explores the organic food industry, takes part in the system of farming practiced at Polyface Farm and hunts mushrooms and wild pigs. Conscientious readers will grasp the important lessons. Ages 10 - up."

If you know a young teen who likes to read, I can't imagine a more intriguing book to give them - the adult version is on my list of best books ever, and I'm sure the young readers version is just as good. Visit your local bookstore today to get a copy!


Resources for Growing Food When You Have No Land

With a tip of our hat (or should I say carrot?) to The Growing Edge, here are two new resources for folks who are trying to grow food without a lot of land - or without any land at all.

First, read this Grist.org interview with R.J. Ruppenthal, author of Fresh Food From Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener's Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting. As Ruppenthal says, "If you live in an apartment, condo, or townhouse, you might not think that you have enough space to grow anything, but my goal is to change your mind on that," and this interview is filled with lots of creative ideas that will help you change your mind.

Second is a free ebook, Guide to Setting Up Your Own Edible Rooftop Garden, published by Alternatives and the Rooftop Garden Project in Montreal - the most comprehensive guide this author has yet seen to starting your own rooftop garden. And same as with a traditional garden, now is the time to start planning your rooftop garden to plant this spring! Click here to read this great new ebook.


Past MVG Weekly Updates Now Available in Archive

Folks have been asking, and we are happy to comply: all of our past (and very popular) MVG Weekly Updates are now archived online.

Do you want to find a local food update you had missed or misplaced? Recommendations for a local winery or restaurant that serves local food, perhaps, or a tip sheet on winterizing your garden? Well you can find them all now on the MVG Update Archive on our website... or click here to access the archive directly. Enjoy!


That's it for this week, friends! Don't forget to send us your feedback, as well as ideas for stories or local food events we can promote, by emailing us at info@montgomeryvictorygardens.org.

Yours in delicious, sustainably grown local food,

Gordon Clark,
Project Director
Montgomery Victory Gardens