You can watch the segment here.

It is a really wonderful piece; as a friend noted, you couldn't buy better media coverage than this.

And once you watch this story, you will hear the big news that...



MCPS Agrees to Discuss Edible School Gardens!

Literally the day before the Channel 8 News reporter called, the Master Gardeners and Montgomery Victory Gardens, co-writers of the letter to Superintendent Jerry Weast asking that the school vegetable garden ban be repealed, received a response from Larry Bowers, Chief Operating Officer of Montgomery County Public Schools.

After a few paragraphs discussing the issue, including their work with the MC Department of Parks on food gardens in parks next to schools, the letter concludes by inviting both MVG and the MGs to meet with the Department of Facilities Management staff to "discuss procedures that would be needed to develop a successful edible garden review and approval process for MCPS schools."

This is wonderful news! Many of us involved in this struggle to get vegetable gardens in MC schools will be meeting to follow up on this in the coming days, and then of course meeting with school officials.  This is by no means the end of our campaign - MCPS has not agreed to repeal the ban yet, which is our goal - but it is a truly huge and important step forward.  And it's a victory we could not have secured without the support of so many organizations and individuals across Montgomery County.  Thank you all for your continued support!

And speaking of those supporting organizations...



MC Commission on Health Supports Repeal of the Garden Ban!

You might have missed it in all the commotion this week, but the MC Commission on Health, a branch of the MC Department of Health and Human Services, approved a resolution to sign on to our letter to Superintendent Weast asking that the ban be repealed.  Hard to get more authoritative than that, huh?

In the words of Commission Chair Wendy Friar, RN, MS, "your organizations' initiative is directly tied to a goal of the Commission's Prevention and Wellness Committee to actively pursue reduction of childhood obesity through diet and exercise."  She added "your leadership in this area is most timely and welcome."

As is, we might add, the support of the MC Commission on Health.  We look forward to working with them to promote reconsideration of the ban by MCPS, and to building a program of school vegetable gardens in Montgomery County that promote healthy eating lifestyles and exercise!



When "Too Late" Can Be Just the Right Time To Plant

Since we can't (and won't) use chemical pesticides, organic gardeners and farmers must use a variety of other means to combat destructive insects in the garden.  As it turns out, one of the most effective might be timing.

While most people are understandably trying to get stuff to eat out of their garden just as fast as they can, in this post from the Master Gardeners' Grow It Eat It blog, MD Master Gardener Bob Nixon explains how by exercising a little patience one can outwit the nefarious squash vine borer, destroyer of so many squash plants, by planting (or transplanting) after most of the insects have laid their eggs.

In addition to methods such as row cover, a late planting schedule like this might bring in your crop a few weeks later (or take up more space if you plant both early and late, as I did), but it will go a long way toward guaranteeing that you actually have a good crop, as opposed to a bunch of withered, dying squash plants.  Check it out!



Garlic Scape Pesto

Many of you might have just harvested your garlic, and if not you'll be doing it soon.  Either way, we want to suggest you try yet one more use for these amazing plants - garlic scape pesto.

The garlic scape is the flower part of the garlic plant, the long, curly stem rising up out of the center with what looks kinda like a tiny unopened tulip near the tip.  In addition the many other uses of garlic in food (not to mention it's medicinal properties - if you ever have an abscess in your mouth, wrap a clove of garlic in some gauze and put it over the sore to experience some truly amazing natural medicine), these scapes make an absolutely sizzling summertime pesto when mixed with parmesean cheese, olive oil and nuts.  (The recipe says walnuts, but I like dry roasted and unsalted peanuts, which are also cheaper.)

So if you've got any garlic, give this great recipe for garlic scape pesto a try.  And a big thank you to MVGer Andrew for letting us know about this fantastic recipe, and to MVGer Chris for pointing it out on the new-look Kitchen Gardener website!



When Is a Local Garden Blogger Not a Local Garden Blogger?

We were delighted to hear that the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments has hired a blogger to write about "all things green in Washington, DC and surrounding areas."  And more than a little surprised to hear that the blogger hired to write about "all things green" in our area lives in... Florida??

In the words of MVG Advisory Board Member Susan Harris (at right), herself a Master Gardener, garden coach and award-winning garden writer/blogger, "having our local governments start up a Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog is great news - but that the blog needs to be written and directed locally, not remotely by a writer in Florida.  Florida, where lawn species are totally different and lawn maintenance is upside-down from our area. I can't even imagine how different the growing of vegetables is there.  A local writer/gardener would also know the gardeners and gardening organizations in the DC area.  The advantages of this resource being locally written are too numerous to list or even imagine."

We couldn't agree more.  Any chance that the Council on Governments might change it's mind on this one?  We hope so - and we'll keep you updated on progress as the local blogging community tries to persuade them!



Tonight is the Last Night to See "Corner Plot"

As highlighted last week, Silver Spring urban farmer Charlie Koiner's farm is the subject of a short documentary film being shown at the American Film Institute's famed "SilverDocs" documentary festival this month.

The short movie is a wonderful portrait of this farmer and his amazing piece of agriculture, which sits right smack in the middle of downtown Silver Spring and only two blocks from Georgia Ave., one of the most heavily traveled thoroughfares in the region.  Charlie has farmed this land for decades, and at age 89, is still going strong with the help of his daughter Lynn.

Tonight, Friday June 25, is the last night the film will be shown, along with a series of other (no doubt) excellent short films.  Check out the story of this Silver Spring farming legend!

For more information on the screening and to get a ticket, click here.

To read The Gazette article, "Koiner Farm focus of duo's documentary," click here.

That's it for this week, folks! Please help support Montgomery Victory Gardens - click here to make a 100% tax-deductible contribution online!

And don't forget to send us your feedback and ideas for stories or local food events we can promote, by emailing us at info@montgomeryvictorygardens.org.