Undersecretary of Agriculture to Visit Crossroads Farmers Market - Wednesday, Oct. 13

We are delighted to announce that USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon will be visiting Crossroads Farmers Market, along with Wholesome Wave Chairman Gus Schumacher,  this coming Wednesday, October 13, 2010 from 2:45 - 3:45 pm - and you are cordially invited to attend!

It's not surprising that an Undersecretary at the USDA would want to visit this groundbreaking farmers market located at Langley Park/Takoma Park Crossroads, which created a buzz at the recent Maryland Food Policy Summit in Annapolis.  Crossroads Farmers Market is devoted to improving access to fresh, nutritious local food for people of all income levels, providing opportunities for new, minority, immigrant, and refugee food producers, and creating a positive community around local food  - and they have succeeded fabulously on all accounts, as you can tell anytime you visit this vibrant, music-filled local food market held every Wednesday in season. 

Among many other innovations, Crossroads was the first farmers market in the USA to develop the double-dollar incentive program called "Fresh Checks."  Between this and other nutrition-incentive programs, Crossroads offers funding up to $8 per person per market day; just this season, they have distributed over $24,000 in "Fresh Checks" support to more than 1000 low-income families.  That's $24,000 more of fresh, healthy local produce going to those who need it most - and $24,000 more going to the local farmers that grow that food.

Crossroads Farmers Market  deserves our community's full support for their great work.  Please join us if you can this coming Wednesday, October 13 between 2:45 and 3:45 pm, to show it!  Any  questions or comments? - Contact Michele Levy at 301.356.1020, or crossroadsmarket [at] gmail.com here.

School Vegetable Garden Testimony at County Council - Tuesday, Oct. 12

The day before the Undersecretary's visit, Montgomery Victory Gardens will be giving testimony to the Montgomery County Council, as part of our campaign to end the ban on vegetable gardens in our county's public schools. 

The Council, acting this coming Tuesday in its statutory authority as the Board of Health, will hear testimony from the MC Commission on Health (which supports school gardens and signed the letter urging that the ban be lifted), officials of the Montgomery County Public Schools system, and from Montgomery Victory Gardens,  representing the more than 30 community groups that have signed our original letter to Superintendent Weast. 

While the testimony is expected to be brief, this may be the only public council hearing this fall where this critical issue is addressed.  If you are concerned about the vegetable garden ban, which is detrimental to the health, welfare and education of our county's schoolchildren and the county at large, please plan to attend this important hearing on Tuesday, October 12!

The hearing will take place at approximately 11:30am (we recommend coming a little early, just in case), in the 3rd floor hearing room of the County Council building at 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850

Please note: The Council also welcomes additional written testimony on the school garden issue.  We encourage you to either bring written testimony with you, or send it to us at info@montgomeryvictorygardens.org no later than Monday evening, October 11.  We will make sure that your testimony is delivered to the Council.  (And please address your written testimony to Council President Nancy Floreen, which guarantees that it will be distributed to all Councilmembers.)

For more information, see our new Facebook page event listing here.

"The Future of Food and Farming in Montgomery County" - A Benefit for MVG, Featuring Recording Artists "emma's revolution" - Sunday, Oct. 24

"The Future of Food and Farming in Montgomery County," a  benefit for Montgomery Victory Gardens and the Campaign for School Gardens in Montgomery County, will be held at beautiful Blueberry Gardens Farm in Ashton, just 12 miles north of downtown Silver Spring on Sunday, Oct. 24, from 2:30 - 4:00pm.  Our special guests will be none other than recording artists and international performers Pat Humphries and Sandy O  -- "emma's revolution!"

Montgomery Victory Gardens has become a leading non-profit working to develop a healthy, sustainable, truly local food system, and the "The Future of Food and Farming in Montgomery County" will be a short presentation on the food future we can and need to build for ourselves here, including school and community gardens,  land use policy in our county's large but underutilized Agricultural Reserve, and everything in between.

As for our very special guests "emma's revolution" - they were the  Grand Prize winners in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, featured on NPR's "All Things Considered," and have both  performed and had their songs sung all over the world, from marches in Washington, D.C. to the opening of the World Conference on Women in Bejiing.  According to Sing Out Magazine, they are "the epitome of great contemporary political music."  And in the words of American music legend Pete Seeger  "Pat's songs will be sung well into the 22nd century."

Suggested donation at the benefit is $25, but any and all contributions are most welcome.  (And they are all tax-deductible!) The event will include refreshments and a welcome from Deborah Boggs, co-owner of Blueberry Gardens Farm, a holistic healing center and the only organic blueberry farm in Montgomery County.   So please join us on Sunday, October 24  at 2:30pm for this wonderful event!   For more information, contact  Ellen at 301-774-3636, or go to our Facebook page event listing here.

How About Poison-Free Poultry in Maryland?

Did you know that industrial chicken producers routinely feed arsenic to their chickens?  That's right, arsenic as in the poison.  (And a great play and movie, "Arsenic and Old Lace," for those who remember!)

Used originally to treat intestinal disease, arsenic is now fed to chickens as a "growth promoter" and  "cosmetic additive," according to the non-profit Food and Water Watch (apparently it helps color the meat a certain way).  Not surprisingly, new scientific research reveals that arsenic in poultry feed poses significant risk for both human health and the environment as it leads to groundwater contamination.

This is particularly true for MD and our vitally important Chesapeake Bay, which unfortunately hosts numerous industrial chicken plants on or near its shores.  Chronic exposure to arsenic is associated with increased risk for several kinds of cancer and can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes as well as neurological problems in children.  (Hello - we are talking about a poison here!)

Fortunately, Food and Water Watch is taking this issue head on, and has started a campaign to end the use of arsenic-laced chicken feed in our state.   You can check out their website page here, and sign their online petition to MD elected officials here.

Congregational Community Gardens in the News

Congregational community gardens are in the news again, with this fine article from the Washington Jewish Week entitled "Faithful harvests - Congregations join to grow food for the needy."

The article is especially fine because the reporter chose to explore the connection between individual and community food gardening and the larger effort to change our food system in Montgomery County.  As I am quoted in the article, "We're not of the expectation that houses of worship are going to turn into farmland,  [but] you can start to get people involved in growing their own food" and foster "a greater sensitivity and demand for local food."

Building the Mishnah Garden earlier this spring.

The article also focuses on Adat Shalom Synagogue in Potomac, whose new Mishnah garden has been featured in previous updates.  "It's been amazing," said Cheryl Kollin, the Mishnah Garden's co-leader, explaining that it allows congregants to tap into their "Jewish agrarian roots," as well as discover the benefits of locally grown produce. "Some people have never gardened before so it's a great way to teach children and parents."  The food grown at Adat Shalom is donated to the Manna Food Center.

We're delighted to be a part of this important effort to spread food growing knowledge in our county while producing more fresh food for those in need.  If you are a member of the a congregation that might like to get started gardening next year and join the Congregational Community Garden Network,  let us know at info@montgomeryvictorygardens.org !

Making the Most of Your Potato Harvest

As long time Vermont food gardener Kathy LaLiberte notes in a current e-newletter from Gardener's Supply, "If you had to limit your diet to a single food, potatoes wouldn't be a bad choice. Baked, boiled, chipped, fried, mashed, roasted or scalloped - the lowly potato can taste completely and deliciously different depending on how it's prepared."

Ah - but what kind of potato you have makes a big difference in how you cook it, and Ms. LaLiberte's article gives an excellent description of exactly what those differences are, and the best ways to cook different potatoes.

If you are getting your fall harvest of potatoes right now, or if you are buying them from the farmers market or other local source, this is a great look at the many faces of the potato, including links to articles on how to store your potatoes (and garlic, onions and squash), lists of different potato varieties and their uses, and (since it can't hurt to start planning for the spring), instructions on how to grow potatoes in raised beds or in potato bags.

All hail the "lowly" potato!

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That's it for this week folks!  Don't forget to check out our new Facebook page (and click the "Like" button!) - and keep sending us your feedback, information on local food events, and ideas for other postings!

For the Montgomery Victory Garden team,

Gordon Clark, Project Director