Last Saturday, Kris, Emily, a few other friends, and I spent several hours at the Willows Park in Radnor, learning about and helping with the Skunk Hollow Community Farm, which is sponsored by the Radnor Conservancy, Friends of the Willows Cottage, and Greener Partners. We got the tour of the farmhouse and the field, but it was still too cold for us to help with prepping and planting the field, so we returned to the farmhouse and worked on scraping off old paint, sweeping, removing graffiti, removing bricks, and putting up a wall in the farmhouse. The farmhouse needs to be readied as soon as possible so that the farmer and his family will have a place to live, and the extra rooms can be used as the CSA distribution center and an educational space for children and adults alike. While we were there, we learned about opportunities in the area for young people interested in agriculture, particularly apprenticeships. Jason from Greener Partners also recommended a book called The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey into Terroir by Amy Trubek to us. We would like to return for more hands-on learning soon!
Next up, we will be working on events for Earth Day on Friday, April 24th, and some other activities before the fast-approaching end of the year. For Earth Day, we are planning on contributing to the big cookout, perhaps grilling up some vegetable shishkabobs, brewing some fresh herbal iced tea, and possibly more. Emily is also working on cultivating some heirloom tomato seedlings to giveaway in honor of Earth Day. Make sure you stay alert for updates, so you can guarantee you get one of these delicious beauties and can enjoy tomatoes all summer long!
We are also hoping to create a menu of simple spring dishes that feature seasonal produce, so we can make up more recipe cards to give away at the Oreo some time this month. The cards might feature information about these veggies, and hopefully the recipes will include such goodies as peas, asparagus, artichokes, new potatoes, carrots, fava beans, and radishes.
Another idea we've been tossing around is to host a potato printing party at the Oreo, maybe in order to make crafts for Mother's Day. It might be fun to play with our food a bit and do an old school (that is, kindergarten) project in celebration of the springtime! Let us know if you'd be interested in this idea.
We will also be helping the Grounds and Maintenance team replant some things in the Dougherty Herb Garden to fill-in those gaps claimed by winter. Finally, we would like to get together during finals week for a group meal, either at a local restaurant or at one of our homes. And, we're still working on the food donation coordination project, and it will be first on our list to continue next semester, along with following up on Dining Services's composting program with a tour.
In other news, House Bill 875 is causing a buzz in the anti-industrial food scene. Read this essay posted on Ethicurean for one perspective, and this brief rundown from the Organic Consumers' Association. And, I just found out about a few neat farms out in the suburbs, including In My Backyard Misty Hollow, Charlestown Farm, and Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. Check them out!
As far as events go, this Wednesday, April 8th, Temple's Fox School of Business is holding its Fourth Annual Social Entrepreneuership Conference, entitled "Can Local, Healthy Food Transform Our Community?" from 8AM to 1PM. Find more information and register here (free for students!). I'm going to try and go. I will be going to the Slow Food-affiliated University of Gastronomic Sciences info session at Swarthmore College on Tuesday, April 21st from 7PM to 9PM, too. Also, White Dog Cafe is hosting a Table Talk entitled "Slow Money: Investing As If Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered" on Tuesday, April 28th, at 8AM. And Grid magazine's new issue is all about gardening!
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