Welcome Arcadia's new Tufts University Interns, Gene and Mae!

We're thrilled to be hosting two more Tufts University Active Citizenship Summer fellows this year. Gene Buonaccorsi and Mae Humiston will be contributing their talents and passions to the Mobile Market and Farm to School Programs, respectively.  Read on to learn more about our newest additions to the team!

Gene Buonaccorsi

What experiences have prepared you for this Fellowship?    

As a recent Community Health undergraduate, I have a solid understanding of issues relating to health justice, food access, and assistance programs. Extensive classwork concerned with program design and implementation gives me a solid background for understanding the Mobile Market’s goal and decision-making processes.   

Outside of that, much of my enthusiasm for the position comes from a desire to put my learned skills into action. I have always been a hands-on person and have enjoyed taking part in small projects where my efforts can actually influence the outcome. The nature of the Mobile Market is such that I will be able to practice outreach and program management, while also gaining farm-based knowledge and a greater awareness of the implications of community involvement.      

What is most exciting to you about joining the Arcadia Team?    

The Arcadia Team is one that provides solutions. Whether through farm education or food access assistance programs, there is positive change happening across the board. I’m extremely excited to be working for a group of people that share such a knowledge of and passion for progress. The Mobile Market -- where I will be spending much of my time -- is a perfect example of the forward thinking, engagement oriented mindset of the staff at Arcadia. It will be a pleasure to learn from the people who designed the organization's programs.   

What are some of your goals for 2013?    

I look forward to challenging myself in all aspects of my work this summer. From effectively assisting market patrons to learning about foods and herbs I've never heard about, there are news experiences at every turn. My goal is not to work without making any mistakes, but to work with meaning and purpose and persistence.

I also hope to contribute some of my unique skills and ideas to the different programs at Arcadia.  For example, my passion for communications and media will hopefully allow me to provide some tangibles (videos and written materials) that will further the reach and significance of the wonderful programs that I will be involved with.    

What’s your favorite healthy recipe?    

As an athlete, I used to struggle to build meals that had adequate protein (allowing me to recover from workouts), while also getting my vitamins and avoiding unnecessary fats. That is, until I got my hands on a blender. Doubling as a healthy meal replacement, my peanut butter and banana smoothies have kept me going through many a tiring day.   

- 1 banana  

- 1 small scoop of organic creamy peanut butter   

- ½ cup of skim chocolate milk   

- 2 tablespoons low fat vanilla yogurt   

- 1 multivitamin tablet   

- 4 ice cubes   

Blend until liquified, and take on the go if necessary.   

If you were a vegetable, what would you be?   

If I were a vegetable I would be a potato, and not because it's my favorite vegetable (although that is also true).  I would be a potato because I’m useful in a number of different situations. Whether as an able and willing set of hands on the farm, as a program planner, or as a creative communicator, I feel that my skills lends themselves to a number of important tasks.  Vegetable-wise, one day I’m sliced and baked, the next day I’m mashed -- and delicious, no matter what.

Mae Humiston

What experiences have prepared you for this Fellowship?  

I was born and raised in western Virginia in a largely agricultural area, so I’ve been around food production most of my life. When I went to college, I focused on agriculture as an independent study through my Anthropology major, doing internships at The Food Project, on a historic estate farm, and on a farm on conservation land. Working and living in a wide range of agricultural production and sales models has given me a good idea of the state of sustainable agriculture today, but I’m looking to learn more about how these models are connecting with our school systems and other institutions—which is why I’m here now.

What is most exciting to you about joining the Arcadia Team?  

I am most excited about the multifaceted approach of Arcadia and observing how sustainable production, sales, education, and food justice can intertwine. I’m also really looking forward to helping teach the new generation of conscious farmers, foodies, and feasters!

What are some of your goals for 2013?  

I’m hoping to come away from this internship with a better understanding of the workings of a food-focused non-profit, a stronger network of acquaintances and friends concerned about food and farming issues, and, of course, the chance to work with kids, farms, and food.

What’s your favorite healthy recipe?  

Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

Your favorite pizza dough

Butternut squash

Goat cheese

Head of garlic

White sauce (good recipes can be found online: http://www.food.com/recipe/white-pizza-sauce-279060)

Steps:

1. Roast your head of garlic and your butternut squash
2. Mix your garlic cloves in with your white sauce
3. Spread white sauce/garlic mixture on dough
4. Spread roasted butternut squash over white sauce
5. Plop dollops of goat cheese on top
6. Cook for however long your pizza dough requires
7. FEAST (Feel free to add whatever other toppings you fancy. This pizza is especially good with spinach and caramelized onions!)

If you were a vegetable, what would you be?

I would probably be a radish because, like a radish, I grow best in full sun and I love to hang out in the soil! I can also be a little spicy if you dig down a bit, but generally I’m low key and green!

Field Trip with Kindergarteners excites the senses!

More than 40 kindergarteners from Early Childhood Academy Public Charter School in D.C. visited Arcadia on May 3rd. The field trip complemented the students' focus on healthy eating habits, and the farm provided a living classroom to observe the connection between the environment, nutrition, and education.

We began with a sensory tour of the Groundhog Garden. Kids touched, smelled, and tasted their way through sorrel, rosemary, and mint.

After a delicious lunch, which included a carrot and beet salad fit for Iron Man himself, the little farmers visited the five stations:  tasting, soil searching, funky chickens, buzzing bees and pesky pests, and incredible edible plants. It was a day full of adventure as the kids spotted new plants, chopped and grated veggies, and dug for worms. They even fed the chickens clovers and saw honey bees collecting pollen!

Never underestimate the power of experiential education. One of our young farmers sampled our fresh vegetables and whooped: "These beets are off the hook!" More expressions of joy are showcased in the photos from their Field Trip. We were happy to see the kids enjoy new and unfamiliar tastes and explore the beautiful grounds of Arcadia. 

Early Childhood Academy also participated in our In-Classroom Follow Up Visit pilot this season. Three Farm Educators visited the students in their classroom in Southeast D.C. this week and brought the farm to the classroom. A worm bin, rotting food scraps, and fresh soil were all a part of a continued learning lesson on our friends, the "Wonderful Worms." 

Thinking ahead to the fall? Well, so are we! Our registration for our Fall Field Trip Season, which runs November 4th - September 1st, is now open. Field Trips are for school groups (grades Pre-K through 5th) and special custom groups. 

If you would like to schedule a field trip, visit  http://arcadiafood.org/arcadia-farm-field-trips. Hope to see you on the farm!

Written by: Aisha Salazar 

A (Hippie and Food Justice) Dream Come True

I grew up in Oakland, California, and spent a lot of time in Berkeley.  With the vibe of the 1960s still hanging around the place, I often felt like I'd been born 15 years too late.  In time, I became a hippie-of-sorts in both my dress and attitude.  The only thing missing, however, was the cross-country trip in a "Magic Bus."

Years later, I'm proud to say that I'm now a licensed driver of Arcadia's Mobile Market.  Not only am I living out my hippie fantasy, but I'm doing so while giving something positive back to the community!  I get to pilot Arcadia's magical, green school bus around DC, Maryland and Virginia, hauling fresh produce, dairy products, meats, eggs, and bread to low-income "food deserts." 

Juju and Arcadia's Mobile Market in front of her home in Temple Hills, MD

All it took to pass my Commercial Driver's License Road Test was several weeks of diligent studying (ask me how deep the tread on the bus' front tires should be, and I promise I'll know the answer!) and several weekends behind the wheel with Benjamin, the Mobile Market Director.

Next time you see the big green vegetable bus coming down the street with a straw-hatted driver behind the wheel, that'll be me in my Berkley-Hippie glory!  And when you see me rolling out the awning as we set up the Mobile Market each morning, I'll be living out my other alter ego, Estella, the Italian grocer-woman (but that backstory is for a future blog post!).

A quick, easy dinner using our Mobile Market offerings

At the end of a long day of working on the Mobile Market, I need a deeply restorative dinner.  Usually my sons cook on the days that I work, but yesterday I wanted to make a meal which showcased the wonderful food that we had for sale on our market bus.

Fragrant bread from Lyon Bakery, a gorgeous salad of Boston Bibb and Red Leaf lettuce, and a soup made from freshly-harvested asparagus and plain yogurt from the Pennsylvania Amish graced my table last night.  My sons ate three bowls of soup each; half a loaf of bread was demolished; the salad topped with Rockin' Red Radish Salsa was devoured. 

What's more -- I was able to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes, despite working a long day of market stops!  And with a meal like this, our tummies were happy all night.

Asparagus Leek Soup
Serves 6

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut into small pieces, tops reserved
2 bunches leeks, washed, trimmed and cut into small pieces
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Small pinch each of dried dill and thyme
1 to 2 shakes of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add the asparagus stems and leeks to the butter.  Place a steamer/sieve with the asparagus tops over this, and cover.  Steam the vegetables for 10 minutes, then add the water and simmer until the vegetables are tender.  Set the asparagus tops aside, and place the stems and leeks into a blender.  Puree until smooth.  Pour the puree back into the pot.  Add the yogurt, dill, thyme and nutmeg, and asparagus tops.  Reheat the soup over low heat and season with salt and pepper.

Visit here for our Red Radish Salsa recipe.

Building Arcadia’s Own Local Compost

Upon arriving at Arcadia to direct farm operations last year from his job as an instructor at the Farm School in Massachusetts, Stephen Corrigan quickly realized that he would have to create his own field-scale compost production in order to restore the tired soil enough to produce a large volume of vegetables. The bin compost system in the Groundhog Garden was great for teaching, but could simply not produce the quantity of compost he needed.

“The rule of thumb is 10 tons of compost per acre for an established garden,” says Stephen, who has taught composting at the Farm School in north-central Massachusetts and elsewhere. “But the land here is heavy clay, and has not really been worked in a while, so it needs more love. We’re trying to add at the rate of 20 tons per acre.”

Arcadia had been buying compost, but to buy twice as much would have broken the bank. Instead, on a sufficiently discrete spot on Arcadia’s lower field last December, he created the first pile out of 30 parts bedding and one part manure from the neighboring horse stables.  By March, it was ready to spread. While manure from grazing animals like horses, cows and sheep is fine, Stephen cautions that compost should never include waste from carnivorous animals such as dogs and cats, to avoid introducing pathogens.

“The most important rule is the 30 [parts carbon] to one [part nitrogen] ratio, where brown is carbon and green matter is nitrogen,” Stephen says. “It’s the one most people don’t get right. You can’t just throw out a bunch of kitchen scraps and expect to get compost. That’s why it gets a bad reputation, because if you do that, it will smell horrendous.”  

For Arcadia’s second batch, he used horse manure plus food scraps from the Neighborhood Restaurant Group Central Commissary and coffee grounds from Buzz Bakery in Alexandria and Peregrine Coffee. Living in Alexandria, Stephen picks up the grounds from Buzz Bakery, while Arcadia’s Mobile Market picks up from NRG and Peregrine, which are both near its route, in Union Market. “We’re layering it all with leaves from the city of Alexandria and spoiled straw from Mount Vernon,” he says, adding that clean newspaper and brown paper are also good brown matter components.

Eggshells are a good nitrogen element, he notes, but all fats, butter, oil, dairy and meat should be kept out.  Citrus fruits are not great, as the oils in the rind slow decomposition, he said, but his experience at Arcadia composting mostly zested citrus has shown that citrus flesh is workable.  

Thanks to Stephen, Arcadia now produces enough organic compost to meet its growing needs, while keeping otherwise useful organic matter out of landfill. He'll be teaching our June 1st Workshop on How to Compost so join us to learn about building your own backyard compost. 

Written by: Marsha Johnston 

Arcadia Farm Camp is the Place to Be!

Do your kids love to help you cook or plant in the garden? What about dig in the dirt? Sounds like they would enjoy Arcadia’s Farm Camp!

Farm Camp weeks will focus on food, agriculture, and sustainability with varying themes.  No matter which week you choose, each day of camp begins with gathering eggs from the flock of laying hens and harvesting what's ripe in the field.

There will be four weekly sessions to choose from:

- July 8-12: Young Farmers: a camp to discover the tricks of the trade

- July 15-19: Little Locavores: campers learn the seasonality of our foodshed

- July 22-26: Green Growers: a camp for budding environmentalists

- July 29-Aug 2: Small Chefs: campers explore the science of cooking

Campers will learn the importance of farming by living the farmer lifestyle, eating their way through our Groundhog Garden, and having fun with our interactive and educational games.

During Little Locavores week, campers will harvest and create a Buried Treasure Salad, pickle their own foods, and create seasonal food plates. In Small Chefs week, campers will make their own meals and learn about chef tools, including knife skills and measuring. Campers will create their own recipes and taste tests as well.

Arcadia Farm Camp is for 6-12 year olds and scholarships are available for qualifying families. Visit the scholarship fund page for more information. Transportation is available from Capitol Hill and Old Town Alexandria for an additional fee. Registration for Arcadia Farm Camp closes on June 1st.

Want to learn more? Attend our Farm Camp Open House on Saturday, May 18^th from 1-3pm. Our young farmers will get a sneak peak at the farm and participate in a few hands-on activities. Register here to let us know you're coming. 

Written by: Aisha Salazar

Inspiration at Washington Youth Garden!

Last week, several Arcadia Farm Educators visited the Washington Youth Garden at the National Arboretum to share our best practices and learn the secrets to WYG's 40-year longevity. We were not disappointed.

First, we were impressed by the garden itself, with its vibrantly colored, giant bird statue, Poptart garden and beautiful asparagus patch, but even more by WYG's skilled staff.  From amazing Education Programs Manager Anna Benfield and Garden Manager Nadia Mercer to Emily the Garden Education Assistant, they gave us tips on making our farm education appealing and interesting to any age group. 

When it comes to helping kids observe bees without fear, for example, Anna asked her fourth-graders, "Do YOU have pollen or nectar in your pockets? No? Well, then you can be sure that ol' bee won't be interested in YOU!" 

We watched in fascination as the kids were taught how to pick asparagus and to extract cotton seeds from their fluffy pods and plant them. 

Thank you Washington Youth Garden, for sharing your experience with us.  Farm education in the capitol region will be ever richer for it! 

If you'd like to discover more about the Washington Youth Garden's educational opportunities for students in D.C., visit their programs page here. If you're interested in the learning opportunity of being an Arcadia Farm Educator, check back in June for intern and volunteer postings. 

Written by: Marsha Johnston

Photos by: Aisha Salazar