BEEHIVES!

A big thanks to Jeff from DC Honeybees for coming out on a COLD winter day to install our 5 new hives!

Our honeybees will arrive the first weeks of April (have you ever thought about how bees are shipped?) and I hope to have some nectar-rich flowers ready for their arrival.

I recognize more and more that our bees are not only important for the pollination they will provide for my vegetables or their delicious honey, but we are making a statement against the use of pesticides and in support of the bees. The consequences of Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder have yet to be realized and I worry about all the ways we are making the environment unsuitable for pollinators. Think about installing a hive on your roof or in your backyard and help support the bees!

To read more on Colony Collapse Disorder, see the USDA briefings HERE

A Time for Generosity

Although I don't know them, my heart goes out to Pete's Greens Farm for the loss they sustained this past week. They lost their entire barn--$250,000 worth of crops, equipment, etc.--and are in need of help. Farmers nationwide make up a special community and this is time to support one of our own.

Please consider donating to help them get back on their feet, to grow, and prosper.

http://www.petesgreens.com/Fire.html

In solidarity,

Farmer Mo

Farmers Love Snow!

While I am personally enjoying the mild winter we are experiencing and am thrilled to not see another "Snowpocalypse", farmers actually really like the snow!

Snow serves as a type of protection for the ground during the winter and is much better than rainy wet weather. Too much rain in the winter water-logs the soil and makes it hard to plant in the early spring as the ground is too wet and seeds can rot. Snow, on the other hand, holds nitrogen and sulphur in the soil and it releases moisture slowly in to the soil. It also protects better than freezing-thawing-freezing conditions we are currently having which can leach the nutrients from the soil. Bring on the snow!

And, to be honest, there's not a lot more peaceful than a snow-covered farm. Check out my friends farm last winter:

DC Honeybees: Arcadia Rocks DC Honeybees

We're getting BEES! We are really excited about the partnership with DC Honeybees and the potential for pollination, honeybee preservation and, of course, LOCAL HONEY!

DC Honeybees: Arcadia Rocks DC Honeybees: "Arcadia Center For Sustainable Food and Agriculture is an organic farm that is the brainchild of Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s leader, Mic..."

Hot off the Presses

In case you missed it... yesterday Arcadia was featured in the Washington Post Food Section! We loved how the piece came out. Read it and let us know what you think!

We had such a fantastic time with Post writer Kristen Hinman showing her around Woodlawn and giving her the grand vision for Arcadia. Giving interviews can sometime be nerve wracking, because you can never be sure what they'll say about you, but we felt Kristen captured the spirit of Arcadia and truly understands our mission.

Thanks to everyone who sent congratulations and offers to volunteer our way! Even as I watch the snow come down outside our office window, I am looking forward to March when we will need everyone's hands in the dirt to get the soil tilled and seeds planted!

In the meantime, look out for our upcoming Kickstarter campaign in January to get the wheels rolling on our Mobile Fresh Market... literally! We have BIG plans for helping local farms thrive while eliminating food deserts in DC. Ambitious? Absolutely. But with the community behind us, we know a change is gonna come.

~Erin

Discovery Creates Change for Arcadia

How lucky we are to be chosen as one of the non-profits for Discovery's Creating Change: Discovery Impact!

Erin and I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Discovery Communications 'Creating Change' workshops, their first pro-bono creative initiative, utilizing the power of our employee workforce to fulfill design, marketing and communications work on behalf of local nonprofit organizations. Our team had innovative and thoughtful ideas and it was incredibly encouraging to hear their enthusiasm about Arcadia. And, to boot, they convinced one VERY reluctant farmer to join Twitter (@ArcadiaFarmer). I guess it's time I get with the times.

Watch our amazing team hard at work below! For the full article, click HERE

Meeting the Chefs

What an exciting week for farm plans! I had the privilege of meeting with all the amazingly talented NRG chefs to discuss the types of things they would like to see on the farm. From elderflower to arugula, the chefs were full of insight and great ideas. I have to say, as an amateur chef in my own kitchen, it was intimidating to be with people who can turn basic farm produce in to stunning and complex culinary delights. I can't wait to be their farmer and I am sincerely excited to work with all the NRG chefs.

I look forward to the spring and meeting more of the NRG restaurant staff (I, myself, was a server for almost a decade!). I hope they will enjoy the farm as their space and see how different a meal can be when the plants are grown in a healthy, positive, love-filled place. Now, to finish my planting plan and volunteer schedule....

-Mo