Making groceries by JuJu Harris

Every region has its vernacular. In Jackson, MS, “making groceries” means going grocery shopping.  “Ice potatoes” are white potatoes, “light” bread is white bread. As in the DC area, Jackson residents with lower income have a hard time accessing affordable nutritious food. In these communities, sweet rolls, jugs of corn syrup sweetened “drink” and chips greet customers as they enter the store.  Vegetables, while decently priced, are often over- or under-ripe.  Conversely, the same chain store in the more affluent part of town is more brightly lit, and a fresher, more varied selection of vegetable and fruits are placed prominently at the store’s entrance.  Those with access to transportation shop at Walmart, the nation’s largest acceptor of SNAP benefits.  State and public school employees are paid once a month, so title loans are a common way for people to make ends meet.

About $120 million worth of produce is grown in Mississippi, half of that in sweet potatoes. Yet $8.5 billion is spent on imported food, much of it low quality, processed food. However, 1.3 million acres of fertile farmland lie fallow, while the demand for fresh food far outstrips the supply. Mississippi ranks number one in the nation in hunger and obesity. 1 in 3 Mississippi women will die of heart disease.  While unemployment is approximately 6 percent, the medical field is one of the largest employers in the area, focused mainly on addressing diet-related disease.  

Fortunately, a collaborative of agencies and individuals has formed to address these issues.  LIFT (Locally Invested Food Trade) is committed to providing Jackson residents a true opportunity to earn a living while living a healthy life.  Farmers, landowners, social service agents, restauranteurs, culinary and health educators share ideas that will encompass youth involvement, soil conservation and mentorship.  In the works are a food hub which will coordinate supply to make it economically viable for farmers.  A “food innovation center” will house a grocery store front and food incubator kitchen, and act as a workforce training center in culinary education and hospitality. An onsite clinic, staffed by students in a Culinary Medicine program, will provide nutritional counseling to store customers and real life experience to the students. 

“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture of their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. “  This quote, from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speak, is the final slide of my Kale Salad Show Tour Power Point.  Those of us who work towards providing our neighbors with improved food access and affordability, gainful employment, and a sustainable, viable economy and environment embody this. That way, folks can be guaranteed that they’ll find fresh, beautiful food when they stop off on their way home from work to “make groceries.”  

How to Buy A Cow -- by JuJu Harris

"If she's big and pretty, ain't nothing sucking on her.  She ain't working.  Folks who don't know cattle come to auction, and they want the biggest, fattest cow they see.  But if she doesn't have a big bag, she hasn't had a baby recently."  So said Will Welles, manager of a 100-acre farm near Jackson, MS.  Raised on a farm where his Daddy still has 80 head of Angus, Will cares for hogs, goats, sheep and cattle.  He also passes his knowledge on to his own sons, ages 6 and 8.  "Every year I give them a pig to raise.  Then they can sell it or slaughter it.  You've got to start them working young to teach them responsibility."  As a 9-year old, Will was injured while roping a bull.  "My gramma told me to leave it be, but I thought I could handle it by myself."  The bull charged the horse, which staggered and fell, entangling Will's arm in the rope.  He extends a strong, brown arm to show me the scar on his wrist.  "I broke all these bones in my hand."
Will also drives to a Louisiana slaughterhouse every other week with a load of animals, a 7-hour trip.  He tunes up the rig every three trips.  "A man needs to be a Renaissance man.  He needs to know carpentry, be a mechanic, dose the animals, and manage everything."  The passion that he feels for his work is evident, as he tenderly lifts a sickly lamb or explains the savings he's made by buying feed directly from corn growers."I've been a firefighter and a paramedic.  I've been to college.  But I always come back to farming."

Praising and Braising by JuJu Harris

I am staying with my friend Monique while I am down here in Jackson.  Sunday morning in this household means worship at the local Catholic church.  Now, as a heathen, I usually ask my Christian friends to send me a list of what they are giving up for Lent, and I will be sure and indulge in that particular form of debauchery during the 40 days of sacrifice.  But, I am down here on my Southern Kale Salad Show Tour, and I am trying to immerse myself in the culture as much as possible. So, there I was today, sitting in the third row listening to the homily, and I started feeling Spirit stirring within me.  I'm not going to call it God, but it was something. In my heathen mind, I interpreted today's message from the perspective of my commitment to social justice and service.  From Corinthians:  "An obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it."  Pastor, wearing jeans and sandals beneath his celebratory garb, said "everyone has a vocation called by God.  Proclaim your faith and bring the good news."  He invoked the common people and heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, "People were compelled to do what they did by inner forces;  They must do what the Creator tells them to do."  I thought, "Yes.  That's why I do what I do."  Years ago I had Cook Days at my home to teach my girlfriends new recipes.  I'd send out an email with the recipe and the ingredient list and my friends would bring their children over and we'd cook all day.  The kids would play outside, the mamas would cook and take home a dish for dinner.  That way, the husbands couldn't say "you spent all day with your girlfriends, and there's nothing to eat."  I introduced them to cilantro as flavoring, to breakfast for supper, to how to tweak meals using different spices. One day I said "I wish I knew something about politics or education.  Then, I could do something positive in the community."  They said "JuJu, you know food!  You know how to teach people to make a feast using simple ingredients."  So I started doing cooking demonstrations around DC, spreading what I call my "gospel of eating well." My philosophy, my "good news,"is that healthy eating needn't be expensive, difficult or time consuming. At one point, we had 9 people in our household.  I spent $400 a month to feed us well.  "Well" meant pots of soup, huge loaves of homemade bread, and dishes of braised cheap cuts of meat and vegetables.  I've had great success teaching in DC, and now I am down here, headed for Alabama and Georgia.  As I head to Mobile tomorrow, the words of the gospel of Mark go with me: "let us go to the nearby village that I may preach there also."  Stay tuned for more from the Southern Kale Salad Show Tour.

Gratitude by JuJu Harris

Flying in over Jackson, MS, I expected to see green fields stretching in all directions, waterways dissecting them.  Mississippi wouldn't have been on my list of places in the first place to visit if my friend from DC didn't live here.  The South was one of those "never go there" places. Sure, I wanted to hear real Delta blues, but the legacy of Jim Crow clouded its allure.  But there I was in the Jackson Municipal Airport in the Medgar Evers Pavilion, reading about his work in the civil rights movement.  Due to his work and that of others like him, I can sit where I want to in a public restaurant, vote, and attend the university of my choice.  Last night I watched the movie Selma, and parts of it were so violent that I had to look away.  Then, I shook myself and reminded myself, "I am where I am because people didn't look away. Even when they were literally beaten down, they still looked forward because they believed in what they were doing." The public knows the names of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement, but it's the regular folks who kept going, one step at a time, supporting those who marched and attended sit-ins.  I go forward, blessing their name and their actions, grateful.

Farm Camp 2015 is where it's at!

Arcadia Farm Camp is truly magical. It’s a place where kids can watch vegetables grow and creatures flutter. Where they can pull a carrot from the ground or a tomato from the vine, brush the dirt off, and take a bite! Where they can discover nature in its most pristine and true form. Where, with a little nurturing and encouragement, they can explore everything on the farm that interests them.  

We are excited to share with you the details of our 2015 program for Arcadia Farm Camp. View full program details here to get dates, camp themes, and registration information. We have a robust FAQs page to address the common questions we receive over the registration period. We invite you to explore them in full!

Registration opens on February 2nd.

Farm Camp 2014 was our best summer yet with a completely full roster of 120 campers over 4 weeks and 26 scholarship campers, more than ever before. Our scholarship campers are from low-income families and receive full scholarships funded by donations from Arcadia supporters. Hear the stories of our 2013 scholarship families in this video. We aim for 30 scholarships this year -- a quarter of our campers!

Our Farm Camp staff, made up of four incredible Farm Camp Counselors and one Farm Education Intern, creates a fun and lively environment which allows Farm Campers to flourish. Ninety percent of Farm Camp parents said that after attending their children understand where food comes from and that food production is part of the natural cycles of the earth.

Here are a few snippets of what Farm Camp Parents from last summer had to say about their child’s experience:

“She has a new appreciation for vegetables, which really exceeded our expectations.” – Young Farmers, Farm Camp Parent 2014

“They felt that the knowledge of farming that they gained was their favorite part of camp. From planting to picking to smelling mint and leaves that feel like fur, to finding out about honey being "bee barf" and seed balls.” - Farm Creatures, Farm Camp Parent 2014

“My son gained a deeper appreciation of seasonal foods and really enjoyed the food preparation.” – Seasonal Eaters, Farm Camp Parent 2014

We're making a few changes this year to make Farm Camp even more spectacular. We are again offering round-trip transportation from Old Town Alexandria to Arcadia Farm, and we’re extending the hours for this service. To better accommodate busy parents, drop off will be at 8:00 am and pick up at 4:30 pm. See full details on the website.

Early Bird Registration is discounted for those who sign up by February 23, 2015, and we also offer sibling and multi-week discounts. See our Fees and Discounts page for more details.

Every week of camp includes Farming, Food, and Fun, but each week also has a special theme with activities designed around that farm topic. Our theme weeks were so well loved last summer that we decided to keep them! However, we have made the themes more focused and specific to better suite the curiosities of our campers. They are described in depth on the website.

Farm Camp 2014 weekly themes are:

1. (July 6-10) Young Farmers: for the budding farmer and environmentalist.
2. (July 13-17): Farm Creatures: for the animal and insect fanatic.
3. (July 20-24): Seasonal Eaters: for the lover of seasonal cooking and eating,
4. (July 27-31): Small Chefs: for the rising cook and with an eye for veggies. 
   
   All Farm Campers learn to tend to the vegetables, care for the chickens, harvest produce right from the farm for making snacks, and enjoy independent play guided by their interests around the farm.               

Come out and see us! Attend our free Farm Camp Open House on Saturday, April 25th  from 1-3pm. Your budding farmers will get to explore Arcadia Farm and all the learning spaces we utilize during Camp. Look for the registration link on our Facebook page soon.

In the meantime, head over to our Farm Camp page and our FAQ page to learn more!

“In addition to the lessons about sustainable food production, we were happily surprised by our campers' growing interest in eating healthy and being a part of making a well-balanced meal at home.” – Farm Camp Parent 2014

Chilly Days = Soup

I woke up this morning to the sweet sound of rain falling outside.  Hmmm, I thought, the perfect day for making soup!  Butternut, my favorite squash, is plentiful, sweet, and easy to cook.  Here's a lovely, filling soup, delicious with a grilled cheese sandwich and a green salad. Pureeing the soup means you don't have to be fussy with dicing the vegetables. Just get them roughly the same size. 

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1 medium yellow onion, diced large

1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and diced into 1 - 2 inch squares*

2 pears, peeled and diced to 1 inch squares

1 pear, peeled, cut in half, core removed

Salt and pepper, to taste

A pinch each of cayenne and cumin

1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until translucent, 6 minutes. Add squash, diced pear, halved pear, and 4 cups water; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until squash is soft, 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove the whole pear from the pot and dice it.

In batches, fill a blender halfway with soup and yogurt. Puree in batches.  

Caution: don’t use the blender top while pureeing hot liquids.  Instead, drape a clean cloth over the top while pureeing the vegetables with the yogurt.

Season with salt and pepper, cayenne and cumin.  Serve topped with the reserved diced pear.

*If you have a microwave, use it to make peeling the butternut squash easier. Microwave the whole squash for one minute at a time. Between 1 and 3 minutes, you'll find the peel beginning to cook and much easier to separate from the flesh. Be careful -- it will be hot. Let it cool a little first. -- JuJu Harris

Lazy Day Dinner

I got up this morning, knowing that it was gonna be another humid scorcher.  I gave myself thumbs up to making an easy dinner so I'd be out of the kitchen and free to goof off around the house as much as possible.  Out came the can opener, knife, cutting board and a few ingredients, and in 10 minutes I was checking my Facebook while eating a bowl of granola, yogurt and peaches.  Dinner was in the fridge, ready for the hungry hoard to descend upon it later, and I was ready for a day of puttering.  This recipe is a great picnic or potluck dish, and gets even better as it sits.  Be sure to use fresh basil.  Serve with mozarella cheese slices and ciabatta. -- JuJu Harris 

Black Bean, Corn and Red Onion Salad

4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups cooked corn, rinsed and drained (fresh or canned)

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 large tomatoes, diced or 2 cups whole cherry tomatoes

1 cup basil leaves, rinsed and coarsely chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

¼ fresh or pickled jalapeno, finely minced

½ cup olive or canola oil

¼ - ½ cup balsamic or rice vinegar

Gently stir all ingredients in a serving bowl.  Chill or serve at room temperature.  Serves 8-12.