From the President's Garden to Yours

When the news came out about First Lady Michelle Obama’s White House Garden and campaign for healthy eating, WBCH sent a letter of support and congratulations. The letter included information about WBCH’s Grace Arents Community Garden, Byrd House Market, and other programs committed to improving family nutrition. In response, the First Lady sent WBCH a letter that included a recipe card and evidence that our mutual goals for healthier families are clearly aligned.

In response, a volunteer from the University of Richmond, Emma Hines, worked with the children to write a book about our Community Garden as a gift for the First Lady. On October 1, 2009, when the book was finished, Emma, the children and their teachers spent a beautiful autumn afternoon in the Garden, listening to the story, From the President's Garden to Yours, and then sampled the Cucumber Soup made from the recipe sent to them by the First Lady. Served with crackers and fresh apple cider from the Byrd House Farmers Market, for many of them it was their first taste of a cold soup and many may have decided that it wasn't their new favorite food, they still were thrilled that the First Lady acknowledged them and their garden.

What's next? A visit to the White House Kitchen Garden in Washington DC to hand deliver the book and maybe a little bounty from the Grace Arents Community Garden.

Last week we had 70+ locavores, make it 100 this week! Feb. 9, 2010

Shop the winter farmers' market and make us your regular good food stop-on-the-way-home.

SHOP WITH THE WILD BUNCH

BHM's RENEGADE MARKET

one of a kind      locally grown      locally made      delivered straight to our market      by home-based and cooperative local farmers and producers     from around the greater Richmond environs

Secretly want to do something that takes patience and results in something wonderful - spend a Sunday afternoon of slow cooking for the week: grass-fed Beef stew, roast pork served with peach rosemary jam, while sipping cocoa and munching pizelles while yummy aromas drift through your home... 

We suggest that you get ready for another week/weekend of staying in...come and buy all your ingredients to cook up a storm!

THIS WEEK'S RENEGADE VENDORS:

• Bread for the People: Baguettes, Foccacia (feta, herbed), Brioche, Wheat loaves, Rolls and other good breads - breadman(at)netscape(dot)net

• Empress Farms: Whole Turkey, Turkey cutlets, Turkey eggs, Rabbit, canned apple goods (Apple-Maple Jam, Spicy Pickled Tomatoes...) rabbits(dot)for(dot)you(at)gmail(dot)com

• Faith Farm Food: Chicken, grass-fed Beef, pastured Pork, Amish roll butter, eggs (all winter), local honey, jams, egg noodles -   Boston Butts for barbecue, Meaty Chicken Wings,Steaks for grilling, chili a mix of Chorizo & Ground Beef works great, suckling pigs and we smoked a whole hog and hope to bring some samples -  faithfarmfoods(dot)blogspot(dot)com
• 
  
  Thistledowne Farm: Local Apples and fresh pressed Cider, Sweet Potato Pies, Foccacia Breads, Herbs, Jams (Peach-Rosemary, Blueberry-Basil...), Pickles, Apple sauce and Pizelles

AND OUR RENEGADE CSAs:

• Faith Farm Food: Chicken, beef, pastured pork, Amish roll butter, farm fresh eggs (all winter), local honey, jams, egg noodles - faithfarmfoods(dot)blogspot(dot)com

• Sub Rosa Bread: Offers exclusive monthly subscriptions to a naturally leavened, rustic, wood fired bread every week for the period of that month - subrosabread(dot)blogspot(dot)com

Students help First Lady's Garden & White House Chefs

First lady Michelle Obama wrote a letter to the children of William Byrd Community House thanking them for their interest in the White House Garden. Included with the letter was a recipe for Cucumber Soup - a refreshing, cool summer soup. In the picture above 5th grade students from local Bancroft Elementary School have helped the First Lady plant and cultivate the White House Garden.  Read story, White House garden exceeds expectations. The students efforts contributed to a garden that is used by the White House chefs to prepare meals for the First family and their guests. It reminded me of the Thanksgiving meal that the children of WBCH's early childhood and after school programs made for their parents using ingredients that came from the Byrd House Market. Great minds think alike!

Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine Visits the Byrd House Market

On June 16, 2009, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine visited the William Byrd Community House Byrd House Market and Grace Arents Community Garden with an eye on their contribution to the health of Virginians.

The governor had a great time learning about all of William Byrd’s programs and how the market and garden support WBCH’s children’s programs teaching youngsters about nutrition, gardening, and green jobs.

BHM customers enjoyed meeting the governor and expressing the importance of the Byrd House Market and William Byrd in their community. Also present were Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Robert Bloxom and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry William P. Dickinson, Jr who have been great supporters of the Byrd House Market.

"Before we can solve healthcare, we have to start with the health of the individual," said Gov. Kaine in his speech at the market, "especially at risk are our children and this market goes a long way to exposing children to healthy eating habits."

Kaine whose parents both grew up on farms also noted that many small farms have been sold and turned into housing developments and said, "It is important that we support small farms and Virginia farmers."

WBCH Director, L. Robert Bolling showed his enthusiasm for the governor’s visit saying, “It is very encouraging to have the governor recognize our commitment to the health of Richmond families.”