News
A Celebration of Arlington Urban Ag - Dec 12th!
Celebration of Arlington Urban Ag Look How Far We’ve Come!
Wednesday, December 12, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, Arlington Central Library > Learn about the progress we've made in urban agriculture in Arlington in the past 5 years!
(We will hold elections for Board of Director members at this meeting.)
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Fall is Full of FOUA Events!
START YOUR OWN FARM, new book by Forrest Pritchard and Ellen Polishuk
Arlington/Alexandria Urban Ag Summit, Friday, Oct. 5, 9:00am – 3:30pm, St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Arlington. To register go to: https://tinyurl.com/aauas2018 FOUA Winter Meeting: Celebrating Arlington Urban Ag, Wednesday, December 12, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, Arlington Central Library Visit www.arlingtonurbanag.org and our Facebook page for details and to RSVP! |
Highlights from Beyond Farmers Markets: A Look at Food Hubs
At our spring meeting on May 10th at the Arlington Central Library, we had a lively discussion about changes in local food delivery systems. We explored food hubs and regional trends, and discussed how we get nutritious food to all.  An important part of the Wallace Center’s mission is supporting food hubs. What is a food hub? The USDA definition is “a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products.” The USDA has compiled a registry of food hubs that currently numbers 220. According to Ellie, there are closer to 400 operating food hubs nationally with about 22 in the DC area. Michigan State did a 2017 survey of food hubs with 119 hubs responding. There are fewer food hubs being added each year, but the ones that do exist are more profitable, viable and are showing more longevity than previously. 42% are nonprofit and 37% are for profit. To learn more from the 2017 survey and to find further food hub resources, check out Wallace Center’s Food Hub Portal: http://ngfn.org/resources/food-hubs/food-hubs The discussion moved to food hubs in the DC region with an introduction of the panel:  Dalila Boclin, Food Access Director, Community Foodworks. Community Foodworks is a nonprofit using the “convening power of farmers markets” to “help farmers get the most bang for their buck.” Community Food Works is using 3.5 of their 14 farmers markets as pop-up food hubs where bulk, wholesale orders can be picked up, generally by small concerns that cannot use a larger distributor, such as faith-based groups and daycare centers. Community Foodworks serves as the middleman. Chris Guerre, Owner, Maple Avenue Market. Chris and his wife Sarah own a farm, located in the Shenandoah, and brick and mortar market in Vienna. They grow and sell year round and have had a 10-year, small-scale partnership selling produce to Arlington County Schools. Topics covered: Pricing— Dalila: We are grant-funded and nonprofit, so we do not raise prices. Katy: Depends on the crop. If everyone has curly kale, it goes for market price with little markup. If a farm has a known brand, such as Little Wild Things City Farm, they can ask higher prices. Also depends on the customer—larger institutions and volumes require a smaller markup. Chris: Pricing is tricky, especially because we buy from other farmers. We have had a CSA for 10 years that includes all products in our store and operates as a discount: $550 gets you $650 worth of products from June through October. Many farmers don’t believe that CSAs should be discounted. Is there something about this region that allows an alternative approach to food hubs to work? Dalila: A dense urban area is a plus when you can make 30 stops within 50 miles. CFW places a value on serving disadvantaged customers first. CFW currently serves 45 daycare centers at about $15 a drop. Katy: Coastal Sunbelt serves many restaurants and other institutions that are hard to convince to pay more for local. But that is a Coastal goal, to get mainstream food institutions to go local. Chris: In this area, there is no shortage of markets for local items. Affluent people use farmers markets—do others? Katy: Coastal Sunbelt gives produce to food banks and does a lot to encourage people trying to get into farming. It also works with underserved school populations. It tried to work with Baltimore City, but the schools had no way to process the produce. Chris: Food access has been an issue for them since 2008. They work with Carlin Springs Elementary School, which has the highest number of free and reduced lunch students; went there exclusively for one year. He also wants the food in their store to be affordable to families. How can we increase the biodiversity of products grown? How can we increase the interaction between customer and farmer? Katy: We are trying to bring farmers and restaurants together. If they meet, they develop a relationship and restaurants are willing to try new things. We have to start small. Biodiversity is one of the beauties of local food. What about waste? Is there a lot? Chris: We grow on about 2 acres. There is definitely waste. Not just what doesn’t sell but what is not saleable. AFAC is great at getting leftovers from the markets. Katy: Waste is a challenge. Bumper crops are especially hard. We need ample notice to take on more. Processing is one avenue, but the labor adds to the cost. Delila: A lot of waste occurs on the farm itself. “Local frozen” could add capacity to food hubs. How can consumers support their work:
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Marymount University Promoting Urban Farming!
 For updates on the Potting Kit Giveaway, go to our Facebook event page. In addition to promoting gardening in small spaces, Rooftop Roots built raised beds on Marymount University's campus, which will be maintained by Marymount's Food For Thought campus group. This garden is a Plot Against Hunger plot and the produce will go to AFAC families in need. The Marymount Farmers Market, a local producer-only market, opens for the season on May 26th. Each of the vendors grows, bakes, roasts, cooks, or prepares all of their products within 125 miles of Arlington County. When: Saturdays 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, May 26th through Thanksgiving Where: Marymount University surface parking lot, near the intersection of Glebe Rd. and Old Dominion Dr. |
Beyond Farmers Markets: A Look at Food Hubs - May 10th Presentation
Panel Moderator – Ellie Bomstein, Program Associate, Wallace Center at Winrock International
A regional food hub is a business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand. Check our Facebook event page for updates! Our Mission: Facilitating community collaboration to promote sustainable food systems for Arlington. Sponsored by Arlington County Department of Parks & Recreation |
FOUA Winter 2018 Meeting: Climate Change & New Board Members
Our Winter 2018 meeting on Climate Change, Agriculture and Our Food was well attended. Our panel presented a wide range of information on climate change impacts on food plants, pests and production, plant variety changes, techniques to address the coming changes, and the role of policy and governmental planning to steer change in practices.  Don Weber, USDA Research Entomologist, discussed changes in pests and beneficial insects and adaptive approaches to controlling pests. Don focused on how microenvironments, microclimates (such as urban heat islands) and temperature extremes impact insects the most. He also provided a list of tips for gardeners, very similar to Kirsten’s list. Click here for his full presentation. Tod Wickersham, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate and Beneficial Results, LLC, opened our discussion with an overview of climate change trends and how our weather is getting “weird.” He then highlighted how the use of regenerative agriculture and ecological restoration brings carbon back into soil and heals the climate. He highlighted ways that gardeners can bring regenerative practices to their own gardens and how people can work within their communities, and at the state and national levels to promote policies and regulations that will increase regenerative agriculture practices. Click here for his full presentation.  We want to thank Thomas Schneider, an original member of the Steering Committee and Board member, who has resigned so he can grow his nonprofit Rooftop Roots. He will continue to coordinate our Spring Potting Party with Marymount University. We thank Arlington Central Library for once again providing a great venue for our meeting. We thank Pu Wen Lee from AFAC and Kirsten Conrad for bringing displays.  |
AFAC Spring Garden Kickoff - Feb. 10th
The Arlington Food Assistance Center’s “Plot Against Hunger” program will host a Spring Garden Kickoff on Saturday, February 10th from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The event will take place at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 4000 Lorcom Lane, Arlington, VA 22207, home of AFAC’s largest Plot Against Hunger garden. The Kickoff will feature: · Information about how Plot Against Hunger gardens provide fresh produce for AFAC clients and how to start one yourself · Short presentations on techniques for starting a garden, irrigation/mulching, pest control, and safe body mechanics for gardeners · Displays on compost bins, container and window sill gardening, cold frames, growing mushrooms, and more · Hands-on tables to practice basic gardening skills · Exhibit tables for Northern Virginia Extension Service, 4-H in the Schools, Master Gardeners, and other local organizations Free vegetables and herb seeds, seed pots and trays, coffee grounds and other compost, and containers for packaging produce donations will be available to AFAC gardeners. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome. RSVP to https://afac.org/spring-garden-kickoff
Flyer attached. |
| Attachments:
2018 Spring Garden Kick-off invitation. final.pdf
Winter is the Time to Read a Good Book on Farming & Food
What are your favorite books? Go to our Facebook page and share them with us!  |
Climate Change, Agriculture and Our Food
Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture presents CLIMATE CHANGE, AGRICULTURE & OUR FOOD What will change? How can we adapt? Wednesday, January 24, 2018, 7:00-8:30pm Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington (Near Virginia Square/GMU, Ballston/MU Metro Stations) Networking & Display Tables at 6:30 pm. New FOUA Board Members will be elected at this meeting. Free and open to the public. Check our Facebook event page for updates Panel
A collection of books on regenerative agriculture and related topi A collection of books on regenerative agriculture and related topics.  Our Mission: Facilitating community collaboration to promote sustainable food systems for Arlington. Sponsored by Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation. |
FOUA Presentation: What Healthy Soils Mean to You -- and Beyond
What Healthy Soils Mean to You – And Beyond Saturday, September 16, 1:00pm – 2:30pm Arlington Central Library  Panelists:
FILMS Why Soil Matters - by Kiss the Ground (3.26 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pesqtODu_XM Unlocking the Secrets of Soil -- USDA - NRCS (2.44 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzfb-MSDEcU Soil Solutions to Climate Problems narrated by Michael Pollan (4min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxqBzrx9yIE Fair Farms: Are You Ready for a New Food Future? (1.56 min)
Facilitating community collaboration to promote sustainable food systems for Arlington - Sponsored by Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation |
| Attachments:
FOUA_Sept16_flyer.pdf
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