From the Arcadia Blog

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 

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 18th 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

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 

May is here and you know what that means.  It’s not only time to stock up on sunblock, but it’s also time to get pumped for Arcadia Farm Camp!  
This past Saturday, between the Open Saturday Volunteer Day and the Farm Camp Open House, we had plenty of friends come out to visit the farm for what turned out to be a beautiful day.  Our future campers had a chance to meet the chickens, harvest vegetables from the Groundhog Garden, enjoy the natural play space, and even make a snack with their freshly harvested veggies.  Some were Arcadia Farm Camp veterans, and for others it was the first time exploring the wonders of the farm.  For parents, it was a great opportunity to see their kids engaged in the Groundhog Garden activities.
If you missed the first Farm Camp Open House, do not fret!  We will be hosting yet another Farm Camp Open House on Saturday May 18, from 1:00-3:00pm.  We will explore some of the weekly themes that Farm Camp will offer and answer questions that parents and campers might have.  
The second Open House will be at the farm, and we ask that you please register here so that we can provide enough materials for activities.  Farm Camp Open House attendance and registration is free!
Did you make it to the first Farm Camp Open House?  Are you ready to register for Arcadia Farm Camp?  You can register or review the Farm Camp dates and weekly themes here.
Written by: Erin Bischoff

Volunteers find Arcadia in roundabout ways. 
Lauren and Laura came to Arcadia farm by way of Red Apron Butchery in D.C.'s Union Market. Farm Director Stephen Corrigan happened to be there himself and overheard them talking about Arcadia. He told them about the March 30th Open Volunteer Day -- the first one of the year. They brought a gang of friends, and were impressed by both their fellow volunteers and the work they were allowed to do. Laura particularly noted the volunteers’ backgrounds, “from policy wonks to teachers and journalists,” while Lauren enjoyed forking the field, which she deemed “the most traditional farming activity.”
Kathy and Lee came to Arcadia on the advice of friends. Recent transplants from Fort Worth, Texas, they sewed seeds, cleared a fence, built signs for educational programs, and forked the fields. Kathy, a former chef who owned a café and realized the need for local, organic foods in Fort Worth, hopes to become more involved in the Mobile Market. Both she and Lee agreed they would definitely return to Arcadia.
A total of 16 volunteers -- most with no farm experience at all -- showed at 9 on the cool spring morning. They were ready for work, homemade granola bars (which Executive Director Pam Hess brought to give the new farm hands a shot of energy halfway through the morning), and the satisfaction of dedicating their time to a worthy cause: readying the farm to grow clean, wholesome fruits and vegetables for sale on the Mobile Market, for educational field trips, and for an upcoming Arcadia seasonal cooking workshop and farm dinner. 
Farm Education Manager Morgan Maloney, who with Stephen guided the volunteers in their tasks, was impressed with the number of folks who showed, their quick grasp of what needed to be done, and their enthusiasm. In fact, some volunteers opted to stay well past the close of the event to make sure Stephen had help spreading compost on the field.  
Want to be an Arcadian? The next Open Saturday Volunteer Day is THIS Saturday, April 27th from 9am to 12pm. Register to let us know you’re coming out for a day of farm work and fun.  


By Aisha Salazar

Join us for dinner in the field at Arcadia Farm on May 19th, 2013 from 4-8pm. Award-winning chef Tony Chittum will be preparing a multi-course menu highlighting the best seasonal Mid-Atlantic ingredients – some of them harvested from our farm that morning – with his signature Mediterranean preparations. First course and cocktails will be served during the pre-dinner farm stroll with Arcadia Farm Director Stephen Corrigan.
The price of dinner is $120 and includes wine pairings, tax, and gratuity. All proceeds benefit the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.

 Purchase your tickets Here.


About Iron Gate:
Guests of the Arcadia Spring Farm Dinner will experience an advance taste of Iron Gate, the landmark restaurant Tony Chittum will revitalize and reopen later this year in Dupont Circle. Before its recent hiatus, it was the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Washington, DC, having first opened its doors in 1923.  The Iron Gate restaurant will encompass three distinct areas: a sixty-foot-long archway that forms the entry to the space and will also serve as a dining and bar area; an intimate indoor space with a large fireplace located in what was originally a stable in the 1800s; and a large courtyard overhung by grapevines and a century-old wisteria vine.

About the Chef:
Chef Chittum, who has earned accolades at Alexandria's Vermilion and DC's Notte Bianche, has earned a reputation not only for his cooking but for his commitment to sourcing the very best locally grown and produced products from an ever expanding network of farmers, fishermen, and artisans.  At the Iron Gate, he will maintain this commitment to the best of the region as he reinterprets the classic cooking traditions and techniques of Southern Italy and Greece, eschewing imported products in favor of local alternatives whenever possible.

By Stephen Corrigan, Arcadia Farm Director
Is it spring now?  Are you sure?
These are the questions that I've been constantly asking myself over the last couple of weeks, weeks where we've gone from snow one week to record-breaking heat the next.  Mother Nature has now seemed to settle into her rhythm of springtime, and our farm has begun to teem with life.  Crops that were seeded directly into our soil are bursting through with vigor, and transplants that were languishing a bit trying to figure out what the heck was going on now seem to be growing taller before my very eyes.
This is always a hectic time of year.  Long hours are spent prepping beds, planting out new crops, and of course, trying to stay one step ahead of the weeds.  Our greenhouse is overflowing with seedlings chomping at the bit to get in the ground.  We at Arcadia are incredibly fortunate to have the dedicated support of a great crop of interns and countless volunteers who have devoted their valuable time to make our farm a success, and we certainly couldn't do it without their help.  (Insert shameless plug: Want to join our volunteer ranks? Come on out to our next Open Volunteer Day on Saturday, April 27th!)
It can be hard to remove myself from the mayhem of spring and stand back to appreciate the hard work that goes into this place and the bounty that it will produce.  I tend to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and the infinite to-do lists.  Every once in awhile, I give myself a few moments to survey our fields, taking in the smell of vegetation, the sound of the bees buzzing all around me, and the sight of the sun disappearing over the horizon, and I cherish my role in this system.  We have the unique responsibility to grow food to share with others and improve this piece of land, and this humble goal is what keeps me going and makes all of the hard work more than worth it.

We are very happy to introduce Pam Hess as Arcadia’s new Executive Director. Pam brings incredible talent, experience, and energy to Arcadia, and she has a great reputation in the Sustainable Food community. We're really excited to have her join the team, and as you learn more about her, we’re sure you’ll share our enthusiasm for what lies ahead.
What experiences have prepared you for this position?I come to Arcadia with kind of a weird background -- I was a journalist who covered national security for 20 years, and I spent a fair amount of time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Between my trips overseas, I found myself drawn to the then-burgeoning world of sustainable agriculture. I had grown up with my mother feeding us from a garden (and picking blackberries in a really vicious bramble to make jam and ice cream all summer), so I was predisposed. But like many people, my "entry drug" was Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma." It changed the way I ate and shopped and cooked, and I became an amateur evangelist for a local, sustainable food system.
From writing about the wars, I went to Capitol Hill. It was a brief legislative career, but it taught me a great deal about government... and also that I'm better suited to affecting change from the outside than I am trying to shepherd it from the inside. I then became the editor of a beautiful and important local food and wine magazine, Flavor, that celebrated local sustainable farmers and the chefs and businesses who served their food. That's how I learned about Arcadia (OK, I fell in love with it). Flavor became Foodshed in 2012, which is both a local food magazine and a non-profit. My work with Foodshed, while brief, was fruitful: I connected many small farmers with many willing chefs; I helped landowners find young sustainable farmers to make their acres productive; and I was able to give many talks extolling the genius that is sustainable ag to folks who had not yet explored the topic. My favorite fact: on a pasture-based farm, if you raise both cattle and sheep and rotate them through the same fields, they deworm each other without the use of medicine! Email me for the details. They aren't exactly pretty (that’s why I am being oblique here) but they are fascinating. Mother Nature has a lot of this stuff figured out for us, if we are only humble enough to listen. (Farmers call it "biomimickry.')
I'll be drawing on all of my experiences to help Arcadia grow in its resources and mission. I'm not afraid of much (once you've had an AK-47 in your face after curfew in Kabul, and you don't know the password, other stuff doesn't seem very menacing.) I'm willing to ask anyone for just about anything (journalism!). I'm steeped in and am dedicated to the subject matter, and I have a pretty large network that has proven to be willing to open whatever doors they can for me. I am working with a fantastic team, so I feel confident we are going to do great things.
I'm particularly excited to be reaching out to my military network to begin making a place for recent veterans who want to learn to farm at Arcadia. It's a great field (no pun intended) -- entrepreneurial, problem-solving, independent, physically challenging. It is exactly the environment in which our service members excel. In fact, I did a story at Flavor on three local veterans who have taken up farming, which is what got me thinking on this. And Arcadia has already been exploring the idea, as the farm backs right up to the Army's Fort Belvoir. It's going to happen, and I am pumped.
What is most exciting to you about becoming Arcadia's Executive Director?Arcadia is an incredible organization with great people doing important work that has an immediate impact on a problem that affects all of us -- the public health crisis engendered by a food system that has evolved over the last 30 years to shovel calorie-dense, nutrition-free food into us. People without much money are especially vulnerable. They have fewer options to find healthy food – fewer well-stocked grocery stores, fewer farmers markets. Many rely on neighborhood corner stores for the bulk of their groceries, and those generally are not bastions of fresh food. Arcadia's Mobile Market brings the farmers market into these neighborhoods, and doubles the face value of food assistance benefits, making it possible for our customers to eat healthier diets on a tight budget. The Arcadia staff gives samples, has recipes, and shows people how to prepare and serve sometimes unfamiliar ingredients (honestly, what do you do with kohlrabi?). It's a pretty cool thing, and you should volunteer to go out on the bus with Benajmin and Juju and see for yourself Arcadia's impact.
I'm most excited about giving other people the chance to be a part of Arcadia, and the great work we are doing. You can donate, volunteer (please! I have big plans for volunteers!), donate, attend our educational events (or send your kids to our farm camp, which is awesome), go to our fundraising dinners, or, I don't know, donate. Did I mention I am soliciting donations?I'm also really excited about our sourcing. Arcadia isn't just about bringing fresh, local, healthy, real foods to people with otherwise limited access. We also buy our food from local farmers. We pay them a fair price for the incredible food they raise. If we want a vibrant, healthy food system, we need great farmers who can pay their bills. Not one of them is getting rich. They do it because they love farming and know their work is a public service. They should be paid fairly for it, if only for your own selfish reasons: so delicious food is there when you want it.
What are some of your goals for 2013?I'll just lay it out: money. I am looking to raise a couple of hundred thousand dollars, in addition to the federal, state, local, and private grants we are going after. With enough money, we can expand our Mobile Market program, bringing more healthy, locally grown food to people who really need it. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease -- these are endemic in low-income areas. It's not that people just like to eat Twinkies (guilty!), it's that many don't have an affordable alternative. If you have a couple of hungry kids and not much money, you're probably going to pick whatever delivers the most calories for your buck. That's a completely rational decision. But if you make healthy, delicious, in season, well-raised food both accessible and affordable? You've changed the equation. Multiple studies of "bonus bucks" programs show that if you double the value of food assistance benefits, the beneficiaries respond by MORE than doubling the amount of fresh food they eat. You know how amazing a just-picked heirloom tomato tastes in the height of summer, especially when it's still warm from the sun? That's a universal experience. But some people can't afford it. We put that experience within reach.
With more money we can bring children to farm camp whose families would not otherwise be able to afford it. They'll get their hands dirty, pick veggies straight from the garden, make delicious food, run around in the grass, learn about biology and botany, and how to make their own gardens.
I'll make my pitch here: sponsor a kid for camp this summer. It's about $300 per child, per week. If you're sending one of yours and have some extra cash, make a gift so another child can enjoy the same experience, and enrich your own child's social network.
What’s your favorite healthy recipe?I make kale chips all the time. They are more satisfying to me than potato chips -- thinner, crunchier. Wash and dry kale leaves really well. You can pull out the ribs or not, as you wish. I usually do. Toss them with the tiniest smidge of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil (really good for your heart) and shake a bit of coarse sea salt over them. Bake them for about 20 minutes at 275 on a baking sheet until they are shatteringly crisp. (Make sure they are not touching, or they won't get as crisp.) Consume while watching "The Bachelor."
I also make tabouleh during the summer but use quinoa (a super grain) instead of Bulgar wheat, with really good tomatoes, cukes, and a ton of fresh flat leaf parsley and a little lemon. Gazpacho. I always have that in the fridge during torrid summers. Another summer dish: watermelon-feta salad, with black olives and pickled red onions, a la Nigella. I just made Morgan, our education coordinator, a really healthy but delicious and vaguely Moroccan chickpea-and-diced tomato stew with cumin, garlic, a little fennel seed and smoked paprika, and some hot red chili flakes. It's good when the weather is cold. I love whole roasted fish stuffed with herbs and lemon, but you have to be okay with its eye lookin' at you while you eat it. Just about any veggie, roasted till it's brown and all the sugars have caramelized, is fantastic.
Seriously, if anyone wants these recipes email me! Be warned (or better, be excited!) that I will be asking you to volunteer when you do.
If you were a vegetable, what would you be?Another recipe opportunity! I would be a roasted red beet, and hopefully whoever roasted me would peel me, slice me thinly, layer me with thinly sliced Granny Smith apples, and grate some fresh horseradish over my head. Add a little square of feta cheese on top, a dollop of unsweetened Greek yogurt on the side and a sprinkle of fresh dill or a few thyme leaves...that's a good eating.

We're proud to announce that our friends at Chipotle Mexican Grill will continue to support Arcadia by sponsoring our 2013 Field Trip Program. Chipotle's generous support will help us to provide important nutrition and agriculture education programs to more than 1,000 Virginia and D.C. school children in 2013. It will also enable us to provide transportation assistance and field trip scholarships to schools and children in need.        

Chipotle has generously supported Arcadia since our founding through contributions to Arcadia Farm, the Mobile Market, and the Farm to School Program. Chipotle staff have also taken an active role in our programs and events by providing food and cooking demonstrations. We are honored to call Chipotle a partner and very grateful for their continued generosity.

Arcadia is excited to announce a new partnership with Power Supply to create a new Protein Bonus Bucks program for the Mobile Market. This program will expand our current matching dollars program for local produce to include locally sourced, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and eggs purchases as well. The new Bonus Bucks program will match the first ten dollars of all SNAP purchases of meat and eggs at the Market, providing important cost savings to the people who need it most. 


Power Supply, a paleo-diet meal delivery service based in Northern Virginia, is supporting the Mobile Market as part of is Giveback Program. Through the Giveback Program, Power Supply will donate 1% of their proceeds back to the local community. Arcadia is very proud to be Power Supply's first partner organization in this great program. Thank you, Power Supply and everyone participating in their Giveback Program.

      

Preparing the soil at Arcadia Farm.
My winter is always spent with a great deal of time in front of the computer.  Every square inch of the farm is mapped out and scheduled for planting, cultivating, and harvesting.  And then, as I like to say, the season happens.  Fields don't dry out like I'd like, the weather stays cold later than I'd like, and seedlings aren't growing according to schedule.  These are the nuances that make me view farming as much an art as a science.  On a new piece of land, you have to be flexible; you have to observe and learn not force too hard, as tempting as it may be to try to meet that schedule.  

All of the planning and prep work and patience pays off when that first seed hits the soil in the spring.  There's something meditative about the process; the cool soil on my hand, tools gliding through the dirt, and the faith in this most basic of human acts.  At the end of the day, we have to put our faith in seeds and in nature, and trust that all of the hard work will pay off and that we'll be rewarded with a bountiful harvest.

Spring has arrived at the Arcadia Farm, and our interns and volunteers have indeed been busy working our fields from sun up to sun down, prepping land and planting seeds.  We have ambitious plans as we embark on this new season to bring new land into production, expand the scope of our growing, thoroughly educate everyone who spends time with us, and, most importantly, grow delicious food to share with those around us.

Cheers to the new season!
Stephen Corrigan, Farm Director

We're welcoming a new crop of spring Farm Education Interns to the farm. They’re quite a talented and enthusiastic group!
Over the next few months, Erin, Anne, Cary, Jenny, Aisha and Gretchen will spend two days per week on the farm working with a team of Farm Educators to conduct our Field Trip Program. They’ll also be working on outside projects that will help Arcadia’s Farm Education Programs grow. 
Read on to virtually meet each of them and check out their bios. If our interns were vegetables, we'd have a full meal, including an eclectic mixed greens salad and a side of eggplant and mushrooms!

Erin Bischoff What experiences have prepared you for this position?For a few summers I was involved with a nonprofit that does community development work with local youth in Latin America.  Some of the projects I've worked on have ranged from community vegetable gardens and nutrition workshops to building latrines and renovating schools.  This exposed me to the potential that young people have when working towards a common goal and the experience of organizing volunteers allowed me to grow as a leader.  What are you hoping to learn as a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia?My exposure to agriculture is mostly limited to experiences that took place in tropical climates, so I'm very excited to learn about agricultural practices and produce that can be found in this region.  I'm also looking forward to learning about which fruits and vegetables are most abundant and available seasonally so that I can use them more appropriately at home.If you were a vegetable, what would you be?Even though it is technically a fungus, I think if I were a vegetable, I would be a mushroom. They're earthy and bold in flavor, but they also have a very delicate side to them.

Anne Criag What experiences have prepared you for this position?I love being in gardens and I enjoy sharing that enthusiasm with other people, especially children. Being a classroom teacher for over 10 years, teaching many grade levels, I know the most successful and enjoyable lessons involved the students moving around and having materials they could touch and manipulate. Sharing time with my own children often involves discovering wonderful things in nature. I am a gardener that believes there is no meal as delicious as the one you started with a seed months before.What are you hoping to learn as a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia?As a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia I am hoping to learn more about sustainable farming and new ways to share the importance of it with children. Working at a non-profit organization will be a new experience for me.If you were a vegetable, what would you be?If I were a vegetable I would be lettuce. Lettuce is pretty easy to grow and I am pretty easy to get along with. I am happy being by myself but I also enjoy being with others too. My son says I should be lettuce because I am always saying, “Lettuce do this together. Lettuce get started.”

Cary Euwer What experiences have prepared you for this position?I co-taught an environmental science course for 4th graders in college, and that was the first experience that really got me thinking about the optimal way to learn while considering what knowledge is absolutely essential. Unsurprisingly, our best lessons revolved around hands-on projects and food. Inspired by the empowering potential of growing one’s own food, I went on to work as the coordinator for a community vegetable garden in a food desert in north Saint Louis, where I was responsible for both the garden and the large volunteer events needed to put non-profit Grace Hill’s vision into effect. This previous work culminated in probably my most enjoyable experience: teaching environmental science lessons, particularly on the carbon cycle, to 5-7 year olds for Living Classrooms in the summer of 2012. The cornerstone of our lessons centered on a small vegetable garden.What are you hoping to learn as a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia?I’d like to learn more about the possibilities of environmental education, and what crazy ideas people with a passion for it can come up with.If you were a vegetable, what would you be?If I were a vegetable: I’d be Okra.

Jenny RoeWhat experiences have prepared you for this position?While working towards my MS, I volunteered on Gorgie City Farm where I served as an Education Volunteer. I led weekly hands-on workshops with elementary school children, teaching them about food production and farming. This experience has provided me with the basic skills necessary to teach children in an outdoor setting about our food system and the important impact it has on the environment and our health. In addition, I spent time working  in a garden where I was able to experiment growing my own organic vegetables for the first  time and acquired basic gardening skills. I also grew to truly appreciate growing your own vegetables as it is a difficult task however extremely rewarding.What are you hoping to learn as a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia?I hope to be inspired by the children and other visitors who come to Arcadia each day as well as the other interns and staff members. Children always ask the most difficult questions that you would never think of, this always pushes me to think outside of the box and gives me a new perspective on things. Working with such a motivated, passionate group of people will push me to continue working towards my goals of making the world a healthier, happier place.If you were a vegetable, what would you be?Spinach! I put spinach in everything, it is so versatile which I can identify with. When gardening in Scotland, my spinach plants grew the fastest so I was always taking home fresh, organic spinach for all of my meals! It also helps make you strong, as I work to become stronger each day.

Aisha Salazar What experiences have prepared you for this position?I have worked with children as a tutor, camp counselor/director, and currently as a science educator. I interned as a food and wine reporter for Northern Virginia magazine, where I learned about sustainable agriculture by touring farms and talking with local chefs and farmers. I spent an intensive week in Toulouse, France where I visited several organic and biodynamic farms and learned about issues affecting Europe during a class on sustainable agriculture. Through my academic research I have been to both US borders to learn about agricultural inspection methods, toured large production farms, and learned about food safety and food defense policies. Arcadia will allow me to combine all those experiences as a Farm Education Intern.What are you hoping to learn as a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia?I’m hoping to learn a variety of engaging, hands-on, and entertaining methods to educate children about agriculture, nutrition, and food. I’d like to understand how children perceive food and how to broaden their appreciation of and exposure to food, agriculture, and the environment. Everyone has that favorite food memory, so hopefully I can help create that while at Arcadia. I want to learn how a non-profit like Arcadia works and learn more about the food system and food security issues within the DC metro region, as well as how to communicate these issues to children (and those that are young at heart).If you were a vegetable, what would you be?This is a tough question. If the question is based on what vegetable I eat the most and therefore “you are what you eat,” I would be cilantro or a potato. Cilantro adds an extra punch to a dish, while you can cook potatoes in so many different ways. I think I can relate to both in that I’m versatile and tend to adapt to situations well. I relate to cilantro with its zest and gusto…mine would be a zest for knowledge, food, and fun. I’m also pretty well-grounded. On that note, I would be corn with all the puns and corny jokes I make.

Gretchen VerilliWhat experiences have prepared you for this position?Prior to this internship, I was a nutrition intern and dining educator for UVa Dining for almost 5 years. Both of those positions taught me a lot about promoting health and wellness to students in a way that is both fun for them and effective in communicating our message. I also spent a summer during college working on a farm and selling the products at several farmers’ markets around the area.What are you hoping to learn as a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia?I am hoping to learn new and exciting ideas of how to promote healthy lifestyles to children. I hope to get children excited about nutritious foods, and also learn more about farming and agriculture.If you were a vegetable, what would you be?I would be an eggplant. They thrive in full sunshine, and I love the color.

“This experience reinstates why I'm committed to farm education.” - 2012 Farm Camp Counselor

Would you like to help create the next generation of sustainable farmers, chefs, and eaters? If so, we have the job for you!

We’re looking for Counselors for the second season of Arcadia Farm Camp. Counselors will be primarily responsible for an age-specific group of children during four one-week sessions. This is a paid position and runs from July 1-August 5. Camp hours are Monday-Friday from 7:30am-5:00pm beginning July 8.

At Arcadia Farm Camp, we seek to connect children (ages 6-12) to where their food comes from through hands-on farming, cooking, and eating experiences. Campers will develop an understanding of food origins, seasonality, sustainable agriculture, historic preservation, land conservation, and culinary arts.

Farm Camp Counselors have enthusiasm for sustainable agriculture and the environment, a willingness to get dirty in the garden, and an ability to carry out lesson plans. They play a vital role in creating a vibrant and fun learning environment for campers. Please view the job description for full details and application instructions. Must be at least 21 years old to apply. Deadline for applications is April 2, 2013.

Morgan Maloney is Arcadia's new Farm Education Manager. While Morgan is no stranger to many at Arcadia (she was a farm education intern last Fall), here's your chance to learn a little more about why we're so excited to have her as part of the team.  
What experiences have prepared you for this position?
A combination of experience in both out-of-the-classroom education and volunteer coordination has helped to prepare me for this position. During my three-year tenure with the Appalachia Service Project I guided hundreds of volunteers through home repairs for low-income families. I also designed and led evening programs aimed at educating youth and adults about Appalachian poverty. Teaching people of all ages how to use a circular saw for the first time is quite a thrilling experience! Most recently, I was a Farm Education Intern at Arcadia. In this role I taught elementary students during our 2012 fall field trip season and honed my farm-based education skills under the tutelage of Liz Whitehurst, a truly inspiring educator. My contagious passion for food justice has been the common thread throughout all of these experiences, and continues to serve me in this new position.
What is most exciting to you about your new job as Education Manager at Arcadia?
That is a rather difficult question because I’m ecstatic about every part of my new position. I hail from the DC metro area so I’m most looking forward to playing an active role in affecting the food landscape of an area I love through youth education! I’m eager to have new groups out to the farm this spring and fall for Field Trips. We have expanded the program to three days a week which allows us to continue our existing partnerships with schools in D.C. and Virginia and to create additional opportunities for students to learn about healthy foods. For similar reasons, I’m looking forward to leading a successful second year of Farm Camp this summer. We have doubled in size since our pilot year which means twice as many young minds to inspire!I’m also excited to work with a passionate and diverse team of interns. The impact that this group of aspiring farmers and educators can have on our education programs is truly amazing. Together we’ll experience creative collaborations, share delicious foods, and assist one another in active learning.
What are some of your goals for the 2013 season?
During the 2013 season I aim to strengthen our education programs across the board. This means bringing more children out to the farm, connecting with more schools through educational Mobile Market visits, and continuing to provide innovative, farm-based curriculum. I want to be intentional about having the greatest impact on the lives of children in the areas we serve. This will involve in-classroom follow up lessons and learning evaluations that will guide our program improvements. In order to accomplish these goals we have excellent new, as well as seasoned, farm educators who are ready to play a significant role in this growth. I would also like to build our Get Growing! Workshops into a model for adult education on sustainable food and agriculture practices within the region. Our expert workshop instructors have knowledge to help affect changes that will sustain our food system and the environment for future generations.
If you were a vegetable, what would you be?My go-to answer for this question, which I get asked more often than is probably normal, is a Carrot. I’m a red-head so I feel a natural connection to this delicious vegetable. Plus, carrots can surprise you and grow in such interesting ways when hidden under the soil. Pulling up a carrot that has twisted together with its neighbor is one of the most delightful harvest discoveries. 
The Arcadia team would like to wish Liz Whitehurst the best of luck in her new job as the On-Farm Initiative Program Director at the Angelic Organics Learning Center in Caledonia, IL. Thank you, Liz, for all of your hard work, and good luck!  

Grey February days always get me a little down.  It's hard to get myself moving and motivated to go outside to face a world that's bitter cold and dreary.  It's times like this that I turn to the prospect of spring to keep me going, and there's only one place that it's perpetually spring: inside the pages of the seed catalogs that flood my mailbox every winter. 
Of course, I want to grow everything in my garden, but even my giddy, excited winter self knows that that's not practical for the space that I have and the time that I have to devote to it.  So, I take the time to plan things out methodically and practically to ensure that I'll have a productive and manageable space.



I'm incredibly excited to be teaching the Planning Your Garden workshop in just a few short weeks.  I'll be talking about everything that you need to know to get started in gardening, whether this is your first year or you've been at it for a few years and want to take your growing to the next level.  We'll discuss everything from picking and preparing the right sight to choosing the right crops to grow in your space and how to maximize your space to some of the the challenges and pitfall you might come across and strategies for dealing with them.  Make sure to bring any and all questions so that we can help troubleshoot them!

"Watching kids see a carrot pulled from the ground for the first time is something special. Their eyes light up and and you can almost witness the synapses in their brain fire. Before your very eyes, their schema for a carrot has changed. That's pretty awesome." - Volunteer Farm Educator
Arcadia Farm field trips are full of aha! moments: when a child sees a pumpkin on the vine for the first time, when kids try radishes - and actually like them, when a teachers gets a great idea for his school garden. Volunteer Farm Educators are a key part of making it all happen.

They help monitor the space, provide instruction and supervision, and assist with general garden maintenance. We provide training for volunteers who can commit to one Wednesday, Thursday or Friday each week from 9:30am to 2:30 per week from April 1st to June 15. The full volunteer position description is here.

Helping kids discover where their food comes from is pretty magical and we happen to think it has long-term impacts, like healthier lifestyles and a healthier environment. If you want to get involved, email info@arcadiafood.org with your resume and a note describing your interest. We'd love to have your help!