Center Gallery Presents: Sustainability

Center Gallery at the
Midwest Center for Photography presents:
Sustainability

May 27 - July 22, 2011

An exhibition speaking about local food production, locovore consumption, organic gardening and farming.

Exhibiting Artists:
Katharyn Addcox, Christin Boggs, Lee Fernside, Jimmy Fike,
Christine Garceau, Adrian Lesoing, Linda K. Robinson, Crystal Socha.

Opening Reception:
Friday, May 27, 7-10 PM

Location:
Center Gallery
111 S. Ellis St.,
Wichita, KS 67211

Gallery Hours:
Fridays, 12:00 - 6:00 PM
Final Friday Opening Receptions: 7:00 - 10:00 PM
Also by appointment

RSVP on Facebook

DC Urban Farm Bike Tour: Common Good City Farm

The long-awaited DC Urban Farms Bike Tour finally took place yesterday, rescheduled from a rainy April day. I missed most of the tour, as I had farmers market obligations earlier in the day. But I made it to the last stop: Common Good City Farm (the urban farm made the news recently, due to a visit from Prince Charles!). Congrats to all the event organizers, volunteers and bikers for a great day! To view photos, click the above slideshow or head over to my Flickr page.

[Rescheduled] DC Urban Farms Bike Tour

The DC Urban Farms Bike Tour has been rescheduled for this Saturday, May 21, 1-6PM, with happy hour to follow at Big Bear Cafe. The bike tour will include five stops: Neighborhood Farm Initiative, Washington Youth Garden, The Farm at Walker Jones, City Blossoms and Common Good City Farm. The full schedule is available here. The Facebook event page is available here.

Teacher Appreciation, Locavore Style

In honor of teacher appreciation week at the beginning of May, the McLean High School PTSA (of McLean, VA) had the excellent idea to host a local lunch for their teachers. Produce was donated by Maple Avenue Farm and Bigg Riggs Farm; "time and talent" was donated by Maple Avenue Restaurant Chef Tim Ma, Joey Hernandez and crew, to prepare the lunch. PTSA volunteers braved a rainy morning on May 4, to harvest lettuce at Maple Avenue Farm in Great Falls, and I had the chance to document this portion of the event. (I didn't make it to the lunch the next day, as I was working at a farmers market, but I hear it was a huge success.) Here's to more events like this one that bring together local, sustainable, delicious resources!

Maple Avenue Farm is one of several projects run by Chris & Sara Guerre. Their produce is sold at two Farmers Markets in Northern Virginia and at their store in Vienna, VA: Maple Avenue Market, "a small, family-owned local foods store that is committed to supporting area farmers and producers and serving as a community resource for all of us who want to learn more about where our food comes from, and more importantly...where it should come from." They also work with Arlington County Public Schools, to provide local produce for students.

Incidentally, though the name is similar, Maple Avenue Restaurant is a separate entity, begun right around the same time as the Maple Avenue Market, in 2009. The two businesses are located just down the street from each other (as their names indicate). The restaurant uses local ingredients in its dishes, including chicken from the renowned Polyface Farm located further south in Virginia.

The volunteers harvest lettuce:

Chris (center) and Sara (red rain jacket) talk with the PTSA volunteers as the morning task of harvesting lettuce comes to an end.

The sun came out just after all the lettuce had been picked (of course!).

The farm has brand new chickens this year! (I've purchased a few dozen eggs from the Market and they've resulted in some delicious omelets!)


Find out additional information at the Maple Avenue Market website and Facebook page. And if you're a local, you definitely need to check it out!