The Gilfeather Turnip: Vermont’s Newly Crowned State Vegetable

By Melissa Pasanen
Vermont Life Magazine

“The Gilfeather Turnip Cookbook” makes no excuses for its lead character: “It is not a beautiful vegetable,” the first line plainly states.

But what this heirloom Brassica lacks in beauty, it makes up for in fame and sweetness—at least in comparison with most other turnips. The humble root earned a berth in Slow Food USA’s Ark of Taste for outstanding taste and historical merit and was recently crowned Vermont state vegetable, thanks to enthusiastic lobbying by elementary school students from its town of origin.

gilfeather-turnip

Photo by Melissa Pasanen, Vermont Life
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Posted in Recipe, Vermont | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Marion Nestle: Where Does Local Food Go From Here?

Marion Nestle offers insight into what’s happened in the local food movement over the past 15 years. In a piece published this week in Edible Communities (celebrating its 15th year), the renowned author, blogger, and NYU professor weighs in on how the local food movement has gained traction since 2002.

Marion-Nestle-Bill-Hayes-Photo

Photo by Bill Hayes

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Posted in Economic | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

VT Dinners Gives Frozen Food a Local Twist

By Helen Labun Jordan
Local Banquet

“I unabashedly describe myself as a local food advocate,” wrote Marlboro College student Nathaniel Brooks in 2015, as he was launching his new business. “I see re-localizing our food system as a key lever for shifting our culture away from its current path toward one of greater interconnection, mindfulness, and sustainability.”

And what better way to do that than through… TV dinners? Or as Nathaniel rewrote the phrase when his business began, “VT Dinners”—frozen meals made with local ingredients.

vt-dinners
Photo/Flickr

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Kristof Grina ’12 Converts Unused Rooftops into Thriving Spaces

By Dorothy Neagle
Good Food Jobs

Up Top Acres operates rooftop organic, soil-based farms throughout the Washington, D.C metro region. As co-founder and farm director, UVM alumnus Kristof Grina ’12 oversees all aspects of the operation, from initial installation to the harvest and distribution of produce. Kristof talked to the team at Good Food Jobs about his work.

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Ben Hewitt: Homesteading Principles to Live By

By Ben Hewitt

This article is adapted from The Nourishing Homestead (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2014) and is reprinted here with permission of the publisher. For more information about Ben’s book, visit Chelsea Green

Like everyone I know, we occasionally find ourselves faced with a decision to which there is no obvious answer. Do we borrow money to build a bigger barn, or do we keep getting by with what we have? Do we spend our meager savings on trees and soil amendments, or do we keep our money for a rainy day? Do we cull a beloved-but-high-maintenance animal, or continue accommodating her needs?

My wife Penny and I have some touchstone principles, ideas, and ideals to guide us when such questions arise. Though it’s not a literal list, etched into stone or rolled into a yellowed scroll, truthfully, we are not always able to act in harmony with these principles. There are times when circumstances compel us to behave otherwise. But even in these cases, it’s valuable to understand and acknowledge the compromise we’re making.

We hope these principles, such as they are, help.

Ben-hewitt

Photo by Jessie Burke

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