Farm to School grants and a Top 10 B&B in Virginia
A student throws back a sample of brussel sprouts in three preparations. Photo from DC Central Kitchen.
I wrote about the recipients of a first-ever round of Farm to School grants from the USDA for The Washington Post‘s food blog on Wednesday. More than $280,000 is destined for programs and farms in the Washington area and Baltimore, including DC Central Kitchen’s school-feeding programs (one pictured above).
Four of the 68 projects nationwide to share a total of $4.5 million are based in the District, Maryland and Virginia. The funding was established by the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act to promote programs connecting school cafeterias with locally produced food. Details were released yesterday. Read about it at the All We Can Eat blog here.
And the good news for local organizations doesn’t stop there. It looks like our favorite Virginia Bed and Breakfast (OK, the only one we’ve stayed at since moving here) landed on BedandBreakfast.com’s list of Top 10 B&Bs in the country! The Farmhouse at Veritas Vineyards made the announcement yesterday. Between the best version of eggs benedict I’ve ever had and the middle-of-a-vineyard ambiance, I knew this jewel wouldn’t stay a secret for long. Read about our stay there here and here.
The Farmhouse at Veritas Vineyards.
You might also like the story I wrote for Grist earlier this week, about a new food aggregation hub in Elkwood, Va. that aims to fill the DC market with a locally produced food — and they’ve got the facility to do it. If you’re really interested (and local), check into a tour of Blue Ridge Produce‘s facility, which they offer regularly.
A glimpse of the expansive greenhouses at Blue Ridge Produce.
Off to write some more. And, yes, I did pay Jesús the $10 I owed him yesterday. Aren’t farmers the best?
Magnificent website. A lot of useful information here.
I am sending it to a few friends ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And certainly, thanks to your sweat!