Month: April 2012

A peek into Chef Allison’s kitchen

Leave a comment

Washington DC’s Walker Jones Education Campus kitchen was bustling with energy when I arrived during the lunchtime rush. Students waited with dancing feet for their meals as the cafeteria staff efficiently served and approved each tray. Preparing 3 meals a day along with Pre-K and the DOD Fresh Fruits & Veg program, the kitchen is in a constant whirl of activity. Chef Allison’s passion for feeding students was obvious as we toured the facilities. She bounded from feature to feature, making sure to point out the abundance of fresh produce in their walk-in fridge.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

After getting the lay of the land, I hung back and watched the magic happen. While there was much to take in,  the individuals at the registers were particularly impressive. The staff knew each of the 400+ students by name and were attentive and encouraging when the young eaters expressed apprehension at trying one of the menu items.

This experience emphasized the important role that cafeteria workers play in cultivating an atmosphere of health within schools. A smile and a kind but firm word might be all one kid needs to expand his or her culinary preferences. Keep up the great work, Chef Allison & crew!

Washington, DC: from Capitol Hill to a carrot suit

Leave a comment
I did it all in DC. From this: 

Ready for my first legislative meeting of the day!

To this:

Happy carrot!

Obviously I have a lot of blogging to catch up on! Headed into the West Virginia mountains tomorrow but will start catching ya’ll up on the latest happenings ASAP. Cheers!

Operating on hugs, not dollars

2 Comments

“I go off hugs, I don’t go off dollars.” 

Those were the words of Farmer Greg from Field of Dreams Farm in Richmond, VA. Greg is passionate about providing real food to the area’s schools and from what I can tell he is quite the one-man show. Not only does he grow food but he visits schools, installs gardens and educates students. Farmer Greg was an inspiration to chat with – he saw a need and started making change happen. I encourage anyone interested in learning more about Field of Dreams Farm’s efforts to get in touch with Farmer Greg. I guarantee his enthusiasm is contagious!

Now, though Farmer Greg’s statement on hugs lingered in the back of my mind, it didn’t truly hit home until a few days later. I was slowly pedaling to my campground after many long hours of grinding up the steep hills of northern Virginia when I crossed paths with a fellow cyclist. He made a u-turn and accompanied me for the final mile of the day. We stopped for a quick chat at the entrance and although our exchange was brief I could tell that he believed in the SFT’s mission. He snapped a quick photo and returned to his training ride, but not before giving me a genuine and spontaneous hug of encouragement.

I was tired. Exhausted, in fact. But this encounter raised my spirits and helped me realize the full impact of Farmer Greg’s philosophy. Hugs, thankfulness, gratitude… they have more value than any amount of money.

Be sure to say thank you the next time you find something worth appreciating out in the world. There are a lot of people doing a lot of wonderful things. I am thankful for that.