Summer 2009

Cover

Contents Page 1

Contents Page 2

Articles from this issue:

Making Connections, Building Community

There’s more to farmers markets than food. They bring people and nature together. And still more: they make neighbors out of strangers.

By Rose Jenkins

n the opening day of the Forest Lakes Farmers Market near Charlottesville, this spring, George Cason was selling jars of honey in various shades of amber that gleamed in the sun.Over the course of the growing season, he will bring to the market the full spectrum of local vegetables and fruits — from the first ripe strawberries to late fall apples.

Cason is known as the grandfather of farmers markets in the Charlottesville area, because in 1973 he started the downtown City Market.He says the inspiration for that market —still going strong 36 years later — was to create opportunities for farmers who grew an abundance of food but needed ways to get it to the people.He also wanted to create “a place where people can meet and enjoy seeing each other — connecting, you know.”

Last year, Scott Elliff, a resident of Forest Lakes, and Dawn Story, of the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), followed in Cason’s footsteps as they launched a new farmers market in this residential development of 1,400 new homes just north of Charlottesville. Read more...

The Brew Ridge Trail

Craft beers, hard cider, and scotch whiskey mean Virginia is not just for wine lovers.

By Mike Janssen

ith more than 100 vineyards, Virginia already presents lovers of the grape with ample options for a getaway.But what about beer? Fans of the drink might be forgiven if they overlook the state when scouting locations for a beer-guzzling adventure.

That seems like an unjust fate for a region once known as the “Hops Capital of the New World.” Thankfully, it’s now time for another look.With two upstart breweries on its turf, Nelson County has started promoting the area’s burgeoning beer scene with a “Red, White and Brew” campaign.Launched just months ago, the effort includes Roseland’s Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company, just a short drive from the Wintergreen Resort, and Blue Mountain Brewery, just up Rockfish Valley Highway (Route 151) in Afton. Read more...