Urban Spoon

To search for local restaurants that offer organic, vegetarian, and vegan food options visit the urbanspoon website. You can narrow your search by location, price, cuisine, and extra features. So the next time you're in the mood for organic food in Harrisonburg, try the Local Twin Oaks Tofu Steak at the Local Chop & Grill House or the Eggs-ceptional Sandwich at the A Bowl of Good Cafe.

urbanspoon.com, Harrisonburg Organic Restaurants

The Little Grill

The Little Grill located at 621 North Main Street in Harrisonburg, VA offers a wide selection of foods for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike. This cash-only institution works as a collective business in which the workers share joint ownership and responsibility. The menu boasts organic, free range, local, and fair trade foods, and the restaurant regularly recycles, re-uses, and composts. So for "sustainable eats" in downtown Harrisonburg, check out the LGC. 

C-Ville: Beyond Organic

Beyond Organic: Local Farmer Michael Clark's Produce Thrives Despite Growing Pains

Photo Source: C-Ville.com, John Robinson

Read this interesting article in C-Ville by Preston Long that talks about organic produce in the Stanardsville, Virginia area. Pictured above is organic farmer Michael Clark, the article's focus. I have also embedded the YouTube video "Growing Ginger in Virginia." In addition to organic farming, Clark also helps design the motion graphics for the YouTube channel Planet Earth, and this is one of their more recent productions. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Harrisonburg's Friendly City Food Co-Op

Above is an excerpt from the Friendly City Food Co-Op Blog about local ramps.  Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the Co-Op sells a variety of organic foods produced by local farmers. Though you don't have to become a member to shop at Friendly City, members enjoy benefits such as discounts, newsletters, and voting privileges. You can also find recipe ideas on their website.  Do you shop at this or any other food co-op? Let me know in the comments what you think about this kind of food venue.

JMU Food Day

James Madison University - It Takes More Than a Day to Observe Food Day

Last October, James Madison University celebrated "National Food Day," or in this case, Food Week! JMU decided to devote a whole week to educating our community about local and sustainable foods! Visit the website to learn more about the events that took place, and keep an eye out for next year's sustainable food celebrations!

Image Source: http://fooddayshenvalley.wordpress.com/home-3/

Harrisonburg Downtown Farmer's Market

The Harrisonburg Farmer's Market is located on 228 South Liberty Street in downtown Harrisonburg. The market is a great place to find sustainable foods and products produced locally. Vendors sell a variety of environmentally friendly goods, ranging from sausage biscuits and homemade breads to local honey and a variety of crafts. Visit them this Saturday and see all of the wonderful foods and goods available locally.


Regular Market Hours:
Every Tuesday and Saturday, April through Thanksgiving
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.



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Virginia Seasonal Foods

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides a handy chart that clearly shows what time of year different kinds of fruits and vegetables are in season. Currently, foods like asparagus, spinach, onions, and strawberries are ripe for the picking. You can find information about seasonal foods in other areas by clicking on this link to the Field to Plate website.

edible Harrisonburg!

edible Blue Ridge, Spring 2013

edible Blue Ridge is a member of the Edible Communities, and this publication offers a variety of information about how and where to find the freshest and most environmentally conscious ingredients locally. Edible Communities also publishes a number of other edible magazines such as edible Cape Cod, edible Phoenix, edible San Francisco, edible Manhattan, and edible Toronto, to name a few. Chances are there is an edible version of your hometown too! Check out the Spring 2013 issue of edible Blue Ridge here and see all of the healthy and sustainable food options available locally. 

Polyface Farms

Polyface or "the farm of many faces" is a local farming operation located in Swoope, Virginia. This farm utilizes a variety of environmentally friendly agricultural practices including free range animal living conditions and grass feeding. As I mentioned in a previous article, Polyface also incorporates several unconventional farming practices in the mix. Techniques such as "pigaerating" (see The Pigaerator!) keep their animals fat and happy. The Salatin family, the owners of Polyface, boast five guiding principles in their commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly farming. They promise to adhere to transparency, grass-based feeding practices, individuality, community, nature's template, and last but not least, earthworms! Click on the link to check out the Polyface website and to learn more about their unique farming practices.

Find them here!

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Also, click through the slideshow to see some of the shots I took during my visit to the farm.

The Pigaerator!

Last weekend I visited Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, and I had the opportunity to witness the rare "pigaerator" process that only takes place for a short period of time. The farm staff members explained that first their cows feed on hay and produce manure in the barn. After that, the cows pack down this mixture of manure and hay, and this process effectively ferments the bedding. Corn is then added into the mixture, and the pigs are brought in to root around in the bedding for their prize. The "pigaerator" essentially refers to the aeration that takes place when the pigs dig in the ground for the corn. The resulting well oxygenated and composted soil provides nutrients for the farm's croplands. Check out some of the pictures I took of the cute little piggies!

The pigs work hard to find the corn!

The "pigaerator" at work