Land at First Sight? Local Food for the Overbooked, Chef Tim's Back-to-school Treats and More

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Welcome to the August edition of Farm Fresh News. In this issue, find out how people are overcoming the landless blues and getting back into the game, how some are managing to grow local and keep their social life, and find out what “Local Food Dude” Chef Tim cooks up for lunch at school. Looking for Land in All the Wrong Places The right land, like the perfect partner, can be hard to find, especially for people just getting into farming. For those tired of looking for land in all the wrong places, there is a program designed to match young farmers with retiring farmers. Regional FarmLink programs are located in many parts of the country and host “speed dating” sessions to match up novice farmers with retiring expert growers in order to make a perfect match. Check out Farmlink programs in California, Ohio and Virginia.   What Is Local Enough? As the local food movement spreads, some people are taking their commitment to the next level in a way that’s very close to home. Landscape architect Fritz Haeg has built “Edible Estates” in the United States and England by replacing front lawns with vegetable gardens so locavores can now boast their own personal farms. And for those of us feeling the need for a personal farmer, entrepreneurs will plant your garden, harvest the bounty and place a box of fresh vegetables on the back porch! To bring local even closer, start planting! "I need my local farmers." - Chef Tim From Connecticut Local Food Dude Serves-up School Lunch Local Style A growing number of kids across the country will be getting more than just their lessons this school year; they will be enjoying lunches featuring fresh food grown on nearby farms. American Farmland Trust member and chef Timothy Cipriano, known as the Local Food Dude, asks us to help keep local farms in our communities, so he can do what he does best: serve-up delicious lunches the healthy and local way. AFT is working hard to make sure local farms and farmland will be there for the great farm-to-school programs developed by people like Chef Tim, but we need your help! Donate today to support farms and farmland for local food at school. Picking Peas, Having Fun, Helping Others Staff from American Farmland Trust put their harvesting skills to the test at the Volunteer Farm in Woodstock, Virginia, this summer. The farm, in conjunction with the World Foundation for Children, donates all of its produce to the Blue Ridge Food Bank. Last year, over 2,300 volunteers helped to harvest about 30 tons of food, which the Food Bank then distributed to local homeless charities. Our volunteers were proud of the 200 lbs. of peas they picked! Find gleaning projects in your area. Local Flavor-Filled Recipe Chef Tim of Bloomfield, Connecticut, brings more than just fresh and local foods to the kids in his schools—he also gets them involved. Through teaching kids about different kinds of food and by preparing foods them in exciting new ways, he has transformed lunchtime into a fun-time. He generously shares his scrumptious recipe for a back-to-school salad. Apple and Zucchini Salad 1/3 cup olive oil 2 TBS rice wine vinegar 1 TBS lemon juice 1/2 TSP maple syrup 1 TSP basil, fresh chopped 1/2 TSP kosher salt 6 each apples, small dice 1/2 each green & red peppers, seeded & julienne 1/2 each red onion, julienne 3 each zucchini, diced PREPARATIONS: 1.  In a large bowl mix first 6 ingredients. 2. Add apples and toss well to coat. Add remaining ingredients, toss well. 3. Chill for 4 hours in refrigerator. 4. Serve in a large bowl with grilled grass fed beef burgers on brioche rolls. Yummy!

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