Thrive!

Most Sunday mornings, you can find me at the farmers' market at Dupont Circle, tasting the nectarines and the goat cheese, squeezing the cantaloupe, oooohhhing and aaaaaahhhhhing over the arugala and the blackberries. This past Sunday, Son and Daughter-in-Law brought Grandson and we made the trip a family affair. We overheard local restaurant owners chatting with each other, discussed the taste of the blackberries with a nice lady, and sniffed the lavender. I love going to the farmers' market, watching the produce change over the course of the year, chatting with the farmers -- many of whom grow only organic food.

"My" farmers' market is run by a fantastic group called Fresh Farm Markets. Nora Pouillon is on their board of directors, along with a "Social Scientist Entrepreneur and Technology and Information System Expert," a "Farmer; Activist; Father," and a former "Under Secretary, USDA." Every week they send out an e-mail with information on what food will be available at the coming markets (figs next week!) along with, and you knew I would love this, a poem about farming, eating, gardening, the Earth, etc. This week, I noticed something I hadn't noticed on earlier e-mails: a listing of "gleaning partners." The Fresh Farm Markets website describes this program under the "What's New?" Banner:

Celebrate Gleaning Week at FRESHFARM Markets!

Every market day farmers donate fresh food to local charities. Since 1997, we have donated over 100,000 tons of fresh food to feed the needy and homeless.

Our 2006 Gleaning partners are
~ Miriam's Kitchen, Foggy Bottom Market
Demo this Wed at market!
~ Dinner Program for Homeless Women,
Penn Quarter Market
~ House of Ruth, H Street NE Market
~ D.C. Central Kitchen, Dupont Market

ZipCar is another market partner, transporting food to the Dinner Program for Homeless Women. Thank you!

What a great idea! And getting ZipCar involved makes it even better.