A Thrilling Peek Into a Taboo World

Molly Roden Winter dazzles with her debut. You may want to look away — but she’ll keep you turning the pages “It’s been almost two years since I first saw Matt, but I can hardly remember the before times, when I wasn’t caught in a constant swirl of secret lust and mother’s guilt.” This book.Continue reading “A Thrilling Peek Into a Taboo World”

Pick-Your-Own Berries in Southwest Virginia

The strawberries ripen sometime in May, then come the blueberries and blackberries and raspberries. In the best years, blueberry picking can continue through September. All around the Roanoke Valley are farms and orchards with fresh, often pesticide-free produce waiting for us to come fetch it. Here’s a place to start if you’re hoping to pickContinue reading “Pick-Your-Own Berries in Southwest Virginia”

How to Find Local Food

Buying local can connect you with healthier food that is good for the environment and your community. It takes a bit of retraining — like forming any good habit. But the rewards are delicious fruits, vegetables and proteins at the peak of their flavor. Below, find a few resources to get you started. Once youContinue reading “How to Find Local Food”

Hello, Spring!

After the snowiest March I can recall, I’m kind of pinching myself. It’s April, right? Many years the forsythia and daffodils and cherry blossoms have disappeared already. But this season, the asparagus, the chives, the kale and spinach in my garden are just getting going. I know I’m not alone when I say I couldn’tContinue reading “Hello, Spring!”

How to Make More Local Food Choices

I have shared this graphic on social media and in my newsletter over the last few months. But the more I sit in meetings about how to connect eaters with local food growers and the more I write about why local food matters to me, the more I love what this graphic does: It quicklyContinue reading “How to Make More Local Food Choices”

8 Tips for a Healthier 2018

It’s January and we are pumped to eat salads, drop some pounds, get in shape, right? Well … if you’re like me, that’s a yes and a no. I definitely want to get back into my routine, to eat lighter than I have been and to move my body more. But it’s hard. The daysContinue reading “8 Tips for a Healthier 2018”

Easier Than Ever to Eat Local for Thanksgiving

The evening skies got darker last Sunday and the weather in these parts took a turn for the raw, so there’s no denying winter is just around the corner. Which, mostly depresses me, but I can stay positive for the next few months as my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, arrives and is quickly followed by theContinue reading “Easier Than Ever to Eat Local for Thanksgiving”

Where to Pick Your Own Apples

If you live in Southwest Virginia, here is a guide to nearby pick-your-own apple orchards. Did your favorite farm not make this list? Comment or message me and I’ll keep adding to make this directory as comprehensive as I can. Carter Mountain Orchard 1435 Carters Mountain Trail Charlottesville, VA 22902 434 977-1833 http://www.cartermountainorchard.com From SeptemberContinue reading “Where to Pick Your Own Apples”

Apples of Every Stripe

Apples and fall fit together like two perfectly matched puzzle pieces. Just as the air acquires its seasonal snap, the apples are weighing down their branches, beckoning us to come pick them. And just as temperatures begin their slide, our kitchens are ready for slow cookers and warm ovens, for soups and pies, for theContinue reading “Apples of Every Stripe”