riverbend-farm « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Collis-Warner "Almost Annual Pig Roast" Preparation for 2008 Senate Victory

virginiadem — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:40:19 +0000

Virginia’s Democratic Party 2008 U.S. Senate candidate, former Governor, Mark Warne and his wife Lisa Collis hosted yet another of their “almost annual pig roasts” Saturday at their Rappahannock River Bend Farm in King George.

The crowds of friends, longtime supporters, and guests came in the form of Democrats, Republicans and independents from across the Commonwealth, around the nation and even a few visitors from other countries. Their numbers well exceeded last year when almost 5,000 people attended. I’d estimate the number this year to be closer to 7,000 (as the picture below of a small portion of the “field level” parking lot and my personal observation would suggest).

A smiling pink pig greeted folks as they roamed the spacious grounds

Mark Warner spent his time greeting each guest, holding one-on-one conversations, and taking pictures with many of them for well over 5 hours.

The Reedville Fishermen’s Museum brought over one of their roving exhibitions, a replica of the John Smith Barge.

Virginia’s 1st Congressional District Democratic Candidate for Congress, Bill Day took time out from “meeting and greeting” to take this picture with supporters

Former DNC Chair and potential Democratic candidate for Governor in 2009, Terry McAuliffe was found being questioned by well know Virginia blogger and friend Vivian Paige, she’s got her own take on the conversation here

Everyone attending had plenty to do, like these boys keeping busy climbing all over the stacked bales of hay

Toward the end of a very long day I was pleased to be able to take time to thank the host and have a picture taken. To me personally, the way the soon to be next Junior Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia and his entire family treat their guests provides even more evidence about why, this November 4th, Mark Warner deserves the vote of every Virginian.

With the event winding down not much was left of the pigs but one of their heads with a decorative hat, sunglasses, and red lipstick

Common Roots Field Trip

jenn — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:29:21 +0000

Next Monday, June 30th, Common Roots Cafe will be hosting a Field Trip to Riverbend Farm. I’ll be working that day, but for those that have the day off, what a great adventure!

3.01.08

localfoodhero — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:55:18 +0000

Local Food Hero — AM 950 KTNF — The Voice of Minnesota

1:00, March 1, 2008

A show where we discuss the growing, cooking, eating and yes…the politics of what you put in your mouth.

Outstanding in Their Field: Greg Reynolds, Riverbend Farm

What’s in the Pot: Mike Phillips, The Craftsman Bar and Restaurant

Setting Fire to the Strawman – Greg Reynolds

There has been some discussion about food miles versus carbon footprint and lifecycle assessment. I think that it started with an eat local campaign in England that said ‘the fewer miles food travels, the better’. The Enonomist (Dec. 7, 2006) mentioned that organics are ruining the planet and referenced a study that said shipping lamb from New Zealand has less environmental impact than raising it in England. New York Times OpEd (Aug. 6, 2007) weighed in on the topic and mostly came down on the side of ‘let the big guys take care of it, keep shopping.’ They mentioned the same NZ lamb study and put in a good word for shipping potatoes by rail.There is a kernal of truth in that the entire carbon footprint of food needs to be looked at, not just the distance from the field to the fork. Shipping field grown tomatoes, by boat, from Spain to Sweden surely consumes less energy than growing them in greenhouses outside Stockholm in the winter. But that is not the whole story.The Leopold Center found that food usually (87%) travels by truck in this country. Rhys at Coop Partners Warehouse says that all of their produce comes by truck. A semi gets 4 or 5 miles to the gallon and can haul 40-50,000 pounds of freight. That means that they can move 80 – 125 tons one mile per gallon of fuel burned. Not bad. Lets call it 100TMPG. Now that it is just a number, it also means that they can move one ton 100 miles per gallon of fuel. At this point you could imagine a light, diesel powered car that gets 100 mpg, but that is another topic entirely. The gallon of diesel fuel that moves the ton 100 miles produces 22.4 pounds of CO2 when it is burned.If a semi truck is loaded with apples in Seattle Washington and brings them 1629 miles to Minneapolis, it will emit {(1629 miles¸ 100tmpg) X 22.4lb/g or} 365 lb CO2 per ton of apples delivered.If apples do get shipped by rail, that will produce 86 lb CO2 for each ton of apples delivered.For comparison, lets say that Pat puts 20 boxes of apples in a red Dodge Caravan and delivers them from Annandale to the Wedge. He probably went for the big V6 motor and gets about 20 (23 EPA) mpg. That means that Pat is moving 800 pounds 20 miles per gallon of gas, or 8TMPG. The gallon of gas that moves a ton of local apples 8 miles produces 19.5 lb CO2 when it is burned.It is 46 miles to the Wedge so his van will emit 114 lb CO2 per ton of apples delivered. Roughly 1/3 of the rate of apples from the west coast by truck, but more than the hypothetical rail shipment.

But this is not a fair comparison. The semi truck and train were assumed to be fully loaded. Pat’s van is rated as a 7 passenger van so it can probably handle three quarters of a ton rather than just 800 pounds of cargo. If we assume that his van was fully loaded, it is emitting just under 60 lb CO2 for each ton of apples delivered to the Wedge, about 1/3 less than shipping apples from Washington by rail.

Concerned about carbon footprint ? You’ll have to use your head. And pay attention to who is telling the story. The study comparing New Zealand and English lamb was paid for by New Zealand sheep producers. It compares pastured NZ animals to grain fed English lambs. Our food system is set up to favor industrialization, consolidation, and long distance shipping. Who benefits ? Who benefits from GMOs, growth hormones, and antibiotics in our food ?

I have my biases. I want people around here to buy more local organic produce. I’d like our grandchildren to have a chance.

Greg

Click here to listen >>

Email us at localfoodhero@gmail.com

This weeks program was sponsored by:

The Three Crows Coffee Shop, www.thethreecrows.com

Riverbend Farm CSA, www.rbfcsa.com

Natures Nest Organic Farm and Bed and Breakfast. www.naturesnestfarm.com

Thanks for the support folks!