News
EASTERN SHORE LOCAVORE NEWS
A publication of the Eastern Shore Local Food Project
June 2012 We are honest hardworking people of the Eastern Shore of Virginia who have formed an interest group for the purpose of promoting fresh local food. To use a new term, we are locavores. This newsletter is one of the ways we educate about local food. Food produced within 100 miles is considered local food. In our case it is food from either Accomack or Northampton counties. It can be vegetables or meat and either land or seafood. This month we are featuring the changes at Eastern Shore Branch of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.
They are growing some of the food that they give away and educating their clients on where their food comes from and how they can grow it themselves. Foodbank will be producing some of their own food this summer on their site next to the building in Tasley. They have strong backing from organizations as diverse as the Virginia Tech Research Center in Painter, Bank of America, Americorp Vista, the local Elks club, and Onancock Building Supply. The Elks have enabled Foodbank to give away fresh produce all year through their Elks foundation Impact Grant.
They also helped to get the local food growing started with construction of raised garden beds four feet wide and sixteen feet long. Last year there were five beds growing tomatoes, eggplant, butternut squash, and cucumbers. One of the goals is to educate in the garden through the Kid’s Cafe at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club in Exmore. Through a grant by Bank of America the infrastructure of the garden has greatly expanded. There is now electricity, a well, three yard-hydrants, a new sprinkler system, and twenty raised bed gardens.
Josh Freeman and others at the VT Research Station donated tomato plants and vegetable seeds to the garden this year. They analyzed soil samples to test ph and prepared the garden soil with the necessary additives.
Friday May 11th was Planting day and children from scouts and little league and elsewhere volunteered to help plant. They were treated to supper of hot dogs and cookies before the work. Americorp Vista personnel Jenny Savage and Elise Springuel helped direct the children and everyone had fun and learned something. The older kids planted tomato plants while the younger ones planted seeds such as beans and squash.
Planting Day at Foodbank
www.eslocalfoodproject.org:
the who, what, when, where, why, and how of local food
meetings are the 4th Thursday of the month at 7:15 pm Join us!
for more info call Jeff at 757-999-4426 or 757- 709- 8397
Article by Jeff Poulterer
EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITY GARDEN 
The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia’s community garden, located at the Eastern Shore branch, is an educational tool and a supplemental, healthy food source for the community. Foodbank staff members and volunteers educate community garden visitors through teach-ins and workshop about health, food and hunger issues.
On May 11th 2012, AmeriCorps VISTA Elise Springuel and Eastern Shore Foodbank staff held a Planting Kick-Off event at the community garden to jumpstart the garden’s development. With the guidance from Foodbank staff, young community volunteers successfully planted seeds and seedlings in 18 of the garden’s raised beds. The seeds and seedlings included tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, peas and beans. Eggplant and melons are scheduled to be planted in the remaining space.
Prior to the Planting Kick-Off, the Virginia Tech Research Center generously donated their time and resources to the Foodbank’s community garden. In addition to donating seeds and seedlings, they conducted soil testing, advised on planting and established an irrigation system.
UPDATE: There are several new additions, including eight new 4’x80’ garden rows designed for vine crops.
Another successful Planting Day has also moved the garden’s development further with the help of several participants. On May 31st, 2012 a group of volunteer Girl Scouts successfully planted additional seeds and seedlings. These included eggplants for the final two raised beds, and cucumbers, cantaloupes, and watermelons for the new garden rows. They also thoroughly weeded the raised garden beds, all of this while having some fun. AmeriCorps VISTA personnel Elise Springuel and Jeni Savage, and the Foodbank’s Children Nutrition Intern, Laura Janosko, supervised the planting. Josh Freeman and others at the Virginia Tech Research Center donated the seeds and seedlings for the planting event.
Throughout the development of the Foodbank’s community garden this year, volunteer project manager, Alan Hall, has open-handedly donated his time and resources for the garden’s progress and expansion. Initially, Alan along with other volunteers from the Elks Lodge in Accomac built the 20 raised beds. Recently, Alan plowed and prepped the rows for the new vine crops.
STRIKE OUT HUNGER
Perdue, Delmarva Shorebirds Announce 'Strike Out Hunger Challenge On Delmarva' Campaign
by Perdue and the Arthur. W. Perdue Foundation
Posted: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 3:33PM EDT
Salisbury, Md. — Building on a company commitment to fighting hunger in our communities, Perdue Farms joins the Delmarva Shorebirds, the Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, in announcing the launch of the “2012 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva” campaign on behalf of the three Delmarva food banks.
To help drive the season-long “Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva” campaign, Perdue has issued a $15,000 challenge grant funded through the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation to benefit the Eastern Shore Branch of the Maryland Food Bank, the Food Bank of Delaware and the Eastern Shore Branch of the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia.
“The 2012 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva provides the forum to continue the awareness and community involvement that was successfully generated through Perdue’s sponsorship of last year’s South Atlantic League ‘Perdue Strike Out Hunger All-Star Game’ promotions,” said Bill Hetherington, executive director of the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. “The food banks and the Shorebirds have embraced this new challenge campaign — now we’re hoping the community will join us in our efforts. Together, we can ‘Strike Out Hunger on Delmarva.’ ”
How the challenge works
The first $10,000 of the challenge grant will be divided equally among the three Delmarva food banks as a challenge to involve the Delmarva community in fighting hunger on Delmarva. Each of the food banks must raise the equivalent of 10,000 meals in order to claim their share of the $10,000. This can be in any combination of pounds of food collected, funds collected and donated or volunteer efforts from the opening of the 2012 season through the final home game of the regular season on Thursday, Aug. 30.
Bill Hetherington, center, executive director of the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, joins representatives of the Delmarva Shorebirds and Delmarva’s three food banks in announcing a $15,000 Arthur W. Perdue Foundation grant to support the “2012 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva.” Pictured from left to right are Chris Bitters, Delmarva Shorebirds general manager, Charmin Horton, Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia, Eastern Shore branch manager, Hetherington, Charlotte McGarry, programs director for the Food Bank of Delaware, and Jim Weir, operations manager for the Food Bank of Delaware.
Perdue has also committed to donating $10 for each time the Shorebirds’ pitchers strike out an opposing batter (up to $5,000). The $5,000 will be split equally between the three Delmarva food banks.
Shorebirds plan Strike Out Hunger promotions
The Shorebirds will run promotions throughout the regular season to benefit the “Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva.”
The Shorebirds have designated the season’s 10 Sunday home games as “Strike Out Hunger Challenge Sundays.” If fans bring two non-perishable food items they can receive a general admission ticket to that day’s game for $2. Food collected from the 10 Sunday home games will be distributed equally among the three food banks.
In addition, Arthur W. Perdue Stadium will house food donation barrels at all regular season home games, making it easy for fans to help by bringing food to the game or just stopping by the stadium.
A profound partnership in fight against hunger
“We are all so happy for the opportunity to participate again with Perdue and the Shorebirds on such a profound partnership in the fight against hunger,” said Jennifer Small, Eastern Shore branch manager, Maryland Food Bank. “The community support this creates will have a great impact helping the Maryland Food Bank feed the more than 25,000 people we are feeding per month through our 130 Network Partners throughout eight Eastern Shore counties. Whether you are in Maryland, Delaware or Virginia, you can help us Strike Out Hunger.”
The food banks will be working with businesses, groups and individuals throughout the Shore that would like to be involved.
If you or your organization would like to get involved in the Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva campaign, contact the Shorebirds or one of the three participating food banks.
About Perdue and the Arthur. W. Perdue Foundation
PERDUE® is the No. 1 brand of fresh chicken in the Eastern United States. Ranked as the third largest poultry company in the U.S., Perdue is a leading international food and agriculture family of businesses providing quality products and services to customers in more than 100 countries. Privately held and family-run for three generations, the company employs more than 21,000 associates and partners with more than 2,200 independent farm families — all of whom share in the commitment to quality that has guided the company since its founding in 1920.
The Arthur W. Perdue Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable foundation established in 1957 by the founder of Perdue Incorporated. Grants are distributed for the improvement of life in the community through support of the arts, community development, education, health, human services and youth activities.
For more information, visit www.perdue.com™
Source: Perdue and the Arthur. W. Perdue Foundation