Library
Greetings Arlington Readers,
In case you haven't yet read Novella Carpenter's wonderful "Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer," we've got good news: thanks to our friend Jeri at Barnes & Noble, you can buy a copy and get it signed on Thursday night when the author herself speaks at Central Library Auditorium. The program begins at 7 p.m. We've got a seat for you.
And even if you have read "Farm City," I thought I'd share just one of the many great moments in this very funny read. Here's how Novella describes her first time feeding some former country pigs that she and her boyfriend transplanted in their city farm in Oakland, California. The "pig feed" had been the discards of local businesses:
In case you're wondering, it is not legal to raise pigs in Arlington, Virginia. So since most of us are denied that pleasure, we'll just have to share the second-hand thrills listening to the tales of our special visiting urban farmer on Thursday. I know the laughs will be more than sustainable.
See you there.
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- Wendell Berry At Arlington Reads - Now With Video
** Updated 5/6/10 - The video of Diane's Conversation with Wendell Berry is now online - Windows Media Player required - and will air on Comcast 25 & Verizon 40 - Sunday, May 9 at 4:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ** The Real Deal arrived last...
- Sidney & Norman: A Tale Of Two Pigs
Phil VischerEasy FictionBack of the Book:"Life had always been easy for Norman. He was, after all, a good pig...not like his neighbor, Sidney. Rules and systems and schedules--they all seemed a bit slippery to Sidney. Norman couldn't help but look...
Library
Whet Your Appetite With A Taste of Novella Carpenter
Greetings Arlington Readers,In case you haven't yet read Novella Carpenter's wonderful "Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer," we've got good news: thanks to our friend Jeri at Barnes & Noble, you can buy a copy and get it signed on Thursday night when the author herself speaks at Central Library Auditorium. The program begins at 7 p.m. We've got a seat for you.
And even if you have read "Farm City," I thought I'd share just one of the many great moments in this very funny read. Here's how Novella describes her first time feeding some former country pigs that she and her boyfriend transplanted in their city farm in Oakland, California. The "pig feed" had been the discards of local businesses:
"Bill and I, coated with Dumpster grime, looked at each other in wonder. What had we gotten ourselves into? When the pigs discovered, at the bottom of the trough, the lopsided cake we had dredged from the Yummy House Bakery, they let out peals of delight louder than the squealing brakes of a municipal bus. They bit each others ears in order to get a bigger share of the cake. I made a mental note for next time: more cake.
Reassured by these eating machines, I knew that--with the help of a pork-motivated boyfriend--it was going to be easy to raise pigs in Oakland. We had seen enough evidence in Chinatown to make our case: All that food could support several pigs. I would soon learn, though, that in this moment of self-satisfaction I was forgetting one key thing: these pigs would grow. As they steadily gained weight they would demand more food than I could ever have dreamed."
In case you're wondering, it is not legal to raise pigs in Arlington, Virginia. So since most of us are denied that pleasure, we'll just have to share the second-hand thrills listening to the tales of our special visiting urban farmer on Thursday. I know the laughs will be more than sustainable.
See you there.
- Agriculture In Arlington County: Our Recent Past, And A Vision For A Sustainable Future
Join us Wednesday, Sept. 28 for a presentation on ?Agriculture in Arlington County: Our Recent Past, and a Vision for a Sustainable Future,? from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Dan Redmond, whose graduate research is on sustainability and environmental...
- From Our Back Pages: When Cows Were Local
Dairy farming in Arlington? Why yes, Virginia, there once was such a thing. In fact, Arlington was home to a number of dairy farms in years past, with one of the best known being the Reeves farm. Purchased in 1866 as a 160-acre farm by William H. Torreyson,...
- Arlington Reads Wins Outstanding Achievement In Local Government Innovation Award
The Arlington Public Library's 2010 Arlington Reads program has been selected to receive an Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation Award for 2011, from the Alliance for Innovation! Innovation Awards are bestowed annually to programs...
- Wendell Berry At Arlington Reads - Now With Video
** Updated 5/6/10 - The video of Diane's Conversation with Wendell Berry is now online - Windows Media Player required - and will air on Comcast 25 & Verizon 40 - Sunday, May 9 at 4:00 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. ** The Real Deal arrived last...
- Sidney & Norman: A Tale Of Two Pigs
Phil VischerEasy FictionBack of the Book:"Life had always been easy for Norman. He was, after all, a good pig...not like his neighbor, Sidney. Rules and systems and schedules--they all seemed a bit slippery to Sidney. Norman couldn't help but look...