Living Organic

My new lifestyle is causing me to be friendlier to my body and my world. One of my new favorite hangouts is Organic Grounds in Harrisonburg.

As proof that email marketing works, I stopped in one week this afternoon after receiving an email (yes, I voluntarily signed up for their email list) that they were serving a new soup: spinach and mushroom. Sounded too good to pass up, and the day was a bit gray.

Owners Lee Ann and Barry Jeffer guarantee everything fresh and organic, from the coffee to cookies. By the way, gotta try their harvest nut cookies–they are to die for–organic or not.

Anyway, my son was having fun with the video camera, so here’s my trip to Organic Grounds for a cup of delicious spinach and mushroom soup with a three cheese grilled sandwich on something that’s not bread, but really good!

–Toni

Habitat Homes in the Valley Go Green

The Central Valley Habitat for Humanity will be building homes a little more “green,” thanks to a grant from The Home Depot Foundation and Habitat for Humanity International. The Bridgewater-based non-profit was selected as one of 123 Habitat affiliates across the nation to participate in an initiative to build into new homes energy-saving materials, reduced water consumption appliances and fixtures, durable, lower maintanance materials, and lower carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Central Valley organization will receive $3,000 toward every home that meets Energy Star standards, and $5,000 for every home that meets even higher green standards. According to Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation, the cost for building greener is not expensive and can save thousands of dollars in maintanance costs for homeowners.

In a pilot program last year in which Habitat built more energy efficient homes, about $2,000 worth of energy efficient materials were added to homes built by the organization. They are reporting energy savings of 15 to 30 percent in the homes where these materials were used.

Interested in volunteering for Habitat for Humanity or learning more about the green initiative? Email Marsha Smith at Central Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Get Your Grass off Gas

SafeLawns Launches “Get Your Grass off Gas” Campaign

Looking for ways to go green around the house? Forgive the pun, but the SafeLawns campaign offers some great info on going green and making your grass greener, too.

The campaign is an effort to reduce mower emissions and educate homeowners about greener lawncare; but the SafeLawns website offers some great videos and info about caring for your lawn. There’s even a video for making compost tea!

A nationwide “Get Your Grass off Gas” campaign this summer will aim to reduce air pollution related to gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.

Beginning June 1, the SafeLawns Foundation will work with Black & Decker, which specializes in electric and battery-powered lawn mowers, trimmers, blowers and other tools to educate homeowners that they can care for their lawns and yards without using gas-powered equipment.

“Statistics show that up to 10 percent of air pollution in the summertime in this country is related to mowing, trimming and blowing lawns,” said SafeLawns founder Paul Tukey, a best-selling author and organic lawn expert. “Converting to equipment that utilizes electric cords or rechargeable batteries can reduce this pollution by up to 90 percent, according to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. With the advances that Black & Decker and others have made in battery and electric technology, it is now viable for most small landscapes to be tended without burning gas and oil.”

“Gasoline-powered lawnmowers produce hydrocarbons (a major component of smog), particulate matter (which damages respiratory systems), carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas) and carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming),” said Tukey. “And as a personal matter for everyone, when you use a gas-powered piece of equipment, you and your family are breathing those toxic fumes. I believe electric and battery power is a better way to go, all the way around.”

DeAnn Romjue, Director for Black & Decker’s Outdoor Products division says that “by choosing electric or cordless outdoor power equipment, you’re not only helping the environment, your neighborhood and your family, but you are also freeing yourself of the mess and hassles associated with gas-powered products. All of our products offer a convenient and easy way to maintain your lawn, while producing zero emissions in your yard.”

The SafeLawns.org mission is to create a broad based coalition of nonprofit and for-profit organizations committed to educating society about the benefits of organic lawn care and gardening, and effect a quantum change in consumer and industry behavior.

Videos on the website offer useful videos on controlling weeds, creating organic lawns, and alternatives to mowing. (My favorite is the one titled “The Scoop on Worm Poop”) I have 6.5 acres and let the horses graze about 4.5 of it. That leaves only about 2 acres for my husband to mow. That’s a time and gas saver.

Create a greener yard this summer.

Fridays in the ‘Burg

As promised, here’s more on what’s happening in downtown Harrisonburg this Friday.

In addition to First Fridays (schedule below), Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance kicks off Fridays on the Square at the Courthouse. Picnic dinner starts at 6 p.m. (BYOD-bring your own dinner) and music starts at 7 p.m. with the Charlottesville Drum Choir. From HDR: “A fun evening guaranteed for all with this community drumming group that shares the wonder and power of the West African drumming traditions through performance. Sponsored by Joshua Wilton House Inn & Restaurant and Downtown Wine & Gourmet”

Go downtown early for First Fridays and take a walking tour to view local art:

Arts Council of the Valley, Smith House, 311 S. Main

June: Robert Llewellyn, Photography

The Virginia Quilt Museum, 301 S. Main

June: Floral Abundance

The Hardesty-Higgins House, 212 S. Main Street

June: George Lange, Works of Art in Wood

Harrisonburg League of Therapists, 312 S. Main

June: Steven David Johnson and Anna Maria Johnson, Photography, Mixed Media, Fibers

Ameriprise Financial, Linda S. Hoover, CFP®, 165 S. Main Street, # E (exhibitions in Denton Park)

June: Greg Versen, Photography

You Made It Pottery, 163 S. Main

June: Pottery Demonstration on the Sidewalk

OASIS Gallery, 103 S. Main Street

June-July: David Copley, Sculpture

150 Franklin Street Gallery

June:  Jauan Brooks, Prints; Segal, Glass Works; and Jane Ritchey, Paintings.

Clementine Café, 153 S. Main Street

June-October: Art Exhibitions and Music (further details pending)

Artful Dodger, 47 Court Square

June: Robert Gravelin, Painting

Downtown Wine and Gourmet, 41 Court Square

June-October: Wine Tastings and (periodically) Music

Cally’s Restaurant and Brewery, 41-A Court Square

June-October: Beer Tastings

Laughing Dog

June: Dana Flynn, Handcrafted Beaded Jewelry; Keith Mills, Paintings

First Fridays Starts This Week in the ‘Burg

This Friday the Arts Council of the Valley kicks off its annual First Fridays in the ‘Burg. And despite having a brand new director whose still getting her feet wet (Welcome Celia!), this year’s lineup appears to have more variety and plenty of appeal. More about that later.

In addition to movies and music, some of the downtown merchants are getting involved, and the council is teaming up with Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance to offer historic walking tours.

This Friday, in conjunction with First Fridays and to kick of their 6-year anniversary, You Made It! Pottery Studio is offering wheel-throwing demonstrations in front of the store from 5-7 p.m. According to co-owner David Miller, the studio has opened a new wheel-throwing room, where you can take lessons, or practice your own throwing. And at a good price, I may add. Practice for one hour costs only $8. I have a feeling the pottery room is going to be very busy.

Dave says later this month they are also opening a new glass warming room. Design your own jewelry, bowls, etc. and they will fire them on site in their new glass kiln. And several summer camps for kids are planned at the studio, featuring work in clay and glass. One week camps are $175 and held Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sounds like a fun place to be. If you’ve never experienced  You Made It!, here’s a nifty video to give you a visual taste of their offerings.

H’burg Downtown Hot Spots - You Vote

Thanks to Alexis Morehouse of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance for sharing the following info about the DN-R’s Best of the Valley awards. LEAVE A COMMENT. Tell us your FAVs in the Valley. . .

You may or may not have noticed the theme in this year’s Best of the Valley awards.  Once again, Daily News-Record readers have shown their overwhelming support of downtown Harrisonburg shops, restaurants and other businesses with their votes in the annual Best of the Valley survey. These independently-owned businesses have gained increased local, as well as state-wide, attention over the last year with feature articles in the Washington Post, Virginia Living, ShenandoahValley.com, Virginia Explorer and Travel Virginia.

Running away with the most of the valley honors is one-year-old restaurant, Clementine receiving EIGHT awards, including best renovation and best place to be seen. Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market made its first appearance on the list as the best place to take visitors, likely aided by its new location under the Turner pavilion constructed since the last poll. “Downtown Revitalization” was also catapulted from the category of worst use of tax payer money in 2008, to best use of tax payer money in 2009.

Some voter-favorites, like the Little Grill Collective, James McHone Jewelry, and Jess’ Quick Lunch, retained their titles as best vegetarian/breakfast, jeweler, and cheap eats, respectively, while the Artful Dodger showed its expanding versatility by winning the best dancing and best karaoke titles. Downtown services also got a shout out on this year’s list, with the Studio winning best salon and the Beauty Spa taking best day spa. Congratulations to other downtown businesses listed below – 16 in total!

DNR’s “Best of the Valley” Winners: Downtown Highlights

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I’m thinking of summer vacations, weekend getaways, and evening activities now that warm weather seems to have settled precariously in the Valley.

A recent email about the Waynesboro Generals sent me on a search for Valley League baseball schedules. The season kicks off in about four weeks, early June. If it’s true that folks are staying closer to home this summer, a baseball game and chili dog sounds like a great option for summertime entertainment.

Kick-off games are June 5. The Rockbridge Rapids were added to the league this season, bringing the league to 12 teams Faquier to Rockbridge and counties in between.

But I found something else interesting while purusing schedules: several teams are looking for host families. Curious, having never heard about host families for Valley baseball, I followed some links and found out that Valley league players come from all over the country, and while they’re here for the summer they need a place to stay. A little more digging led me to an article by Jenelle Watson, who has written for Shenandoah Living magazine. She and her family hosted a player last summer. She writes about her family’s delightful summer experience and the making of a friendship.

Read Jenelle’s column, Give Those Players a Home.

-Toni Mehling

Hurrah for Mainstreet

Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance received a Virginia Mainstreet Milestone Award last week. The award was presented at a ceremony held in Richmond March 20.  The downtown revitalization organization boasts more than $15 million in private investment and 45,000 volunteer hours contributed toward revitalization.

Virginia Mainstreet also recognized Winchester and Staunton for excellence.

“Through the revitalization of Virginia’s downtowns, jobs are created, and the quality of life for those in the community is enhanced,” said Patrick O. Gottschalk, Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia, who spoke at the awards luncheon.

Congratulations to Valley cities and their efforts toward revitalizing and preserving downtowns.

–Toni Mehling

Hee-Hah!

Click the images to download videos of Calf Roping at the Lonestar Rodeo in Lexington, Va.

Cowboy hats and boots were the costumes of choice Saturday night at the Lonestar Rodeo at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Va.

Bull riding, barrel racing, bronco riding and calf roping entertained the crowd, and I was among those packed into a sold-out stadium. Several Valley boys competed in bull riding and calf roping. And while the bulls got the best of them, it was still a good show. Nothing like watching someone you know get thrown from a bull into the dusty earth, as the bull orients himself and charges the dismounted rider.

My favorite part of the show was watching a small boy ride the horse in the arena, corraling the calves back to their pins after a wrestle with a cowboy. He must have been four or five years old. His dad was one of the rodeo cowboys, and the young fellow, raising his arm and swinging an imaginary lasso above his head as he loped down the ring, was obviously in training.

The clown was a hoot, as usual, but the Ohio Drill Team stole the show with their complex formations on horseback. They carried American flags and rode in rhythm with the music. It was mesmerizing, especially if you ride and can appreciate how difficult it would be to get a distracted horse, surrounded by thousands of people, to follow a routine.

Can’t wait for next year’s rodeo.

Tally Ho!

In dogged pursuit of a 19th-century sport.

BY JAMIE MARSH
PHOTOS BY NATHAN MARSH

Clad in white pants and green sport coats, a handful of sportsmen gather each weekend from the end of September through March. They meet at farms around Lexington, Berryville and Charlottesville, making use of fields where the crops have finished for the winter. They spend several hours running behind a pack of beagles, scurrying up and down hills and crashing through thick woods. Most Valley farmers simply would call this rabbit hunting, but the mixture of British apparel and baying hounds is more accurately known as beagling.

It wasn’t yet spring when I visited a hunt, but it may as well have been. It was warm and sunny on the Fiery farm, a 500-acre property folded into the foothills near Hightop Mountain.

The beagles were romping on the lawn when I arrived, rolling on their backs and chasing each other in circles. To me, they look like any other pups from a pet store, but these 30 hounds are part of the prestigious Waldingfield Beagles. The pack was established in Massachusetts in 1885 and is the oldest in the nation.

In that era, beagling was called “the poor man’s fox hunt” because the hunters go afoot, eliminating the need for horses. Today, the tradition continues with the Waldingfield now under the care of Dr. Arie M. Rijke, a University of Virginia radiologist who brought them to Virginia in the 1970s.

The Hunt is On

The rules are simple: Rijke will serve as the Master Huntman, directing the hounds with vocal commands and blows on a small copper horn. He has four aides, called Whippers-In. They are agile ladies carrying short whips. They’ll run circles around the pack—never actually hitting the hounds—but cracking the whips in the air to warn wanderers to pay attention.

Then there are the bystanders, dubbed The Field. We observe the chase from a slight distance, careful not to impede the path of the hounds. Retired Army Colonel Hank Shelton is our guide.

When everyone is arranged, Rijke tells the beagles to “Work,” and the adventure begins. The hounds press their noses to the ground. Each beagle is furiously seeking the scent of an eastern cottontail rabbit.
They “work” for several minutes, and my gaze wanders out over the panoramic vista. The estate is mostly cattle fields with a winding stream, anchored by a traditional manor house. In the distance, you can see only one other home. I am enthralled with the deep blue of the mountains, suddenly aware of the beautiful scenery that I daily take for granted. Then there is a loud bellow.

Aah, Arooooooo!

The hounds dart up a hill to meet the whistle-blower, yelping to each other. “Beagle music,” the Colonel tells me. He points forward, and we begin our cross-country clambering.

Rijke is just as fast as the hounds, obviously the pack leader. I am trying to hurry while watching my step in the cow field, when a bushy white tail streaks past me.

“Tallyho!” the Colonel roars. He’s spotted the hare.

The hounds run full force back in our direction as the Huntsman blows the command to “Get In Line!” The beagles tether themselves to the scent, but the hare is faster and more familiar with the territory. It has leaped the stream and disappeared into a bramble, leaving the hounds far behind as they refuse to deviate from the exact trail of the scent.

It’s rare that the beagles get close enough to kill their prey, and even then, Rijke doesn’t allow it. “We like to give the cottontail a good run for his money, but we never kill it,” Rijke had promised before my arrival. “Either it ‘Goes to Ground,’ in a groundhog hole or drainage pipe, or the beagles lose the scent. The whole thing is a bit tongue in cheek, but good fun,” he says.

The hounds splash across the stream, but they have lost the trail on the other side. They start sniffing again, zig-zagging their noses to the ground. And so the performance begins anew.

The End

During the afternoon, this chase repeats with at least three different hares as we crisscross the property. When the beagles are off the scent, I chat with Jock, a retiree from Albemarle County. We discuss the splendor of the Green Valley Book Fair, how to build a split rail fence and the intentions of the founding fathers. I could continue “hunting” for many hours, but the sun is setting.

The Huntsman sounds a long note on his horn: “The End.” The chase is over.

Some of the beagles sing in unison as they rush toward the Huntsman. They were outsmarted by their quarry, but Rijke praises them for an industrious afternoon. They become meek and calm, resting at his feet as he pats their heads. He congratulates them by name.

I am dog-tired as we walk back to the house for fireside soup and tea. The beagles just pant and grin. They are merry little hounds.

» Q&A Meet Billy Bobbitt, president of the National Beagle Club

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