Matt and I had the honor of attending a garden + music festival at Buford Middle School this evening and slicing bread as one of the food donors of the event.
Our neighbor (and friend!) Kate along with the City Schoolyard Garden Director, Linda, put together the whole festival for the fun of celebrating dirt and music together.
We brought Honey + Dakota
To go along with the lovely spread of food donated by other restaurants
There were so many vegetables available!!
All to be enjoyed in the presence of the garden while listening to some good music!
The festival was also celebrating that the superintendent just OKed a school garden for all of Cville’s elementary schools with some private funding! [Correct me if I’m wrong…] Buford’s garden is two-years strong and was recently visited by the famous Alice Waters!
I enjoyed a plate of salad, kale salad, wheatberry salad and a drumstick of fried chicken.
While we listened to local artists perform on the main stage from bales of hay
The music line-up included local artists, students and the famous Dar Williams!
Blue Ridge Music Together students
Anne O’Brien with Liz Varon and Charlie O’Brien
Rich Goodling
Don’t Tell Darlings
Adrienne Young
Jan Smith and Jeff Vogelsang
I was sad not to have gotten a Carpe Donut, but I did cheer with glee when I saw these mini cupcakes!
The gorgeous weather faded when this happened:
And things moved inside.
Matt and I tag-teamed the slicing and the event ended with a fabulous “This Land Is Your Land” sing along!
Sana says
Cool event 🙂
Kimberly says
LOVE Dar Williams! That’s awesome that she was there. Seems like a fun event!
Kaila @healthyhelperblog! says
Looooove wheat berry salad….that looks fantastic!
Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles says
Love this event…celebrating good music, vegetable gardens, good food and friends! How wonderful to be a part of such a community!
Alyssa (pb and oatmeal) says
Looks like fun! I want one of those cupcakes 😉
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Too bad about the weather 🙁 But oh yes to the mini cupcakes!
Love that rustic looking donut truck. How fun!
Haley S. says
love Dar Williams
Kerry @ Totes My Oats says
What a fun event!
Simply Life says
what a fun event and great step for the schools!
Mom says
I love that song!
Andrea says
This is such a cool event! I wish my town had more of these things for kids!
Susan @ Lawrence 785 says
Thats AWESOME about the garden for the schools! AND Alice Waters!!!
I am always ogling that dakota bread…is that one of cvilles specialties or is it a great harvest thing? We have a GH here (Lawrence KS) and if they have that dakota bread then guuurl you know I’m gonna go get me some asap. If not then well I guess I will just weep!!!
KathEats says
Dakota is one of the most famous GH breads, so I bet your store will have it!
Johanna B says
I’m from Topeka – just down the road. Is the GH in Lawrence bigger than it used to be or is it still tiny and just off Mass St.
Cara @ I Don't Believe in Diets says
That looks like such a fun event! You make me want to try great harvest bread so bad. Unfortunately the one near me is always closed by the time I get off of work. Boo.
Sarah says
Went to our WF after seeing you lunching on bean, cheese, whole food tortillas and wanting some myself. Sadly they didn’t have whole wheat ones in stock. I got homestyle instead, ever tried that version?
KathEats says
I don’t think I’ve seen those
Katie @ Real Food Katie's Way says
You have the neatest events where you live!! It just seems so…COMMUNITY centred if you know what I mean!
If ever Matt creates a bread cookbook I will be the first to buy it, OK?? I am SERIOUS too!
Tammy says
Can I make a suggestion for your slicing table? I noticed Matt’s all hunched over slicing. Cut some PVC piping to fit your table legs and raise the height of your table up to the standard counter/table height. I work for a caterer and you would not believe the difference that it makes!!! It is the very first thing that we do before we do any work off-premise!! If your table cloth doesn’t cover the legs then (and it bothers you), you can always spray paint them.
kristen @ verbs and vignettes says
hehehe “celebrating dirt.” it sounds like a great festival for kids! 🙂 I’m itching for some outside activities and fun soon… even if yours only made it outside half way.
Jen says
Is it just me or have you and Matt become more socialites? Always out and about – so great to see! 🙂
Angel7 says
That is way cool that the elementary schools have a school garden–great way to implement eating healthy at a young age!
I have to say that I am concerned when our children go to school, because I do not want them to eat the unhealthy cafeteria foods! I wish more schools would consider having school gardens, and healthier lunches!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
I love all of the events y’all have down in Cville! So fun!
Christine @ Oatmeal in my Bowl says
What a great event! Down home fun! I love that more schools are adding gardens to their lots and teaching kids back to the basics.
Molly @ RDexposed says
I may have downed a slice ofGH extreme cinnamon with cookie butter while reading this post. And now wanting one of those cupcakes!
Laura B says
What a cute event and post. Every post about the lovely Cville community makes my consideration of UVA Law more and more serious! By application time next fall you’ll have this Northeast girl convinced it’s time to go South 🙂
Khushboo Thadani says
There’s such a great sense of community in C-Ville…yet another fun night out :)!
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
What a great event! And i love that song: this land I’d your land ! Too cute
Lexi @ You, Me, & A World to See says
Bread and singalongs? Sounds like my kind of event 🙂
Anna says
Hi Kath, I really enjoy your blog. I recently stumbled upon it on a search for oatmeal topping ideas, and I keep returning for fresh food inspiration and updates of what’s going on in Cville!
I tutored at Buford Middle School when I was a student at UVA. The school garden looks fantastic.
I was wondering, you sometimes drink lemonade water. What is that? I couldn’t find a recipe using the search box.
KathEats says
Welcome!!
I just mix 2-3 oz of lemonade (Santa Cruiz) with water!
j3nn says
The mini cupcakes rock! Want.
Lynn @ the actor's diet says
Dar Williams! Haven’t heard that name in 15 years! We went to the same college and she was a superstar!!!
Lindsay says
Wow! What an amazing event, and how cool is it that the kids are actually learning about the foods they eat and PLANTING them??! This was an inspiring post, I hope other communities can follow this example
Hillary says
What an awesome event! As a teacher, I really do love the idea of a school garden. We have a beautiful courtyard, but nothing edible grows in it. With the amount of work that goes into maintaining the courtyard every year, I think we could probably have a garden big enough to feed the entire community at this point!
barefootgirl27 says
sounds like it was a fun event! What was the sauce served alongside the kale????
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope says
Looks like such a fun event! 🙂 Your town looks so cute! I wish my town would have cute events like this.
[email protected] Broken Cookies Don't Count says
What a lovely evening!!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
It’s awesome that Cville is so into promoting local food and community gardens. I wish my town was more like that!
Katie says
Love the title. What a wonderful event for the students and the community, and how great the you got to be a part of it. They are currently working on a praire restoration in the courtyard at our elementary that will have some seating space and areas for reading and learning. At the Montessori preschool where my children have attended they have a garden. Here at home we keep adding to our landscaping and gardening and the kids enjoy helping and learning. Those mini cupcakes are so cute. We had peanut butter cupcakes with chocolate cheesecake frosting to celebrate my son’s 5 1/2 year old birthday.
Becky says
You are correct – the Buford garden is two years old. The elementary schools all started out sort of simultaneously yet independently. The gardens in some schools are more parent driven than others, but it’s a truly fantastic thing to see happen. I am looking forward to getting one going at Walker Upper Elementary School next year!
Great recap and pictures. It was nice meeting you last night!
KathEats says
You too Becky! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Melissa @ HerGreenLife says
Sounds like good things are happening as far as local food at the Cville schools. There’s a district in one of the St. Louis suburbs that has an awesome school garden and farm-to-table program, and I’d love it if my little guy could be part of that in a few years.
Also fun that Dar Williams was there!
Cait's Plate says
Looks like a blast – I would’ve screamed with glee over those mini cupcakes as well 🙂 I hope you had two – one for baby and one for you!
Andrea @FrSeed2Stomach says
So awesome! Love school gardens, music, and dirt 🙂
Alicia says
Cville is the coolest place ever! What a great event to be a part of!!!
Dana @ Muscles, Miles and Meals says
Yay! I didn’t realize that Buford had such a fantastic garden. We’ve been working hard to get our courtyard at Henley Middle complete. Luckily, we’ve received some grants and we will be installing a fabulous greenhouse for student use. I love that so many students in our area are getting to experience local produce!
Lillian says
Ah! Gardens and music—love this! So exciting that schools are implementing programs like this one.
Anne R says
Thank you for great pictures and overage of the Planting Seeds Festival. Sadly, I couldn’t be there, so now I know what a great time everybody had.
Natalie says
I absolutely adore your town! It all seems so quaint and fun!
Linda says
Thanks to all of he volunteers,musicians,food vendors, parents, teachers, administrators, gardeners and kids that made this event possible…. CIty Schoolyard Garden is proud of the community that sustains and supports schoolyard gardens in all of our city schools!