Meet the Farmers at the Reston Farmers Market
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Camps & Schools Page 6 Classifieds, Page 10 Classifieds, v Entertainment, Page 8 v Meet the Farmers at the Opinion, Page 12 Reston Farmers Market News, Page 3 It’s 8 a.m. Reston Farmers Market Managers Fran Lakeport Dock Expected and John Lovaas ring the official bell announcing the opening of the Reston Farmers Market on the To be a Community Gem first day of the 2018 season, Saturday, April 21. News, Page 7 South Lakes Junior Elected to School Board News, Page 4 Photo by Mercia Hobson/The Connection by Mercia Hobson/The Photo April 25-May 1, 2018 online at www.connectionnewspapers.com 2 ❖ Reston Connection ❖ April 25 - May 1, 2018 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Reston Connection Editor Kemal Kurspahic News 703-778-9414 or [email protected] Meet the Farmers at the Reston Farmers Market The 2018 Reston Market Vendors 78 Acres, Kiwi Kuisine, Arnest Seafood, LoKL Farmers Market Gourmet, Baguette Republic, Misty Meadow Farm Creamery, Blue Ridge Dairy, Mt. Olympus Farm, Breezy Meadows Farms, Nitro’s Ice Cream, opens. Cavanna Pasta, Penn Farm, Caprikorn Farms, Potomac Vegetable Farms, Colonial Kettle Corn, By Mercia Hobson Reid’s Orchard, Farm at Sunnyside, Smith Family The Connection Farm, Fresh Crunch, Spring Valley Farm/Orchard, Glascocks Produce, Stallard Road Farms, Grace’s Pastries, Toigo Orchards, GreenFare Organic Café, t’s a little after 1:45 a.m., Saturday Valentines Bakery & Meats, Good Omen Farm, morning, April 21. Dawn won’t break Glascocks Produce, Virginia Vistas Greenhouse for almost six hours but one of the (May-July) (shares space with Noshy), J & W Val- ley View Farm, and Zaynas Delight. I by Mercia Hobs Photos vendors for the Reston Farmers Mar- ket, Valentine Miller of Valentine’s Bakery & Meats in Orange, Va., is up and ready to go. He has to get his coolers and bins of fresh top quality natural meats and home- made baked goods from the family home “We started seeding the beginning of Feb- business onto his truck. The meats are all ruary in the three greenhouses. They are natural with no growth hormones, steroids 20 by 100 feet. Then we planted the toma- or antibiotics. The family’s fresh homemade on/The Connection toes, squash, and cukes in black mulch plas- baked turnovers, pies, sweet bread and cof- tic, directly in the soil using a mulch layer. fee cakes take special care, as Miller’s wife, The black plastic helps with weed control, Carletta baked them on Friday. warms the soil and there’s no need for her- bicides. We may lose a few plants because THREE AND A HALF HOURS and sev- of the cold. But we have 10,000 tomato enty-seven miles later, Miller pulls his truck plants out there.” into the Fairfax County Farmers Market at Not everyone at the market is a farmer. Lake Anne Village, 11401 North Shore Trucks and vans pull into Lake Anne Village parking lot at 11401 North Nate Gulnac is a teacher and works week- Drive, Reston. Miller will be here every Sat- Shore Drive, Reston well before dawn on the first day of the Reston ends, April through November for Toigo urday, April through December operating Farmers Market, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Orchards in Shippensburg, Penn. “The fam- his stall, 8 a.m.- noon, except Sept. 22 when ily took a chance on me when I was in col- the market will be closed for the lege. I really enjoy the family,” says Multi-cultural Festival. Gulnac. At the end of May, I’m ex- Miller is one of the 31 vendors at hausted from teaching … It’s nice the 2018 Reston Market. Like the to be outside again and I get to eat other vendors, he has only a short some fresh produce.” time to set up his tables and prod- ucts and be ready for shoppers at A NEW VENDOR at the Reston one of the largest farmers markets Market is Katey Wietor, owner of in Fairfax County. Good Omen Farm. “This is my first According to the Fairfax County day at the market,“ Wietor says. “I Park Authority website, the markets was up at 4:30, as I live an hour are strictly producer-only, meaning away.” On the table in front of that all of the farmers and produc- Weitor are canning jars full of small ers may only sell what they raise on vibrant-colored cut flowers, artisti- their farms or make from scratch. cally designed and packets of herbs. They are encouraged to use local Weitor grows her flowers and herbs ingredients in the creation of their in tunnels, plastic covered green- products as much as possible. All house-like structures close to the farmers and producers come from ground. She leases two acres in within a 125-mile radius of Fairfax southern Fauquier County. As for the County. herbs, Weitor says it’s important to Betsy Herbst of Misty Meadows Caitlin Lundquist is an employee of consume them. “Herbs complete Farm in Smithsburg, Md. pulls into Glascock’s Farm. She helps owner Mark your diet. Eating well isn’t just about the parking lot a little after 6 a.m. Betsy Herbert, staff at Misty Meadows Glascock get the produce tent out of the fruits and vegetables. It includes The temperature is 43 degrees. Farm, fills in the signboard for the truck. “This is the best. The only thing herbs in your diet.” “Just wish it would warm up a bit, Reston Farmers Market as she sits in the better than shopping is working at the Another new vendor at the Reston she says. “So glad the farmers mar- heated van. “Just wish it would warm up farmers market,” says Lundquist. Market is Gwyn Whittaker, owner of ket finally started.” Hess was up at a bit,” she says. GreenFare Organic Café in Herndon. 3:30 that morning packing the van. She offers organic, whole plant Misty Meadows will be at three markets this Miller. Miller talks while seated in the my farmers markets, but the Reston Farm- meals prepared oil-free and with no added morning. The one Reston, one in Burke and heated van and filling out the price board. ers Market has been mine since it opened. I salt. They are ready to eat. GreenFare val- another that is not part of the Fairfax County “It’s nice to come to the same market in load three trucks every Friday.” ues seasonal and local produce and prepares markets. Reston. I have been here for three years. An interesting question comes up. How all the food in their kitchen. “Three markets sounded like a good idea, The people are so friendly.” are the farmers producing the produce? It By now, the clock ticks toward 8 a.m. It’s in hindsight,” Herbst says. Allen Hess is with Mark Glascock is another vendor at the has been a cold spring, yet here in the almost the official start time for the Reston Herbst. Hess adds: “We’ve got it down to a Reston market. It is now a little after 7. dawn’s light table after table overflow with Farmers Market. John and Fran Lovaas, science. We know what we are doing, how, Glascock is setting up his tents and tables. fresh produce, greens, flowers, and herbs. market managers, hold the bell. At exactly when and where.” As he works, Glascock tells that he and his Unloading her produce is Wanda Catlett, 8, John rings it with a passion and then even “And we can do this in under 15 minutes,” wife Lauren run Glascock Produce out of co-owner with her husband Jose, of J & W a greater passion. chimes in Herbst. Berkeley Springs, W.Va. “This is my life,” Valley View Farm of Westmoreland County. The Reston Farmers Market opens for its The seller for today’s market is Maria Glascock says. “I was up at 3 a.m. I love all Catlett offers the answer. 20th season. www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Reston Connection ❖ April 25 - May 1, 2018 ❖ 3 Home of the $6,850 Bathroom Remodel News From Now to WOW in 5 Days Guarantee Select your 10% down TWO POOR TEACHERS South Lakes Junior nothing until the job products from isis completecomplete forfor thethe Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling our Mobile past 17 years Showroom Elected to School Board and Design Center enjamin (Bennie) As an advocate for project-based Fully Insured & Tignor, a junior at learning, he has spoken in favor Class A Licensed South Lakes High of a broader use of project-based Since 1999 B School, has been learning both to FCPS instruc- elected by the countywide Student tional personnel and at a regional Advisory Council (SAC) to serve a project-based learning conference, Free Estimates one-year term as stu- saying that it “allows 703-214-8384 Visit our website: www.twopoorteachers.com dent representative to the individual to ex- the Fairfax County press his or her School Board, begin- of FCPS courtesy Photo method of learning in ning July 1. the best way that suits Tignor will partici- them, incentivizing pate in School Board innovation and the meetings as a nonvot- freedom to enjoy ing member, filling what you produce as the position currently a student.” held by Niharika Tignor believes his Vattikonda, a senior work in leadership at TJHSST. He will be Benjamin positions at South the 48th student rep- (Bennie) Tignor, Lakes and the initia- resentative to the tive he has taken in School Board. these positions have prepared him According to Fairfax County to serve as the Student Represen- Public Schools newsletter — tative to the School Board.