Shirofumi Soybeans growing tall in the backfield:

Our harvest is in full swing and we are happy to deliver loads of tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, okra, swiss chard, leeks, bunching onions, red and yellow onions, eggplant, potatoes, beets, herbs and flowers to Airlie's fantastic chefs. On August 8th we harvested nearly 300 pounds of garden fresh goodies for the LFP Harvest Dinner held as part of the 5th Annual Local Food Project at Airlie Conference. Here's our garden crew after enjoying the delicious meal:

You can't even tell that we're usually covered in dirt! The theme of this year's conference was "The Role of Institutions in the Future of Local Food" and featured keynote speakers from the USDA's National Program for Small Farms and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York, and the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The day's workshops were a hit-- my personal favorite breakout sessions discussed local food in hospitals, and social justice in sustainable food systems. More conference photos to come...