The Scene

Local food movement grows organically in D.C.

Buying locally supports community, environment

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Media Credit: Courtesy of ANDREW GARDNER

THINKING LOCALLY - From cage-free eggs and hormone-free dairy to organic Fuji apples and hydroponically grown leaf lettuces, there is a wide range of locally sourced and grown foods out there. As the Potomac growing season begins in the coming weeks, remembering to buy fresh, organic and local is important for sustainable development and curbing the effects of global warming. The precious fossil fuels that are burned transporting food to various places around the country are causing an environmental headache for many. The local farming movement has gained steam in recent years, as many local growers are beginning to discover. Some are even renting neighboring plots of land to continue to support the burgeoning local produce market. Look to community-supported agriculture and grocery co-ops, as well as farmer's markets for the freshest, most local ingredients. Larger chains, like Whole Foods, are also good places to start helping your body and the earth.

This was the third straight year AU has offered a subscription to community-supported agriculture, which, for $525, gives a subscriber 20 weeks of produce to feed a couple or small family. Offered by Fresh and Local CSA in West Virginia, program participants can pick up their deliveries every week in the AU tunnel.

"Buying local" means supporting small farms and preserving open spaces. It also reduces the use of fossil fuels used in the process of transporting food. Plus, you get the freshest food possible. And the organic aspect - well, simply put, you aren't ingesting harmful pesticides and, in turn, those pesticides are never released into the atmosphere during the farming process to begin with.

We came up with a few other ways you can buy local and organic stuff. From restaurants to farmers markets to grocery stores and food co-ops, there are plenty of ways of doing your part to help the environment - just in time for the Potomac growing season as well.

Washington's Green Grocer
301-333-3696
washingtonsgreengrocer.com

If AU's CSA is not an option for you, try this online Maryland-based food operation. Not quite a CSA and not entirely a food co-op, customers make online orders at varying price levels. You can choose to have a food delivery every week, every other week or choose from week to week whether you want it. They offer organic and local ingredients and throw weekly specials into the mix.

Coppi's Organic Restaurant
1414 U St. N.W.
Metro: U Street/Cardozo (green and yellow lines)
202-319-7773
coppisorganic.com

Opened in 1993, this U Street staple serves the best in Northern Italian cuisine using the freshest organic ingredients sourced from local farmers and co-operatives. Pizza is the restaurant's specialty, but its "entrate" (appetizers), including its salads, are some of the menu's most locally sourced (and delicious). Coppi's has become a D.C. organic food-lover's lifeblood.

Freshfarm Farmer's Market
1500 block of 20th Street between Massachusetts Avenue and Q Street
Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit (red line)
202-362-8889
freshfarmmarket.org

Founded in 1997, Freshfarm brings the farmers market out of the farmlands and into the city with some of D.C.'s most popular locally sourced outdoor markets. The Dupont Circle location is particularly notable for its year-round hours, which others in the city lack. And as the city's oldest Freshfarm (there are now six), it is the premier D.C. farmers market. There is a strict producers-only policy, which means that the "middlemen" are cut out and shoppers buy directly from the farm. In addition, Freshfarm regulates product offerings to local-only produce, sourced entirely from the Chesapeake Bay region. Come April, you can also check out the Foggy Bottom and Penn Quarter markets, while the Silver Spring and H Street locations open in May. Go to freshfarmmarket.org for more information about producers as well as times, days and locations of each market.

7th Street Garden
1523 Seventh St. N.W.
Metro: Shaw-Howard University (green and yellow lines)
202-441-9678
the7thstreetgarden.squarespace.com

So, you want to give back to the community while helping the growing urban-food production movement? This is the place to go. Founded on the principles of teaching disadvantaged D.C.-area community members how to produce their own food, Shaw's 7th Street Garden is still a fledgling entity - it's only been in existence for a year now. While the garden's bounty is reserved for qualifying Shaw residents, 7th Street is always happy to welcome "drop-in" volunteers. It's supporting local produce at the very base level.

Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar
223 Pennsylvania Ave. S.E.
Metro: Capitol Hill South (orange and blue lines)
202-544-8088
sonomadc.com

Sometimes local and organic can cost a pretty penny, but for something like Sonoma, it's more than worth it. Its menu consists of a wide array of local offerings. Co-owners Eli Hengst and Jared Rager stick to naturally raised and local-sourced ingredients as much as possible. It's a rare treat in a city often caught up in the indulgent lunching of Capitol Hill's mightiest.

Whole Foods
4530 40th Street NW
Metro: Tenleytown-AU (red line)
202-237-5800
wholefoods.com

Yes, it seems obvious, but when you are looking for local produce at a Whole Foods store, you must have a discerning eye. As the growing season starts in the Chesapeake region, more and more local produce will become available. But that won't be for a few weeks yet, so keep watch of the produce tags - Whole Foods is very good about labeling its foods' sources. If the sign describes it as "conventional," it means it's not organic. Also, each label will tell you where in the world the food came from. Be it Chile or Maryland, there's quite an offering at Whole Foods. Buying things like dairy and honey are a good bet for local ingredients at any area organic market.

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