Ushering in Fall

This week has been a whirlwind as we prepared to send our fall issue off to the printer. It feels fitting that, as we were proofreading our fall issue for the final time, cool weather was creeping in through cracked windows. Summer is drawing to a close, grape and apple harvests have begun, and I’ve been hankering to bake more bread as the heat has lifted.

How do you prepare for fall? Perhaps, like me, you have your Southern Exposure Seed Catalog propped open on your desk, debating which varieties of garlic to plant. Or maybe you’re savoring some Virginia ciders with your evening meal. Perhaps you’re not ready to usher in fall just yet. There are still some hot days ahead and plenty of outdoor festivals to enjoy, like the annual Tomato Festival in Harrisonburg or the Sunflower Festival in Buchanan.

Photo by Jordan Cormack

Welcome to the Edible Blue Ridge newsletter that brings you food stories from our region and beyond. You're receiving this email because you've purchased a magazine subscription—thank you!—or you signed up via our online form. If you need to opt out at any time, there's a link at the bottom. We're glad you're here. 

Thanks for reading, happy eating, and enjoy your weekend,

Lisa - Publisher & Editor

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EVENTS

Have an event you’d like us to share? Email: info@edibleblueridge.com

• 8.24 Southwest Virginia Bee Festival - Roanoke 

• 8.31 Tomato Fest - Harrisonburg

• 9.06-9.15 Beaver Dam Sunflower Festival - Buchanan

• 9.07 Rockbridge Beer & Wine Festival - Lexington

• 9.15 OktoberForest Fest - Powhatan

• 9.28 Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival - Moneta

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WHAT WE’RE COOKING

Photo by Nick Collins

• Bacon-Kale Mac and Cheese

• Butternut Squash with Broccoli Rabe

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4th Annual Harrisonburg TOMATO FESTIVAL!

Established in 2020, Tomato Fest is a vibrant celebration of tomatoes. The festival will take place Saturday, August 31, from 8 AM to 1 PM at the Turner Pavilion in Harrisonburg. Activities will include:

• Chef demonstration with SJ Starr of the Joshua Wilton House bar who will be preparing tomato mocktails

• Tomato tastings

• Central Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners “Curiosity Corner” hands-on educational activities for kids

• Beautiful tomato contest where vendors and members of the community will enter their most beautiful tomatoes 

• Giveaway basket stocked with vendors goodies and tomatoes 

• Tomato recipes 

• Tomato themed products

• Kids tomato scavenger hunt

Thanks to Virginia Fresh Match, customers can shop with SNAP/EBT and double their benefits up to $30 for free fruits and vegetables.

Join us at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market to celebrate the resilience of our local farmers and the bounty of delicious tomatoes! Check out www.harrisonburgfarmersmarket.com, the Harrisonburg Farmers' Market newsletter, Facebook and Instagram pages for more information.

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POEM OF THE WEEK

For the Chipmunk in My Yard

By Robert Gibb


I think he knows I’m alive, having come down
The three steps of the back porch
And given me a good once over. All afternoon
He’s been moving back and forth,
Gathering odd bits of walnut shells and twigs,
While all about him the great fields tumble
To the blades of the thresher. He’s lucky
To be where he is, wild with all that happens.
He’s lucky he’s not one of the shadows
Living in the blond heart of the wheat.
This autumn when trees bolt, dark with the fires
Of starlight, he’ll curl among their roots,
Wanting nothing but the slow burn of matter
On which he fastens like a small, brown flame.


From What the Heart Can Bear by Robert Gibb. Poem copyright ©2009 by Robert Gibb.

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