Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/45595
LETTER TO THE EDITOR by SHARON VALENTINE Heads up, everyone! We have an opportunity here. The N.C. Farm Center, Cumberland Co. Extension Service and Sustainable Sandhills have banded together to test the market for a CSA (Community Supported Agricultural) project. The All American Home Grown organization will allow all you city-folk to place orders for all your favorite seasonal fruits and veggies and get them delivered from your local farmers right to your table. Watermelon, blueberries, asparagus, squash, okra, sweet potatoes and cantaloupe — getting hungry yet? Maybe throw in the availability of local honey, fresh eggs and fl owers. The "farm to table" co-ops exist in our neighboring counties. Farm2Table in Moore County has 800 members and SE Feast is supplying the chefs in Myrtle Beach. Cumberland County certainly has citizens with sophisticated and varied tastes as recently proved again with the International Folk Festival. Now it's your turn here in Fayetteville to buy truly fresh produce directly from the farmer — if we get enough support. The All American Home Grown will expand the market and support local farmers who will plant to meet your culinary desires. And the variety of fresh produce you receive is truly fresh — not having traveled the roads to sit in genetically altered states to preserve the "shelf life." This last summer the N.C. Farm Center donated melons and squash to Second Harvest. I was shocked to learn it was the fi rst time the churches had fresh produce to deliver. Children attending school also had "surprises" (watermelon and cantaloupe) in their school "Buddy Packs." This is just an anecdote to get the word out that we still have a ways to go on nutrition. So here's the plan: A family or organization enrolls to receive a box of produce that usually contains a variety of fi ve seasonal fruits and vegetables. The average cost is around $25 — about what I paid for four fresh tomatoes last summer. A subscriber is not required to take a box every week and some subscribers (i.e. the local hospital) can often order 18 boxes. If there are more "goodies" than you can use, share it with your family members, neighbors or have a dinner party featuring interesting new recipes (usually provided in your box along with the produce). But, we need your opinion — and it is easy to give. Go to www.sustainablesandhills.org. Click on the Cumberland Co. Food Survey (left hand side of the page). I wonder how many of you know that all of that produce is available locally and that those were the growing seasons. It's interesting and fun. Once we compile 500 surveys we can begin to work with the local farmers to set aside acreage to meet those consumer desires. And I promise you we will print the survey results on the top three seasonal favorites and what else you would like to fi nd in your boxes. So let's get to it. Spring is coming! And we are a community that should support All American Home Grown. SHARON VALENTINE, Contributing Writer, Up & Coming Weekly, COM- MENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. LETTER TO THE EDITOR All American Home Grown Heroes Crusade Athlete's Campaign Honors Veterans by CAREY CLARK With the gorgeous fall weather we are having, there is no better way to spend a day off than competing for a good cause. The 2011 "Heroes Crusade: An Athlete's Campaign" is made up of three athletic events designed to honor the military. The fi rst in the three-day event is a golf tournament to be held in Hope Mills at the Cypress Lakes Golf Course on Friday, Nov. 4. Registration begins at 8 a.m. for a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Teams will be chosen "Captain's Choice." According to the sponsor, "There will be a raffl e for the chance to win great prizes, including a one million dollar hole in one and a $2,500 putting contest. Volvo is also sponsoring a hole in one, where you will have a chance to win a new car!" Individual golfer registration is $75.00, or $300 per team. Registration includes breakfast catered by Chick-fi l-A, generous goodie bags, and a lunch catered by Hardees. Cypress Lakes Golf Course, just 2 ½ miles off I-95, offers fast, championship-style greens which are fairly designed for any level player. All proceeds from the tournament benefi t the Wounded Warrior Project, the Green Beret Foundation, Ride to Recovery and AMBUCS. AMBUCS is a program to provide ambulatory bikes for parapalegic vets. The golf tournament is an expansion of the previous Fallen Warrior Rugby Tournament. The rugby match to honor 100 fallen "ruggers" is on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Jordan Soccer Complex on Ramsey Street. The players will each proudly wear the jersey number of one of their WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM The 2011 "Heroes Crusade: An Athlete's Campaign" is made up of three athletic events designed to honor the military. fallen brethren to honor the sacrafi ces so selfl essly made for our country. The Fallen Warrior Rugby Tournament was inherited by Dr. John Tinsley, who felt that as a military community Fayetteville deserved a bigger event to honor our fallen veterans. He expanded the match to a three day, three event opportunity to raise money for several charities that assist veterans, rather than just one. Says Tinsley, "I just felt that Fayetteville needed to do more in terms of … making something designed around the military that Fayetteville can hang its hat on." There is an affi liated 5K run/walk and 18/36/62 bike ride on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011. The events all start at the Medical Arts Building in Fayetteville, N.C. Start times vary, but times and courses will run simultaneously. The Heroes Crusade Tournaments are being held in conjunction with Heroes Homecoming — a two-week celebration dedicated to honoring Vietnam veterans. For more information about the tournaments or to register, visit http:// heroescrusade.org. There you can fi nd information about the supported charities and inspiring videos of wounded veterans. You may also email the event coordinator at: tinsley982@aol.com. CAREY CLARK, Contributing Writer, Up & Coming Weekly, COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. OCTOBER 26 - NOVEMBER 1, 2011 UCW 5