Transcript for the Piece Audio version of A 100-Mile Thanksgiving

The 100-Mile Thanksgiving

(Music: piano version of “We Gather Together”)

From the first smells of turkey to the final presentation of pumpkin pie, the Thanksgiving meal allows us to offer our friends and family not just our recipes, but our very values about food. We traditionally created the holiday feast from foods within walking or horse and buggy distance. Now-a-days frantic one-stop shopping at the supermarket has supplanted this custom, but there’s a movement afoot to change that… I’m Sarah McConnell and today on With Good Reason, “The 100-mile Thanksgiving.”

Later on today’s show we’ll also hear about a new way for Virginia farmers to grow fruits like raspberries and papayas year-round. And we’ll tour an energy efficient turkey farm and visit some bakers who are rekindling a love of fresh baked bread.

But first, Tim Beatley and his urban and environmental planning students at the University of Virginia are continuing their tradition of preparing a Thanksgiving meal using only ingredients grown within a 100 mile radius of the school in Charlottesville. Tim and master’s degree student Dana Smith are my first guests. They say their pre-holiday feast is a great way to spend time together, while also supporting local farmers and producers.

[Interview: Tim Beatley and Dana Smith]

[Music: ensemble version of “We Gather Together}

Tim Beatley is Professor of Sustainable Communities in the Urban and environmental planning department at the University of Virginia.
Dana Smith is a Master’s Candidate. Coming up next, growing papayas in Virginia.

Our next two guests are great friends of small farmers. Reza Rafie and Chris Mullins are Extension Specialists at Virginia State University. Reza is a Professor of Horticulture and Chris is a professor of Agriculture.
They’re promoting the use of inexpensive greenhouses called High Tunnels so farmers can grow more specialty and high-profit margin foods like raspberries or even papayas.

[Interview: Reza Rafie and Chris Mullins]

Reza Rafie and Chris Mullins are professors and extension specialists at Virginia State University.

When they arrived at our studios they brought with them many of the fruits and vegetables they’re growing in their high tunnels at VSU’s Franklin Farm. With Good Reason Associate Producer Elliot Majerczyk sampled some of the bounty.

(Elliot tasting foods with Reza and Chris)

(Music: “Everybody Eats”)

In many cultures a powerful symbol for hospitality and sharing is the breaking of bread. But in America, bread is not an essential part of every meal the way it is for people in Europe, North Africa, and the middle east. Rick Easton and Evrim Dogu (pronounced DOUGH) want to change that. Right now, they’re putting everything they have into baking naturally leavened bread for about 80 subscribers— Jesse Dukes checked out their operation.

[Jesse feature on devoted bakers of real bread)

You can see a slide show of the bread baking as well as Virginia State University’s high tunnels, and the 100-mile Thanksgiving at our website: withgoodreasonradio.org.

[Music; Bread and Butter]

In only 20 years, large family farms have declined by 25%. And while it may be harder and harder to make a living as a farmer, finding ways to save energy can help—a lot more than you might think. Recently, I visited David Rees on his 75 acre turkey farm in Mount Crawford Virginia. He’s figured out how to save thousands of dollars a year in energy costs.

[Turkey farmer feature]

When I visited David Rees’ farm, I was with Maria Papadakis. She’s a professor of integrated science and technology at James Madison University. She often advises farmers about energy efficiency but she also has a few ideas about how we can batten down the hatches at home—especially over Thanksgiving.

Maria 1: experiment with light bulbs on the farm

Maria Papadakis is a professor of integrated science and technology at James Madison University.

You’re listening to With Good Reason. Elliot Majerczyk and Jesse Dukes are our associate producers. Andrew Wyndham is our executive producer. Nancy King creates our feature capsules. Jeannie Palin handles listener services and Lydia Wilson is our publicity coordinator. With Good Reason is produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. For a free copy of this show on CD, call 877-451-5098. I'm Sarah McConnell, wishing all our listeners a joyous Thanksgiving

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