We’re back with another installment of our Instagram Live happy hours on Tuesday, May 12, at 4 p.m. ET, with Schwenksville, PA-based farmer Heather McMonnies of Food Hedge. Pre-COVID, a big part of Heather’s business was foraging for and growing specialty ingredients that local chefs would purchase to jazz up dishes, like cardoons, chicory root and flowers, green strawberries and wild elderflower. How have things changed for Heather since restaurants have largely shut down? She’ll share her planting strategy for the coming harvest, talk about the wide network of vendors and producers implicated in the shrinking of the restaurant economy, and talk about what she has up her sleeve to find ways to share her farm’s bounty with the community.
“Food hedge” is a term Heather borrowed from permaculture, meaning a stacked, layered and consistent year-round way of growing in very small square footage. But to her “it means more about stewarding your own interesting food stuff, stuff you can grow, stuff to think beyond the general tomatoes and cucumbers, and to think outside of growing just one or two seasons per year.” This philosophy is something many of us are grappling with right now, as we consider looking to our gardens to help us feel more secure and self-sufficient in this time of economic uncertainty. Bring any questions you have along these lines for Heather — we’d love to hear your thoughts and inquiries!
We hope to see you this Tuesday on Instagram Live!
- Photo: Danielle Cesare
