Only in Bucks County: Veggieville (the name explains it all)

I have been so excited to write about Veggieville, Newtown Elementary's own organic garden!

I found out about it when I first started going to O Wow Cow in Wrightstown for ice cream; Veggieville is prominently listed on their colorful blackboard of Farm Partners.

O Wow Cow gets fresh mint and seasonal strawberries from Veggieville to use in their ice cream.

Veggieville crops are also donated to Philabundance and a few local food pantries.

It's the first of it's kind in Bucks County; now in its third season, and I was lucky enough to be invited to photograph several classrooms as they weeded and planted last week.

                                  Identifying weeds.

Pulling weeds.

Pulling weeds a little too hard!

Did I mention that one of Veggieville's Co-founders has become one of my very best friends here in Newtown? Kathy Skalish co-founded Veggieville in 2010. When I asked her why she started this project, she told me that the reason was two-fold, "First, to introduce kids to more fruits and veggies for better nutrition; and second, so that they could experience first hand what farm-to-table means."

Identifying vegetable plants.





                                                              Who thinks they know what these flowering plants are?

                                                            Here's a closer look...

                                                                   Think you know?

 
They're strawberries!
And since I took these photos two weeks ago, they're probably ripe and ready now.

Cabbage is probably ready now too!

 
This is a special mint called Chocolate Mint.

There were plants to be planted...

TEAMWORK



   

Always let Voles Cross first. They're good for your garden ;)  

Ready to plant some seeds.

  

 This is my favorite photo from the whole morning.

To me, it is the embodiment of nature, weather, learning, and the promise of good things to come.

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."

-Marcus Tullius Cicero.



Only in Bucks County: Talk to The Dogs

Aside from sharing photos of some of Bucks County's cutest pups, this post is to bring attention to Richboro's Nor'Wester Readers Canine Assisted Learning Program. When I first heard of this therapy program in Bucks County and parts of Montgomery County where kids read to dogs, I thought it was therapy for the dogs. It is actually therapy for the kids!
The premise is that the presence of therapy dog teams offers a stress free learning environment that will increase a student's self-esteem and confidence.
I had the opportunity to see what this wonderful organization does first-hand when I took these photos of kids reading to the canines at the Northampton Library. I got to see some of the Nor'wester dogs (and many others) again at their Dog Walk and Family Fair at Tyler State Park, which I attended a few weekends ago to support this interesting local mission!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Better Way Belgians were there at the event.

 

And so was my Cody Bear!

 

(Pit Bull Paint)

 

NorWester Readers are in need of more Therapy Dogs in Lower Bucks County.

Does your dog love kids.... and a good story?

 

Click HERE to get YOUR Canine tested to volunteer!

 

 

 

 "We never really own a dog as much as he owns us."

-Gene Hill

 

 

Only in Bucks County: Things I Find Around My House

I have a Twitter friend who blogs about Autism mostly, and the million other things that happen in her (Berkeley) life, or come into mind. She is observant and witty and has balls and tells like it is.
But even SHE recently admitted that she doesn't broach certain topics on her blog anymore, that she feels she's being scrutinized, that she now holds back at times... and that just sucks.
I mean, it's HER blog. She doesn't get paid to do it, she has no sponsored posts; her blog is an extension of who she is as a person and as a writer, and I hope she won't continue to censor herself.
Here's her post that I keep thinking about, it's called "Pardon Me."

AND I JUST REALIZED I've been doing the same thing. Even though I basically just post pretty photos of Bucks County, I've been holding back in a different way, thinking that my readers only want to see the most beautiful green landscapes, colorful red barns, and open blue sky that Bucks County has to offer. Winter hit and I didn't take any photos of green landscapes or blue sky. Most of the photos I've taken these past few months have been around my house or in our yard.
And so I just had my own epiphany thanks to Jill's epiphany: I haven't posted a thing in months for fear it isn't good enough. That it's not interesting enough. That it's too personal. That there's no rolling farmland.
But this is MY blog.
I've been experimenting a lot with texture, focus, and depth of field and I have some good stuff, even if it's of my dinner or of my dog.
A section of Jill's blog is called "Things I Find In My House."
Today's photos are of things I find around mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And because she's awesome. show some Twitter love to @jillsmo or check out her blog,

"Yeah. Good Times."

 

Oh. And she draws:

 

 

Only in Bucks County: For Photographers and Lavender Lovers

 

 I found one of the cutest stores in Bucks County - high up on a hill, and it smells great too!

Have you ever been to a Lavender Farm?

We have one right here in Doylestown, Bucks County; Peace Valley Lavender Farm.

It's picturesque on the outside with rolling hills of lavender leading up to a colorful barn; and totally adorable on the inside too. It's a wonderfully merchandised shop with inviting displays of everything lavender... shampoos, soaps and linen spray all bearing the essence of "local lavender." They cut and dry the lavender for lavender bunches, wreaths, sachets and floral arrangements. In keeping with their theme of local and organic, there are also seasonal specialty items by local artisans.

I've only been there once when I snapped these photos from the warmth of my car on a freezing cold day.

 

 

If Peace Valley Lavender Farm is this colorful and this interesting in the middle of winter, it must be a photographer's dream in spring and summer!

I'm going to visit the shop again tomorrow. I can't wait to walk in a smell the delicious scent of lavender, do some shopping.. and of course, post more photos!

 

"Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can.”

-Alice Hoffman, American author.