Cultivating Community

CRRL is Cultivating Community in 2012!

"Cultivating Community" is a community-wide program designed to share information in the Fredericksburg region about farm-to-table and sustainable food communities.

Events will include a "Big Read" of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and programs at our libraries and local farmer's markets and community gardens.

The Latest Cultivating Community Articles

Cultivating Community @ Your Library: Fall Harvest

Cultivating Community, LibraryPoint Blog

09/25/2012 - 3:45pm

"Cultivating Community" has been a Spring/Summer 2012 community-wide initiative designed to share information in the Fredericksburg region about farm-to-table and sustainable food communities. Two informative and enriching library events wrapping up the growing season are coming up!

Foraging for Edible Food

Saturday, September 29, Porter Branch, 3-5pm

Adults can learn about the difference between what you can and can’t eat from the wilds.

For more information, call branch manager Martha Hutzel at 540-659-4909.

Big Read Book Discussion: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Monday, October 8, Headquarters Theater, 7-9 pm

The library is encouraging a community-wide Big Read. Adults and teens are invited to enjoy refreshments and listen to or participate in discussion of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, the story of her family’s challenge to grow and buy food locally in southwest Virginia. Books are available for loan from all CRRL branches. The discussion will be moderated by University of Mary Washington Professor Emeritus Steve Watkins. Mr. Watkins is a writer and frequent contributor to the Free Lance-Star’s “Healthy Living” blog. His books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

For more information, call branch manager Margaret Beattie at 540-372-1144.

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Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

Community Gardening -- fiction, Cultivating Community, immigrants -- fiction, inner city -- fiction, LibraryPoint Blog, Virginia Johnson, Shelf Life Blog, unRequired Reading Blog, Guys Read Too, Gutsy Girl Reads

08/14/2012 - 3:31am

She never knew her father the farmer. But in Paul Fleischman’s Seedfolks, Kim is determined to do something to connect with him, though he died before she was born in far-off Vietnam. Her mother and sisters remember him with incense and candles on the anniversary of his death. However, that’s not enough for Kim. She has something else in mind even though the prospect of carrying it through is unnerving. The Cleveland neighborhood her family can afford to live in is scary. But outside the apartment building is vacant lot. Well, it’s not exactly vacant. It’s filled with junk—an old couch, tires, all kinds of trash—a real haven for rats. But it’s ground that’s not spoken for. And Kim has a plan.

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Porter Branch Vegetable Garden

Cultivating Community, Eagle Scout Projects, LibraryPoint Blog, Martha Hutzel, North Stafford Rotary, SERVE food pantry, vegetable gardening, Volunteer efforts, Home & Garden

06/07/2012 - 12:28pm

While discussing the idea of the series of library programs under the umbrella of Cultivating Community, it suddenly hit me that we could have a vegetable garden on the grounds of the Porter Branch! The next thought was...we could give the bounty of fresh vegetables to the Stafford County food pantry, otherwise known as S.E.R.V.E. The idea was to help the community, teach young people about fresh food and where it comes from, and allow those families who use the food pantry to obtain some fresh produce, locally grown.

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Cultivating Community Events this Saturday

Cultivating Community, Farmers' Markets, LibraryPoint Blog, Samantha Thomason

05/04/2012 - 1:26pm

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania Farmer's Markets, 9am-noon

If you're at the Fredericksburg or Spotsylvania Farmer's Market this Saturday, May 5, stop by and say "hi!" to a librarian. We'll have fun activities for the kids and cookbooks for you! We'll be at both markets the first Saturday of each month through August.

England Run “Library Blossoms” Plant Sale, 9am-noon

The second annual Friends of the Library plant sale featuring hanging plants from local grower, Dominion Growers. These plants were gorgeous last year, value-priced, and sold out in 2 hours. This is your chance to pick up a Mother’s Day gift or create an instant decorative garden.

We hope to see you out and about this Saturday! Check out more Cultivating Community events here like our upcoming film series.

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