Back in May, The Daily Show aired a segment titled “Little Crop of Horrors,” highlighting the pesticide industry’s fum[igat]ing upset over the White House garden, which happens to be organic. “I think the Obama garden should come with a warning label,” said a spokesman from the American Council on Science and Health, a group funded in part by Exxon and Dow Chemical. “It’s irresponsible to tell people that you have to eat organic and locally grown food. Not everyone can afford that. That’s a serious public-health concern. People are going to eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Cancer rates will go up. Obesity rates will go up. I think if we decide we’re only going to eat locally grown food, we’re going to have a lot of starvation.” Yes, obesity and starvation ... and cancer. Run for your lives to the nearest Lunchables and the safe haven of high-fructose corn syrup.

The August/September issue of Flavor Magazine explores this laughable backlash in its cover story, “A Provocative Kitchen Garden.” But this go-local “danger” is not localized to D.C. Just as Colonists once gathered at St. John’s Church to rebuke the English monarch, so too have Richmond’s chef/revolutionaries rendezvoused at farmers' markets under scorch of sun to quietly usurp conventional produce with Virginia-grown bounty that’s pulsing with vitality, flavor and respect for the land.

On Sept. 6, one of the leaders of this movement, Manakintowne Specialty Growers, summoned a legion of co-conspirators for the Chefs and Growers Feast & Hoedown, a veggie-slinging, grill cracklin’, harvest-time hootenanny. Jo and Rob Pendergraph and Pete Markham have been at it since 1985, starting at Monacan Farm and now on a bucolic, 21-acre Powhatan County spread in the Federal Hill neighborhood. “We have events every so often,” says Jo Pendergraph. “It makes us keep the place up. In addition to family gatherings and holiday cookouts, we’ve had a farm-tour day, a couple of art/food shows, a cooking class ... this one was to celebrate the near-completion of our new barn, to show appreciation for the support and friendship of our great chef customers and farmers' market friends, and to foster connections between them.”  

Warning: Though none of the guests died from eating this controversial fare, the ACSH would declare this a stroke of gurgitative luck. Enter the garden at your own risk.

Johnny Hott & The Piedmont SouPrize headlined the soirée; the rest of the guest list was a veritable who’s who of local farm-to-table bastions:

The Chefs/Restaurateurs

Bruce Clarke, University of Richmond

Russell Cook, Balliceaux

Paul Cruser & Sally Schmidt, Founders Bridge

Bill Foster, Cafe Rustica

Arthur Granger, Sur La Table

Kevin and Peggy Healy, owners of The Boathouse at Sunday Park and the very recently opened The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing

Carlos Iga, freelance

Joe Papach, Can Can Brasserie; imported from NYC, he’s the newly toqued co-exec chef

Eric Von Guerin, The Fat Canary

Gary York, Enoteca Sogno

Greg Boone, Aziza’s on Main


The Growers

Art Chadwick, Chadwick Orchids 

India & Bill Cox, Casselmonte Farm: shiitake mushrooms, heritage tomatoes 

Steve Davis, The Virginia Naturalist: herbs, pears, Asian pears, grilling planks

Ross & Halsey Dillard, Hickory Green Farm: eggs, honey, fresh-cut flowers

Amy Hicks, Amy's Garden: organic produce

Dave Horn: elephant garlic 

Clara Stokes, Belona Botanicals: fresh-cut flowers 

Claudia Swanson, Dirty Hands Garden Center


The Vittles