March Newsletter 1

Ingredients

1 ( 15.8-oz .) can black-eyed peas , rinsed and drained

1 ( 12-oz .) jar roasted red bell peppers , finely chopped

3 green onions , thinly sliced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 1 / 2 teaspoons hot sauce 3 / 4 teaspoon ground cumin 1 / 4 teaspoon salt 1 / 4 teaspoon pepper

Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl . Cover and chill until ready to serve . Serve with Tortilla chips .

* homes under 2000 sqft no more than $ 150 ! * no expiration — 1 time only use .

336-682-6822 ( Cell ) AmandaGatesRealEstate @ gmail . com

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@ mrsamandagates

M ARCH 2017

Colony Urban Farm Store , which opened on February 11 , is Winston-Salem ’ s first retail destination catering to the urban farming community . Being the only store of its kind in the Triad I was lucky enough to get sneak peek before the grand opening .

A modern twist on the historic “ Victory Garden ,” the store provides supplies and workshop-based education to residents who are interested in backyard chicken keeping and beekeeping , as well as both traditional outdoor gardening and indoor hydroponic gardening . Owners , Allison Bowling and Josh Roberts offer one of the store ’ s most notable features , the “ Honey Bar ,” with rotating flavors and varieties of honey on tap . Colony additionally carries over thirty varietals of prepackaged local and imported honeys from around the world .

“ Our goal is to complement the existing momentum of Winston-Salem ’ s local food movement by offering a resource to folks who want to become more interactive with their food supply ,” says Allison . The concept comes from their family ’ s food mantra : “ Know It or Grow It ,” meaning a significant amount of their food should come from either a known source or be self-grown . “ There seems to be a major resurgence in food awareness on the heels of safety recalls , threatened bee populations and the humane treatment of food-producing animals . It just seems natural to go back to the basics and start being active participants in what we eat . We also noticed that there was a huge , gaping hole in the market in terms of resources and services available to urban and suburban residents who don ’ t want to live outside the city , but may have rural sensibilities .

We hope to be a conduit between the two worlds and show people how doable and rewarding it is to grow your own food and raise chickens for eggs in your backyard .”

The owners elaborated on the bee crisis by explaining that pesticides , climate change and habitat loss have contributed greatly to bee population decline . Without these vital pollinators , we could lose as much as 30 % of our nation ’ s food supply . Colony hopes to educate people on best practices to help our local bees survive and thrive . “ It all starts by planting more flowers ,” says Allison . “ It takes one bee its entire life to produce just 1 / 12 of a teaspoon of honey . It really is the proverbial ‘ Nectar of the Gods ’. We think honey should be cherished , and we hope it will attract people to the cause of these bees who so desperately need our help .”

Workshops will be offered on a variety of topics , including Backyard Chicken Keeping , Native Bees , Growing Mushrooms , Mead Making , ( Honey ) Beekeeping and Hydroponics .

F EBRUARY 2017

Visit their website , www . colonyurbanfarm . com or find them on Facebook / ColonyUrban for more information .

Colony Urban Farm Store is located in the Reynolda Vista shopping district , near the popular Farm at Crossnore Children ’ s Home .