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LEAP's internship program has expanded to accept applicants year round. Apply now.
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden has grown from barren to bountiful in mere months.
Read MoreThe LEAP Kitchen has about 30 members, all of whom use the kitchen in different ways to support their businesses.
Read MoreLocal artists are hosting culture-building events to help residents enter into a larger dialogue about our food system.
Read MoreIn our new building, we have a space for the community to come together for meetings, conversations, and sharing. Welcome to The Gathering Place.
Read MoreFarmers Market Week begins Aug. 6 and continues through Aug. 12. LEAP has scheduled events at our two farmers markets, on Tuesday, Aug. 8, and Saturday, Aug. 12. Read on for details!
Read MoreThis month, LEAP kicked off an important partnership and program to serve our community.
Read MoreLEAP can now accept “Healthy Benefits” or “S3” debit cards issued by insurance providers as payment for food on its mobile market, making it one of the first small-scale retailers to participate in Virginia – or nationwide.
Read MoreJoin us for a month of free fruits and veggies for kids plus peak-of-season produce and a few fun surprises....
Read MoreLEAP is now offering ServSafe Certification monthly as a way to help food producers increase their skills and employability.
Read MoreLEAP officially dedicates its new building in the West End neighborhood -- The LEAP Hub
Read MoreBring yourself and as many friends as you'd like! Dinners are held on the third Wednesday of the month.
Read MoreWith its move, the West End Farmers Market is expanding to include more farmers and food vendors.
Read MoreFind LEAP's Mobile Market at an average of 10 stops per week in Roanoke and beyond.
Read MoreLEAP installs a large solar array on the roof of The LEAP Hub.
Read MoreLEAP helps Cave Spring Elementary School students sample new foods and flavors.
Read MoreAfterward, he hosted a coffee for Roanoke's young leaders in LEAP's Gathering Place.
Read MoreTeam of Hurt Park neighbors and gardeners dreams about how this garden might best serve its community.
Read MoreAn expanded food hub, a farmers market just outside the door, a community gathering area, a small retail space selling fresh food in the West End, office space upstairs, room to park delivery vehicles, and the potential to positively impact a neighborhood we care deeply about. This is what 1027 Patterson Avenue means to LEAP.
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden Discovery Walk: Number 1
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden Discovery Walk: Number 2
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden Discovery Walk: Number 3
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden Discovery Walk: Number 4
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden Discovery Walk: Number 5
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden Discovery Walk: Number 6
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden Discovery Walk: Number 7
Read MoreMorningside Community Garden Discovery Walk: Number 8
Read MoreYour freezer is your friend in these months when the veggies come fast and furiously.
Read MoreSince 2020, LEAP has been working with a suite of community partners to build a foodshed network for our region.
Read MoreWhat are the hidden costs of the conventional food system?
Read MoreWhat is Virginia Fresh Match? How does it connect to LEAP? Here's a quick explainer.
Read MoreProcessing local, in-season produce extends its shelf life, reduces food waste, and creates more nutritious meals for everyone.
Read MoreWhat grows in our region? What do the terms "artisan" or "naturally grown" mean? What is a CAFO? There's a wealth of information about local, sustainable food. Here are a few resources to help you dig in to this complex topic.
Read MoreWhat is "local food" and why should you go out of your way to eat it? These are foundational questions to the work LEAP does. Read on for an explanation of how local food promotes healthier people, more resilient communities, and stronger economies.
Read MoreAs an inspirational farmer used to tell me, "healthy soil, makes healthy plants, makes healthy people."
Read More'Region 5' is a Level 1 Sponsor of LEAP.
Here is an important message from LEAP sponsor Anthem Healthkeepers Plus.
Mast General Store is a Level 1 Sponsor of LEAP.
Cox Communications is a Level 3 sponsor of LEAP.
In 2021, Matt Rose had some time on his hands. He made the most of it by starting a new business of top-quality seasoning blends. Meet Spice Titan.
When husband-and-wife farmers Adam Taylor and Elizabeth Spellman were looking for farmland, access to a spring was a priority. Having lived in coal country in West Virginia, they lacked access to drinkable water and drove an hour one-way to fill-up and stockpile spring water. “We love spring water,” the pair effuse. “It’s the best you can drink.”
To hear Anna and Brent Wills tell their story, you’d think they were accidental farmers. And they kind of were. But 17 years later, after pouring their passion and dedication into raising layer chickens and heritage breed pastured poultry and pork at Bramble Hollow Farm, and being one of the original vendors of the Grandin Village Farmers Market, being farmers is very much a part of their identity.
It’s always nice to be invited back, isn’t it? Such was the case for Andrew Kingery of Folklore Ferments, who, one Saturday in June was called to fill in for the bread vendor at LEAP’s Grandin Village market. Market goers couldn’t get enough of his sourdough boules and baguettes and requested that Kingery return.
Photo courtesy Rivenwood Gardens By Layla Khoury-Hanold Between the two of them, farmers Christine Mann and Corey Hamza have experience farming in California, Oregon, and New Zealand, but it took moving to Franklin County to find a farm to call their own. This year, Rivenwood Gardens made their Grandin Village Farmers Market debut, and the couple have made Virginia home. Initially, the pair looked for land on the West Coast, but it was too expensive (to say nothing of the challenges with irrigation).
Easily customizable, sweet without any added sugar, creamy without any dairy, this flavorful fall soup celebrates the flavors and colors of the season. We used candy roaster squash in our batch but any winter squash can easily be substituted!
Get RecipeA great fall weekend breakfast when you need something quick and cozy. In this recipe, you can use fresh pumpkin puree (see our recipe!) or use canned -- whatever you have on hand
Get RecipeThis walks you through how to turn a whole pie pumpkin into something you can eat. Once you make this puree, you can use it like pumpkin puree from a can in all of your favorite fall recipes!
Get RecipeThis recipe is a traditional thick, rich cheesy potato soup perfect for the colder months.
Get RecipeThis French classic is a great basic soup. Serve with a sandwich or salad. Or add bacon, fresh herbs, or roasted vegetables to stir up new variations, depending on what's available locally.
Get RecipeTry this twist on traditional succotash (lima beans and corn) by mixing together green beans, corn, okra, and tomatoes. Stir up a batch for dinner or bring it to your favorite summer potluck.
Get RecipeWhat to do with all that fennel (and a bounty of cucumbers too)? Why not try your hand at a batch of quick pickles? These make for a great side to everything from fish to sandwiches.
Get RecipeEver find yourself with cabbage, fennel, and scallions, wondering what to make? Slaw. The answer is slaw. Here's a fun recipe to try!
Get RecipeThese summer jewels ripen together and each bring so much flavor to the plate. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, a handful of pecans, and a sprinkling of feta to really make this dish shine.
Get RecipeSnow pea season is so short and these crunchy treats are so good that you might never need to seek out a recipe for them. But if you do, this is a good one, capturing their sweetness and cooking them ever-so-slightly. Swap out the sesame seeds for everything bagel spice to bring a new flavor to the table.
Get RecipeWhen bunches of radishes abound on farmers market tables or in your farm share, reach for this recipe. It's easy and will make you fall in love with radishes all over again.
Get RecipeFor a simple way to add green to your table, try this tasty salad, perfect for fall, winter, and early spring when kale is abundant and sweet. This recipe was first published in Edible Blue Ridge.
Get RecipeRoot vegetables and greens are mixed with lentils for a hearty, soul-warming meal. Stir up this dish when you need an easy weeknight dinner. The oven does the hard part for you!
Get RecipeHave you tasted LEAP Kitchen Manager Jeff Bland's vegan chili at the West End Farmers Market or picked up a quart from the Mobile Market? If you have, you know how delicious it is. Today, Jeff shares the recipe so you can stir up a batch anytime you've got a hankering.
Get RecipeThis recipe is a spring-time go-to for Director of Marketing and Communications Christina Nifong. It's versatile, easy to pack for lunch or a picnic, and oh-so delicious!
Get RecipeThis recipe comes from one of LEAP's Mobile Market customers. This is her signature sweet! With a cup of raisins, a cup of walnuts, and four cups of applesauce, it's not a bad way to top off a meal.
Get RecipeIf you've been visiting the farmers markets lately, you've likely got some beets in your fridge. It's a great time to roast them and stir them into a dish of November's abundant greens. Dinner doesn't get any tastier -- or much easier.
Get RecipeDelicata squash is one of the most approachable winter squashes. No need to peel. Easy to cut in half. Smaller to handle than some of its cousins. This vegan version of the classic French comfort food should satisfy your taste buds and your belly.
Get RecipeOf all the winter squashes, LEAP's Marketing and Communications Director Christina Nifong finds spaghetti squash to be the hardest to love. Spaghetti squash doesn't really taste like squash -- or spaghetti! What if we stop trying to make this healthy veggie into something it isn't and simply embrace the flavor and texture it offers? Here's a recipe that does just that.
Get RecipeWhen stacks of zucchini start piling up on farmers' tables, LEAP's Marketing and Communications Director Christina Nifong reaches for this easy, delicious meal. Shred some squash, toss in a little feta, crack a few eggs, and there you go -- dinner.
Get RecipePeppers are everywhere in late summer. Why not make them the star of your meal? LEAP's Marketing and Communications Director Christina Nifong has tried many stuffed pepper recipes; she likes how this one roasts the peppers before stuffing them. Feel free to make this recipe your own. Try stuffing with tofu rather than ground beef. Swap out the type of cheese. Definitely bring on your homemade marinara if you've got some!
Get RecipeInstead of cream, this recipe uses hummus to make the alfredo sauce. Sounds weird, right? LEAP Food Hub Manager Kyra Crawford LOVES it. Adapt this recipe to whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.
Get RecipeThis recipe was shared with us by LEAP Kitchen member and market vendor Theresa Allen of Peace & Harmony Farm. It's a great choice for early spring when turnips -- and their greens -- are most tender, sweet, and tasty.
Get RecipeWhen the greens and the herbs and the salad fixings are at their finest, not just any salad dressing will do. Here's a new discovery by Director of Marketing and Communications Christina Nifong. She's loves the little bit of sweet and the little bit of smooth that this dressing brings to the table.
Get RecipeThe greens are plentiful every spring, as are radishes and sprouts and broccoli. What we all need are delicious dressings to top our seasonal salads. Here is a keeper, from LEAP Kitchen Manager Jeff Bland.
Get RecipeLEAP Director of Programs Kelly Key reaches for this recipe in early spring when root vegetables are still the season's staples but fresh greens and eggs are finding their way to market. Top it with locally raised bacon to shift this dish from side show to main attraction.
Get RecipeThis tasty twist on the French classic Pommes Anna is a delicious way to eat one of our area's most bountiful winter crops. Turnips never tasted so good!
Get RecipeWhen you look for asparagus soup recipes, nearly all of them are pureed. Not this one. This recipe, a favorite of LEAP's Marketing Director Christina Nifong, is hearty and delicious and not too complicated.
Get RecipeLEAP's newest team member, Administrative Services Manager Laura Weatherford Burns, is a brunch fan. So when we asked what to make from the plentiful eggs and abundant greens of April, she pointed us to this recipe. Feel free to substitute other greens for the spinach or other cheeses as your taste buds guide you.
Get RecipeTry this tasty vegan soup for a warm-up on a cold winter's night.
Get RecipeLEAP Kitchen Manager Jeff Bland has been making this recipe for more than 20 years. In addition to the squash, the onions, broth, cream, and honey can all be sourced locally.
Get RecipeThis recipe couldn't be more simple -- or tastier. Stir it together for a quick side or toss it atop a grain bowl.
Get RecipeWhen the farmers are harvesting garlic and ginger and scallions, this recipe is the one to reach for. It's simple, delicious, and lets those fresh flavors shine.
Get RecipeIf you aren’t familiar with this Irish dish, it might just become your new favorite way to eat cabbage. (See the notes for a turnip version, as well.) This is tasty comfort food all the way, sure to warm you on a cold winter’s night.
Get Recipe