Arrive Magazine - May/June 2012

Nothing gets residents here out of bed on the weekend like a farmers market. wash- ingtonians are simply crazy over locally sourced and organic food—part of their
obsession with all things healthy.
last year, Forbes named washington the second-
healthiest city in america, and in the two years prior,
the capital city nabbed the top spot.
fueling the health kick, in part, is a growing appre-
ciation for the city’s natural gems. the potomac river
and the vast expanse of green around it are luring more
people into such activities as kayaking, rock climbing
and biking. and there’s the restaurant boom—D.c. has
about 140 more restaurants and taverns (excluding
those without liquor licenses) than it did four years ago,
according to the restaurant association metropolitan
washington. innovative chefs are helping to elevate
washington’s taste for quality, organic ingredients.

Splendor in the GraSS

the splendors of this city aren’t only for those who live near them, however. washington offers plenty of reasons for anyone with a little energy and a willing appetite to get outside, get active and enjoy some local (and good-for-you) flavors.

the Dupont circle farmers market is a great place to start. Vendors here sell everything from produce to pasta to soap. melanie Dietrich cochran of keswick creamery is one such vendor. she woke before dawn and drove two hours from south-central pennsylvania to sell her 22 varieties of aged cheese. the Dupont market is one of five she sells at in the D.c. area.

“it’s a real challenge for farmers to compete with resellers, so markets like this are important to level the playing field,” cochran tells me as shoppers flow into her booth to sample cheeses such as British-style lesher and italian herb feta.

Runners, walkers, bikers and dog-walkers find Rock Creek Park a welcome oasis in an urban environment.

at a ready-made food stand nearby, a young couple scarfs down empanadas. they sport spandex shorts and stretch while they eat. they are among a sporty contingent that appears to have come to the market via one of the nearby biking trails.

of the hundreds of intertwining miles of biking trails in the D.c. metro area—and i’ve biked or run almost all of them—rock creek park trail is my favorite, and luckily it’s a short distance from the market if you follow p street west. the trail spans 25 miles from D.c. to maryland.