A reporter for the Washington Post in a previous life, Ed Bruske now tends his “urban farm” about a mile from the White House in the District of Columbia. Ed believes in self-reliance, growing food close to home, and political freedom for the residents of the District of Columbia.
Ed is a personal chef for clients with special needs, and teaches “food appreciation” to children enrolled in the after-school program at Georgetown Day School. He was a co-founder of the group D.C. Urban Gardeners and lectures on composting, kitchen gardening, food preservation, and other related topics. He sits on the advisory board of the D.C. Farm to School Network and contributes to food policy blogs such as Grist and La Vida Locavore, as well as the gardening blog Garden Rant. He is a contributing editor for the food access blog, DC Food for All.
Ed’s food writing has appeared in The Washington Post Food section, Martha Stewart Living magazine and Edible Chesapeake. Ed’s work in sustainable gardening has been featured in People magazine, as well as in popular food blogs such as Chow and Seriously Good. He has appeared on FOX News, WAMU radio news, Washington City Paper and on the Kojo Nnamdi Show (WAMU FM 88.5).
Email Ed: euclidarms@yahoo.com
Manifesto
Enough of food fads! Enough of food porn! Enough of celebrity chefs (except Mario Batali)! It’s time to take back control of the food we eat and the pace of our own lives. Things should grow and cook in their own time. Reject fast food! Reject waiting lists at over-hyped, outrageously expensive restaurants! Reject food out of season! Sit, eat, drink. Enjoy good food made by caring hands. Enjoy food eaten slowly, in good company.
Things We Embrace
Dutch ovens & iron skillets. Real butchers. Our molcajetes. Vegetable gardening. Walking to the grocery store. Sunday suppers. Our farm subscription. Composting. Naturally grown food. Self-reliance. Teaching children to appreciate food. Farmer’s markets. Urban agriculture. Inexpensive ethnic restaurants. Neighborhood restaurants. Our charcoal rotisserie. Fermentation. Brassicas. Root vegetables. The public library. Used books. Our copy of Patience Gray’s Honey from a Weed. John Thorne’s newsletter, Simple Cooking.
Things We Try to Avoid
Saturday at Whole Foods. Spending time in the suburbs. Driving on the Beltway. SUVs. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Black plastic. Ornamental plants (except roses). Lawns. Waiting for a table at a restaurant. Expensive restaurants. Buying wine at a restaurant. Chain restaurants. Fussy, overly designed food. Fast food. Processed food. Packaged food (except Crystal Light–what I’m not entitled to one little vice?). Asparagus in January. Styrofoam. Strip malls. Network television (except CBS Sunday Morning). Buying new books. Eating standing up. Eating while walking. Eating in the car. Cell phones.
We are engaging the concerns of a hungry planet--slowly--right here in our kitchen garden in the District of Columbia, about a mile from the White House.
