FRESHFARM, FRESHGREEN!

Every Sunday, rain or shine, at the 1500 block of 20th street, between Massachusetts Avenue and Q street in Dupont, FRESHFARM holds a farmer's market that has been rated by The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times of London as one of the best in the nation.

During the peak season, there are are more than 30 farmers offering an array of vegetables, fruits, cheeses, meat, poultry, fish, fruit pies, breads, fresh pastas, cut flowers, potted plants and organic hand soaps and products.

This is a great opportunity for residents of the community to come and support their local farmers. Not only this but it also helps to reduce the pollution caused by transportation of produce. The less distance the produce must travel, the less amount of gas it will emit. These produce are also all organic, containing less pesticides and harmful chemicals mostly found in produce of larger corporate farms in grocery stores. So go out and take your family or friend to the market! 

Le Vert Quotidien

Today I stopped by Le Pain Quotidien for lunch. It was a beautiful day in DC so I decided to walk to Dupont. Le Pain Quotidien is located on 2010 Massachusetts Avenue NW which is right off the circle making it convenient for those traveling by metro.

Le Pain Quotidien was originally established in Brussles, Belgium on October 26, 1990 by Chef Alain Coumont. After much success of his store, he went on to open one in New York. It was such a huge hit that the restaurant grew into a chain, with 114 restaurants around the world.

Chef Alain Coumont's philosophy for his restaurant is simple: bakery and communal table, breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The restaurant encourages people to come together at their community table and eat with strangers, becoming closer with others and being transported to the Belgian country side, where most of the foods listed on the menu can be found.

"It's good for our bodies, our communities, and our earth"- Le Pain Quotidien

Le Pain Quotidien is committed to promoting and implementing sustainable practices. The restaurant has been Green Certified due to the many eco-friendly practices they have implemented:

• Use of organic ingredients from local organic farmers
• Use of reclaimed wood from old Belgian train cars and Gypsum in construction
• Energy efficient lamps, environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and packaging
• Creation of many of their own fresh and organic products such as jams, chocolate spreads, olive oil, granola, etc.
• Windows are double paned to conserve energy
• To-go-cups are made of corn and the spoons are made of potato starch: will disintegrate within 30-90 days at a compost site
• Use of fair trade coffee
• Store recycling programs
• Recycled and chlorine free paper products

I enjoyed the restaurant very much. It definitely had a quaint European feel to it due in part to the furnishings and the bakery at the front. All the meals were priced reasonably and they had a greater selection of foods. I actually had a hard time choosing, so I ended up getting a refreshing and tart lemonade/tea drink and a Salade Niçoise. I havn't had a good Salade Niçoise since I was in Europe and this salad was very good and fresh. You can definitely notice the difference when you order an organic meal. It just tastes so much yummier!

And of course bread was served on the side. It would not be called "The Daily Bread" for nothing! 

Progressives, Radicals, and Nudists- La Vie Bohème Verte Revisited

I had an interesting conversation with Bernard Demczuk, Assistant Vice President for the George Washington University’s office of DC Relations.

A former resident of the Dupont community, I wanted to understand the changes that occurred in Dupont’s history and how the green movement is being affected by it. Is the green movement part of a counterculture that can be related to the Bohemian? Does this affect whether or not people of the green movement can be classified as Bohemians?

I hope to answer all these and more in my interview:

When did you live in Dupont?

1973-1985

Where did you live?

13^th and R

Can you describe to me the place?

It was a small one-bedroom apartment, infested with roaches; hot in the summer and cold in the winter—typical for a student. Dirty, small, and cheap.

What attracted you to Dupont?

The vibrant culture and the beautiful demographics. The artistic and politically progressive community. A lot of mixed races, people and venues—gay/lesbians, political leaders, young people, restaurants, and cafés. It was the best place to be in the city as a young graduate student.

How was the location important?

The location was important because it was within walking distance from Georgetown University and George Washington University and not far from it was Howard University. It was only a bus ride from American University. You could even walk to the white house from Dupont.

While researching the history of Dupont, I found that it was a prominent area for movements and demonstrations in the 60s through the 80s, with the Vietnam War demonstrations, the LGBT rights movements, etc.  Can you tell me more about it? What was it like living through it all? How do you think it affected the community as a whole?

 Dupont was like the left bank of Paris, Greenwich Village in New York City, or North Beach of San Francisco.  It was of that caliber. It was the destination landmark that attracted left winged progressive students. The nightlife was vibrant and politics were cutting edge. The circle itself became a haven for chess players, radical demonstrations and even nudity. It was a center force for progressive change and many of the young people who were attracted to the area also found houses and jobs and made the area a permanent home or themselves and so today, it is occupied by a lot of hipsters who were part of the progressive era of the 70s. Today, the quality of life is great but it is much more stayed, conservative, and wealthy; less cutting edge, but still vibrant. Where races can mix and homosexuality can be accepted. It is a place where anyone can feel comfortable unless you are a conservative racist riding through with a confederate flag in SUV. They are not welcomed there.

You talked about how the area has changed into a more conservative environment and that it was not as liberal as before. Do you think that these changes are beneficial or harmful to Dupont?

It is all-beneficial because it is still a progressive community but it is a much more wealthy community, which gives a significant amount of taxes to the city. Young students who don’t have much money find other venues and communities to lay their head and start to revitalize progressive movements. You can find this in the U street corridor, Adams Morgan, Brookland, or Southeast. Communities change, neighborhoods change but its all good for the city.

 Sometime ago, we had a discussion on Bohemians and the Bohemian culture and how it lies in the counter culture. Does the present day conservativeness of the Dupont community hinder the presence of a Bohemian culture?

This lifestyle was much more prevalent back then. People would actually be in the fountain with no clothes on in the Dupont Circle. Even the cops were stoned. You don’t see that in Dupont anymore.

I believe that the Bohemian lifestyle can still be seen through the Green Movement. Before the media publicized it, it was very underground and part of a counterculture. Was it ever present in Dupont?

It was very prominent in Food for Thought, a cutting edge restaurant that promoted alternative food, lifestyles and energy conservation. It was at 1378 Connecticut Avenue. There was also Yes, an organic store and a food co-op on 18^th and S street. Both were very popular and underground.  These places are gone now but that doesn’t mean that the community has reverted to energy consuming waste. The people there today are quite energy conscious and sustainability conscious, but the people then were Bohemians and part of the counterculture lifestyle.

So you are saying that Bohemians are not present at all today in Dupont? Not even through the present day Green Movement?

I believe that the bohemian lifestyle has changed from the stereotype and from the past. This lifestyle now can look like a person with a three-piece suit, a briefcase, or an owner of a restaurant. Take Ben’s Chili Bowl for example. When his sons took over, all the energy at Ben’s as well as places around Dupont, was converted to wind energy. The whole food culture is a creative culture. The explosion of the industry is a creative driven economy.

After discussing these issues with Bernard, I realized that today’s Bohemians, while different and less radical than those in Dupont 20 years ago, are still present through their ability to integrate the counterculture of the green movement into the creative part of the business sector of the economy.  It takes people who are passionate and creative to think of ways to bring the green movement to society in ways that will benefit everyone. While many today think of Bohemians as only people who work in the fine arts field, being an artist myself, I find that art is a much bigger and more diverse term that incorporates everything creative. As times change and societies change, so do Bohemians. Bohemians would not be beneficial to the arts if they were stuck in the past and did not think of new ways in which to be progressive. It would wipe out the entire Bohemian culture. Where would we get our counterculturists?

Bernard Demczuk (Right) with his father celebrating their Polish heritage

Bernard Demczuk with his son Che, his mother Jennifer Mumford and Mayor Marion Barry

Bernard Demczuk at a Labor Day conference