Shortly after my wife Lydia and myself opened our first restaurant in South Jersey, I was first approached by Mike Devlin and Valerie Frick, Executive Directors of the Camden Children's Garden, and asked to host a brunch. It was my first visit to the Garden and it was wonderful to see this oasis of green beauty right on the Camden waterfront.
I loved most that it was a refuge and sanctuary for children; that it taught such valuable lessons in growing and planting; that nutrition education was a part of its creative, hands on lessons. I love our restaurants' relationships with the local farms and farmers so these lessons taught to the very young were important to me.
Especially important to me are the Garden's efforts to provide seeds, rain barrels and other gardening tools for Camden's Urban Gardeners. In a city like Camden which does not have easily accessible fresh produce, getting fresh veggies from these urban gardens is critical. Every chef knows the value of fresh food and these urban gardens offer wealth and riches that come right from our own good New Jersey soil.
Please join me and my wife Lydia in this effort to get these valuable lessons in back yard growing and nutrition to Camden's residents by donating to my Crowdwise campaign to Help The Camden Children's Garden (affiliated with the Camden City Garden Club,