models styled by Emma Allen
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In This Issue:
Fall 2015
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Raising The Bar
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Living Legends Of Line Avenue
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Fork In The Road
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The Growth Of The Yoga
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Brandon Oldenburg: Life On Earth
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Fall Items
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Shop Talk: Architecture
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Lifeblood
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All Y’all: People Of Shreveport
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hether homegrown or a transplant, we all have our own memory of what Uptown Shopping Center once was and have witnessed tremendous growth since its establishment over sixty years ago. Like an old Louisiana oak, it has nourished our city’s economy in providing a united roof for local retailers, bearing witness to the collective histories that have occurred within those walls as they come and go. In exchange, it has become among the most successful, liveliest suburban shopping centers in Shreveport.
A SEEDLING In the late nineteenth century, Samson Weiner took root in Shreveport with his two sons, Earl Loeb Weiner and Samuel Gross Weiner. A Mississippi widower, Sam remarried and had two more sons, William Benjamin Weiner and Jacque Loeb Weiner. He owned
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a chain of grocery stores under the name of Weiner Loeb Grocery Company. By the ‘30s, the Pierremont neighborhood was coming alive courtesy of Shreveport’s most innovative architects. Among them were brothers William and Samuel Weiner, who studied and were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, known for his unique urban planning. Naturally, the brothers’ unique designs would begin to transition from the residential market into the commercial market. In 1954, the Weiner Loeb Grocery Company was sold to Ed Wile, nephew of Weiner, and renamed Big Chain Grocery and Cafeteria. In the late spring of 1955, Wile and Lewis Levy, owner of Levy’s Department Store, partnered with the architect brothers to develop the plans on the group’s most modern project to date. Located on Line Avenue and bordering the most sought after neighborhood, a new shopping center would take shape.
FORK IN THE ROAD By: Chris Jay
Will the farm-to-table movement transform how Shreveport eats?
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hat do we mean when we say “farm-to-table”? For some, the phrase sums up a global movement in which consumers are encouraged to eat fresh, locally sourced foods for reasons ranging from health benefits to environmental impact. For others, farm-to-table signifies nothing more than a trend. However we define it, the farm-to-table movement has taken an especially strong hold in the South, where cities like Charleston, South Carolina and Birmingham, Alabama have capitalized upon widespread consumer interest in farm-to-table dining and now rank among the most exciting food destinations in the U.S. Over the last few years, Shreveport has welcomed local beer, local coffee, a handful of new farmers’ markets and more. The Shreveport Farmers’ Market has grown to epic proportions, with an
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estimated attendance of more than 13,000 shoppers on opening day in 2014. A small handful of local restaurants, most notably Wine Country Bistro and Bottle Shop, have methodically cultivated demand for locally sourced products among restaurant patrons. In addition, several local catering companies now offer locally sourced menus for weddings and special events. Is Shreveport experiencing the birth of a farm-to-table dining scene? As president of Slow Food North Louisiana, Angie White is qualified to answer that question. Slow Food North Louisiana is the local chapter of a global nonprofit with a mission “to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast life, and combat people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat.” Through her position with Slow Food, White regularly interacts with local farmers, restaurateur, community gardeners and food activists.
“For this to really take off, it needs to be chef and restaurant-driven,” White said. “I think chefs, ultimately, will create the demand for local products. It’s just a matter of educating the consumer.” White lists restaurants like Wine Country Bistro and Bottle Shop, Frank’s Pizza Napoletana, The Petroleum Club of Shreveport and Blue Southern Comfort Foods as a handful of Shreveport eateries that are already sourcing some ingredients locally. While it excites White to open a restaurant menu and see products from Mahaffey Farms, Smith Family Farms and Shady Grove Ranch being served, she sees it as only a tiny step in the right direction. “Distribution needs to be addressed. Who gathers up local food from area farms and delivers it to the restaurants? At some point, a business will step up to fill that void,” White said. “The other big piece that’s missing is a USDA processing facility,” she added. Discussing local food with White, it’s obvious that she understands the challenges ahead
on Shreveport’s road to establishing a true farm-to-table food system that reaches beyond a small handful of restaurants and seasonal farmers’ markets, bringing year-round access to fresh, local food into neighborhoods, homes and schools. “We have a long way to go,” White said. “But we’re going to get there.” When we get there, it’ll be thanks to the hard work of farmers like Evan McCommon. McCommon’s Princeton-based family farm, Mahaffey Farms, produces a variety of vegetables as well as pork, eggs, chicken and more. The farm does not use chemicals, preservatives, hormones or pesticides. They sell their products directly to the public at their farm stand, at the Shreveport and Benton farmers’ markets and at grocery stores that stock local products. A former real estate agent who left that profession following the 2008 crash, Evan McCommon has become a leader in the local farmto-table movement. I chatted with McCommon and his wife, Nicky,
at Shreveport Green’s annual farm-to-table fundraiser dinner, Feast, which featured a menu entirely sourced from local farms. “I don’t see farm-to-table as a fad at all, I see it as where we have to go as a society, if we’re going to survive,” McCommon said. Anyone who has taken note of the fact that California is rapidly running out of water- and is also where the majority of America’s fruits and vegetables are grown- knows what McCommon is getting at. Eating local food isn’t just about better— tasting, healthier food— it’s also about sustainability. The menu at Shreveport Green’s Feast fundraiser included chicken and pork from Mahaffey Farms. McCommon is still getting accustomed to seeing the name of the family farm printed on menus at places like Wine Country Bistro and Frank’s Pizza Napoletana. “I feel a huge amount of pride,” McCommon said. “I thought it’d take 10 years to see Mahaffey Farms listed on menus, but it happened in two years.” Farmers like McCommon will tell you that interest in local food
MAHAFFEY FARMS Pigs at Mahaffey Farms are fed certified organic, Texas-grown, non-GMO feed and “spend their lives as pigs were meant to live- roaming, rooting, wallowing, and lounging
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Shreveport Green’s annual farm-to-table fundraiser dinner, Feast, features a menu entirely sourced from local farms.
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RESTAURANT-OWNED FARMS Standing among rows of heirloom tomatoes still wet from a summer storm, Jason Brady surveys the plot of DeSoto Parish land that he and his business partners have dubbed Hiccup Ranch. Brady is a partner in Cadre Hospitality Group, which owns Wine Country Bistro, Zocolo and Southern Fork Catering. While he refers to the 2015 crop as “an experiment,” Hiccup Ranch is already producing a wide variety of vegetables and herbs that will be put to use in his restaurants. Restaurant-owned farms aren’t unheard of, but they are still a rarity - even amid the current farm-to-table craze. Brady cites James Beard Award-winning Chef Dan Barber, owner of Blue Hill Farm and executive chef at Blue Hill New York, as an inspiration. Chef John Besh’s restaurant, La Provence, operates a small farm in Lacombe, Louisiana.
8 WEEKS OLD 35 POUNDS
Pigs arrive at Mahaffey Farms
“When we receive pigs from our farrower, they go into a barn with heavy bedding. Pigs are actually very clean animals, they only use the bathroom in one area of the barn. We gather their manure and use it as compost in our gardens.”
6 MONTHS OLD 300 POUNDS
Besh and Brady may be the only two restaurant farm owners in the state. “We planted these seeds,” Brady said, gesturing towards rows of ripening tomatoes. “We know these tomatoes are fantastic because we grew them. It’s quality control.” The conventional wisdom regarding Shreveport is that we’re typically about 10 years behind current trends. Food trucks, craft breweries, a bicycling culture, Whole Foods Market - Shreveport’s gained all of these, among other things, in the last few years. Many would argue that we are behind the times. But that perspective of ingrained cynicism doesn’t take into account how surprising and unpredictable Shreveport can be. It also ignores the uncommon talent and tenacity found among the crop of entrepreneurs currently reshaping the city. As a whole, Shreveport may be behind the times when it comes to eating local. But a small handful of local businesses are actively defining the future of farm-to-table.
3 MONTHS OLD 75 POUNDS
Pigs are put on pasture
“Once they’ve learned what the fence is, they go on pasture. We rotate them to different pastures until they’re full grown. A pig grows fast on pasture because he’s got everything he wants. Feed, happiness, wallow- everything. They stay really healthy and grow fast.”
Pigs go to processing plant
“We always say ‘our pigs only have one bad day.’ Our pigs are processed in a much more humane fashion, as compared to a factory -type environment where they’d be treated badly. They walk down a chute and it’s ‘lights out,’ there’s no pain or suffering.”
To learn more about Mahaffey Farms, visit mahaffeyfarms.com.
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Kathryn Gaiennie Fine Photography
Capturing Shreveport
845 Ontario Street | Shreveport | 865-1917 | www.kgfinephoto.com
www.kg finephoto.com 39
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Yoga Citta Vritti Nirodah. The restraint of the modification of the mind stuff – is yoga.
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Yoga sutras of Patanjali
This quote from Patanjali is the very first lesson we learn as yoga students. Yoking the mind, creating stillness - this is the basis for going deeper in the path of yoga. With the chaos of our world and complexities of contemporary society, yoga has become a part of American culture as well as the Ark-La-Tex. Roughly five millennia after Indian mystics created a path for enlightenment, yoga is very present in our culture, and has become a part of our lives. Insurance companies realize the power of Pranajama (deep breathing), celebrities have found that it can change their bodies (Adam Levine tours with a private Ashtanga teacher), and public schools have incorporated yoga into their
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curriculum. A 2012 Roper poll estimated over 12 million Americans practice yoga, and over 65 percent of health clubs offer some form of yoga class. A recent search on Amazon pulled up more than 72,000 titles, from “The Sutras of Patanjali” to “Yoga for you and your Cat”. We also see yoga used in advertising (the Aflac duck cannot hold his tree) to Janelle Monae’s dance hit with lyrics like “Baby bend over let me see you do that yoga”, but this is just the American way. Capitalizing on any current trend is how we digest information and make it a conscious part of our lives. As in so many important lessons, I have learned to not take offense but realize American media has to demystify and “poke fun” in order to make this foreign concept part of popular culture. If you ridicule an idea will it still be relevant?
Well it has lasted, and for over 50 years it has become a part of our national need for physical fitness and mind transformation, but it was and still is a strong part of Shreveport-Bossier reality. One of the area’s original teachers, Paul Coates, who established a practice in the 1960’s, was the catalyst that has set in motion the awareness and power of a regular daily practice, along with the rich culture attached to yoga. Karin O’Banion was also instrumental in developing a very loyal following that grew and was extremely dedicated. These two dynamic teachers set the foundation for current revitalized passion that we now have for yoga in our community. All of the present teachers and studios that are now in our city carry a large amount of respect and credit to Adrienne Davis, and her studio Explore Yoga. Adrienne was the first Yogi to take the big leap and open a free standing studio. While creating an environment for regular practice she established a program for future yoga teachers. “Build it and they will
come” feels as though it should be Adrienne’s mantra. Adrienne has a thriving studio that offers Ashtanga based classes as well as some new approaches such as “Strongpose”. She has also incorporated a wellness center with acupuncture and message therapy. Aspire, owned by Heather Delia, which opened over 2 years ago, has developed a very personal focused practice that centers on smaller classes so teachers can take some time to help students in an intimate setting. Then there is our city’s newest studio Breathe Yoga. Owned by Aimee Ballard and Emily Sample, these two teachers saw a need for incorporating children’s yoga, Iyengar, Barre’, and Vinyassa bases classes such as the dynamic energetic flow, or candle light, which creates a softer introspective environment. Aimee and Emily are dedicated to a community centered practice that merges teachers, students, and education, connecting the “right” class and practice for the “right” students. These ladies are inspired by all the textures, philosophy and energy yoga can bring to their city. That brings me to Yoga Jai, the outdoor donation based weekly class that meets every Sunday at 3pm
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in Betty Virginia Park. This class was created by Jill French Anderson and myself as an outreach practice celebrating the environment, our community, and you. All of these great studios and teachers have inspired a community of Yogis who want to make our great city a place for practice, meditation, and awareness. Like all communities there are these individuals who have created a visual presence, but there are so many people who teach and practice at fitness centers, churches and homes that are a part of this small revolution taking place here. All of these practitioners are a part of an eclectic yoga society that has a very rich past and an exciting future. One of the beauties of yoga is that it encompasses so many different philosophies and ideals, and that perspective includes a direct awareness of our essential nature as spiritual and free. For most contemporary practitioners, our spiritual aspirations don’t involve renunciation. They involve living in the world in a way that is alive. Opening our hearts to
our families, caring for our aging parents, being truthful with our friends, and doing work with integrity. Ultimately, perhaps there is not all that much difference between the ancient yogi’s transformation, and our contemporary practice. For millennia, yoga has asked us to find mental stillness so we can look deeply within and around us, while societies and empires have changed almost beyond recognition, the human heart has not. Whether we are a Hindu monk meditating in a cave or dressed in Lulu Lemon sitting in the backroom of a fitness center, the eventual struggle is the same. Delving directly into the complex processes of our minds and the sensitive nature of our bodies, the path of Yoga is here waiting for you. We have teachers and studios to help you with this journey.
1. Aimee Bellard 2. Emily Sample Breathe Yoga 3. Jill French Anderson 4. James Osbourne* Yoga Jai 5. Heather Delia Aspire Yoga 6. Adrienne Davis Explore Yoga
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2 5
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*not pictured
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BM
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Just reading through it, the Unified Development Code is going to help minimize visual clutter. Signage has tighter requirements, with consistent sign heights and street sign design. It makes everything come together. The city is going to be much more visually appealing.
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A nd the parking situation will be different. Right now, you have to have one parking space per 100 square feet of a restaurant. Under the new code, it’ll be one parking spot per 300 square feet. So you’re reducing the required number of parking spaces by two-thirds. They’re trying to combat urban sprawl.
That’s a very good piece of advice.
Make sure that they are licensed, bonded and insured, and be sure to get clean lien releases after each pay application. You may spend a little extra money on the front end, but it’ll be worth it in the event that something goes wrong.
I’m always thinking about the context of my work: am I being a good neighbor to the surrounding community? Mischa Farrell That’ll be helpful to the environment, too. With less concrete, there’s more natural drainage and you’ll have less flooding issues.
What advice do you give to clients once it’s time to select a contractor?
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I’d say do not let a contractor bid on a set of documents if you’re not prepared to award that bid to them. To some degree, it’s a matter of respect for the contractor and all of the work that they’re putting into preparing a competitive bid. I advise my clients: ‘If you’re gonna let these three or four contractors bid on the project, be prepared to accept the low bid.’
Don’t hire a friend or family member.
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