BELLOWS FALLS — Gardeners itching to get their hands in the dirt may have to wait until the snow and mud subside, but they can take the edge off spring fever by learning about the history of some of our favorite - and not so favorite - fruits and vegetables on Saturday, April 13, at noon at the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St.
Author Rebecca Rupp will present Wolf Peaches, Poisoned Peas, and Madame Pompadour's Underwear: The Surprising History of Common Garden Vegetables, and discuss the long and fascinating histories of some of the food we commonly eat.
Her talk will touch on the much-maligned tomato and potato, the (mostly) popular pumpkin, and Vermont's dynamic duo of kale and Gilfeather turnip.
She will also explain why many people don't like beets, how a 17th-century pirate named the bell pepper, the pivotal role carrots played in who won the Trojan War and how George Washington was nearly assassinated with a plate of poisoned peas.
Rupp is the author of nearly 20 books for adults and children and writes a blog on food science and history for National Geographic. Her talk is made possible through a grant from the Vermont Humanities Council and is co-sponsored by the Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission and the library.
The event is free, open to the public, and accessible to those with disabilities. For more information, call 802-463-4270 or email programming@rockinghamlibrary.org.