The Charlottesville 29

Lisa Reeder, January 13, 1974 – October 14, 2018

The Charlottesville food community lost a pillar this week. The Local Food Hub’s Lisa Reeder was a tireless advocate for our local food community, overseeing programs like Fresh Farmacy, Farm to Workplace, Harvest of the Month and more. In celebration of Reeder’s life and passion for Charlottesville food, today’s Five Finds on Friday are Reeder favorites remembered by her friends, husband, and son.

1) Rosso from Gabriele Rausse Winery. “Lisa loved and championed many things, but supporting local producers, celebrating outstanding craftsmanship, and enjoying a good red wine with a meal were all very high on her list. A perfect synthesis of these loves can be found in the wines of her friend, Gabriele Rausse. At a table with Lisa, a bottle of Cab Franc or Red blend was often accompanied by anecdotes of the friendship and meals shared with the Rausse family over the years.” – Chelsea Hoyt

2) Red Hot Blues at Continental Divide. “Lisa and I started working at the Divide in college but our love affair with the ‘careful top plate is hot’ delicacy and a side of ‘wait a minute’ continues. Lisa always ordered fresh tomatoes on top and you can’t go to the Divide without a margarita on the rocks with salt. It feels like home in those booths, ordering from the tequila list that will forever be Lisa’s chalkboard to me.” – Marlena Simon

3) Pierogie and Mettwurst and Jägerschnitzel Dinner at Augustiner Hall and Garden. “Lisa loved all things German, with food being near the top of that list. She and I had these pierogies twice in the past month. The first was to-go while dancing to her favorite local band, We Are Star Children, at the Pavilion. But two weeks ago, we had a proper meal at the restaurant. She split the pierogies and the jägerschnitzel dinner with my husband, and raved about them both. Plans were quickly made to try her own hand at schnitzel with my daughter Francesca, her often sous-chef. We’re going to keep that promise and continue Lisa’s legacy of food exploration and experimentation.” – Jen Oppenheimer

4) Heritage Apples from Vintage Virginia Apple. “Lisa loved all things apple. She taught classes about apples. She coordinated apple festivals. She looked forward to the fall harvest every year. Her favorite apple event was helping to hand out apples at schools for Farm to School Week through the Local Food Hub. She truly believed: An Apple A Day Keeps the Doctor Away.” – Geoff Shaw, Lisa’s husband

5) Nachos at Beer Run. “I am Lincoln, Lisa’s nine-year-old son. My mom and I would always walk to Beer Run and have date nights sharing nachos that my Dad couldn’t eat because he can’t have dairy. We did this a lot and always enjoyed it.” – Lincoln Shaw

While Reeder’s passing leaves a gaping hole in our food community, no one will miss her more than her son and husband. Geoff:

Lisa had battled melanoma since 2012, and it was only after she died that we found out she had a tumor in her brain that had grown really fast. Not only was it unexpected (we had no idea), but it was very quick as well. We feel blessed that she didn’t suffer.

We had an amazing day Saturday with friends in West Virginia. Lisa did everything she wanted. We went hiking and wine tasting, and she was surrounded by some of her close friends. She made dinner for nine people with spaghetti squash from Whisper Hill, beef from Free Union Grass Farm, and lettuce from Radical Roots. It’s exactly those moments that make her the happiest. She went to bed feeling fine, but left us in the night.

To carry forward Reeder’s legacy, you can help her husband and son as they embark upon this next chapter of their lives. Help Here.