Growing the Local Food Movement in Greater Richmond
Welcome to Real Local RVA’s blog! Here you will find entries from the Executive Director, Leadership Board and guest bloggers. This blog will focus on farms, farmer’s markets, restaurants, groceries, food vendors and producers. We will work to keep you informed on all the local food events and news in our community.
If you have any questions, comments or possible topics please email us . We would love to hear from you!
By Kathi Hendrick*
Each month, C&F Bank, in partnership with Ellwood Thompson’s, hosts a breakfast program that’s designed to bring education opportunities outside the realm of banking to small business owners and community members. Just before the 2018 holiday season, the program brought together a panel of farmers, urban farming supporters, and agricultural sustainability advocates to talk about “what’s growing” in Richmond.
The morning kicked off with fresh coffee and light bites, followed by a viewing of the trailer for Farmers for America, a documentary that asks, “Who will be our next generation of farmers?” given that the average age of today’s U.S. farmer is 60 years old – a thought provoking question that launched the panelists, David L. Seward, Horticulture Program Head And Associate Professor – Reynolds Community College (JSRCC), Duron Chavis, Manager of Community Engagement – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Michael Carter, Jr., Small Farm Resource Center Coordinator – Virginia State University, and Beth Nelson, Fellowship Program Manager – Tricycle Urban Ag, into a larger conversation about how the greater RVA area is responding to the need to rethink and evolve agricultural practices in order to bring healthy, sustainable food to tables in the decades to come. [Read more…] about C&F Bank’s Business Beyond Banking: “What’s Growing in Richmond”
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 2018 | 6:30 – 9:00 PM
AT VCU’S INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
An evening with wonderful sponsor support, amazing community engagement, and a talented speaker all adds up to what we consider a successful event! Sponsored by the ICA, Chickahominy Falls, Ellwood Thompson’s, C&F Bank and Keller Williams Realty | The Egan Team, “Sustainable Abundance” was an evening filled with inspiration and encouragement.
Planned in conjunction with the “Hedges, Edges, Dirt” exhibit at the ICA, the theme of the evening focused on highlighting the importance of sustainability in the future of our food system. After taking the time to tour the exhibit, Salatin’s talk began with a bit of a Virginia history lesson, remarking on the abundance that greeted European settlers when they arrived in Virginia. He discussed how our Native American ancestors lived as part of a manicured ecosystem that matched our climate. Archaeologists believe that more food was grown in this country 500 years ago than is grown today! As the Europeans arrived, they brought with them a knowledge of a very temperate climate and tillage based farming methods. As most folks tend to do, they farmed from experience, tilling the soil and disrupting a perfectly good ecosystem. This flipping of the soil and disturbance in the environment is much of what eventually led to the dust bowl years later. [Read more…] about “Sustainable Abundance: An evening with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms”
Kevin Jamison opened his first restaurant knowing what he wanted. He wanted to support the local economy by sourcing as much as possible from local food producers and farmers. While he admits it’s not easy, it’s a process they are committed to and they work hard to make it happen. For Commune, the positives far outweigh the challenges they face, and they feel good about the product they put in front of customers every day. [Read more…] about Real Local RVA’s November Meeting
by Dustyn Vallies – Co-Founder of Food From Friends
September 29th marked Real Local RVA’s 3rd Annual Farm Tour. As I arrived at the Lakeside Farmers’ Market Pavilion the tour group’s excitement to tour 4 Urban Farms was visible; families, small business owners, and even the mayor were about to meet and connect with the very people that grow their food!
Everyone was at the table, so to speak; we were a diverse group from various backgrounds. However, what brought us all together was our belief in local food. This thoughtful act of building community and an economy around sustainable farming was reinforced by our agricultural lessons, laughter, and obviously…the food. We were joined for the day by a news crew from MSNBC. The footage will air in November on a show called “Your Business” highlighting the work of Real Local RVA and all the great local collaborations that happened throughout the day to make the event possible. The following short summaries were written to highlight the unique stories from each stop along the tour.
All aboard! [Read more…] about 3rd Annual Urban Farm Tour + Party
Real Local RVA’s October Meeting
“The Climate of Agriculture”
with Dr. Jewel Bronaugh of the
VA Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Monday, October 1st was a tough day across the country for many in the agriculture world. It was the first day we had without a Farm Bill. The Senate and the House were unable to come to an agreement, even to extend the current programs until a new bill was voted on, and so many grants and local food programs are currently unavailable. Dr. Bronaugh discussed how this affects our national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Farmer’s Markets, farms both large and small, and our communities as a whole. The bottom line is it’s not good news. [Read more…] about Real Local RVA’s October Meeting
Real Local RVA’s September Meeting
Marketing on a Shoestring
with The Apple Cart
Monday’s meeting was full of great marketing information for small businesses on a limited budget. Barb Upchurch and Stephanie Ganz of The Apple Cart are experts in the local food world and have helped many small start-ups get off the ground. Their best advice when thinking about your marketing plan? HAVE ONE. The biggest hurdle for most small businesses to jump is to actually commit to making a marketing plan, but they stressed this is an invaluable resource for the success of a company.
[Read more…] about Real Local RVA’s September Meeting
