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!
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
Real Local RVA’s August Meeting
UVA’s Sustainable Food Strategy Task Force
with Dr. Kristina Weaver
In August we welcomed Dr. Kristina Weaver, Associate Director of the Institute for Environmental Negotiation at UVA. Dr. Weaver provided an overview of the work of the Sustainable Food Strategy Task Force by walking us through their brand new Annual Report. The Task Force was created in 2016, and meet on a monthly basis to work through the tough challenges of sustainability at a larger institution.
Monday’s meeting at Hardywood Richmond was full of insightful information into how land conservation works, and what our local land conservation organization is doing to protect both our lands and waterways for future generations. Parker Agelasto joined the CRLC in 2015 as their Executive Director and has made a huge impact in just three short years.
