Past Events

Real Local RVA is honored to be the beneficiary of an Ellwood Thompson's 5% Day. 5% Day is an effort to recognize and give back to small organizations that create the backbone of our local community. During 5% days, Ellwoods donates 5% of that day’s sales directly to the chosen organization.

Kevin Jamison is the founder of two bustling cafes in Virginia Beach and Norfolk serving local, seasonal and sustainable fare. Commune was founded on the philosophy that the best tasting food just also happens to be the freshest and healthiest food both for the eater and our environment.

Real Local RVA and VCU's Institute for Contemporary Art are proud to bring Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms to Richmond. Arguably, the most famous farmer in the world, Mr. Salatin is America’s most celebrated pioneer of chemical-free farming. Joel will dive head first into the topic of "Sustainable Abundance." Many people in our culture fear the future’s resource scarcity and political unrest. Veering off this orthodox paranoia, Salatin offers a different possibility with a template that is both attractive and pragmatic. A fundamentally solar-driven, participatory, historically-normal localized, integrated foodscape can bless the whole world with sustainable abundance. The earth is not a reluctant partner that must be wrestled into production, but a benevolent friend rewarding humble human massage. After this performance, you’ll never look at farmland or policy solutions the same way. In fact, you’ll look at the future with inspiration and faith, healing the land one bite at a time.
We would like to thank our sponsors: Chickahomniy Falls, Ellwood Thompson's, Keller Williams|The Egan Team, and C&F Bank.

Richmond has a lot of things growing...Join Beth Furgurson, Executive Director of Real Local RVA, as she moderates a panel of farmers, urban farming supporters, and agricultural sustainability advocates in the Richmond area. Go beyond the soil and vegetables to learn about the programs these leaders are establishing -- everything from facilitating urban greening to connecting small farmers with the much needed resources to mentoring urban agriculture certificate fellows. You'll leave with a greater understanding of the 'what's growing' in Richmond, its impact on our community's health, and how you can support these initiatives!

Please join us for our first meeting of 2019!

We are thrilled to bring these five participants in the local food movement together for a discussion on local sourcing in RVA. Moderated by Robey Martin, Richmond's go-to journalist for everything edible, the restaurants will share their approach to local sourcing, and the farmers will discussion their business plans for selling wholesale. You will hear how some of these restaurants and farmers have already worked together, and what they see for the future of Farm to Table dining in Richmond.

Please join us for a special meeting focused on networking and community building! We’ve all heard the adage, its not what you know, but who you know that matters. How does this translate to the RVA food community?

The local foods movement has created new and better markets for farmers, encouraged the adoption of organic and sustainable farming practices, and helped millions of Americans eat better while reducing the environmental impact of their eating habits. Nevertheless, many farmers and rural communities continue to struggle and the economy as a whole remains tethered to excess consumption, emissions and waste. In the midst of this long-term crisis, a “Green New Deal” has been proposed, nationally and in Virginia. Can the ‘bottom up’ approach that has propelled the rise of local foods shape the development of the Green New Deal, to the benefit of farmers, eaters, small businesses and local communities?