Buy Red, White, Blue and Green at the Byrd House Market July 7th!

Tomatoes, turnips, and blueberries? We have your red, white, and blue plus all the greens your tummy craves!


This week, meet Art on Wheels and The Camp Diva Girls all day, Mary Freed will be telling a story in the traditional Japanese Kamishbai story format from 4:15 to 4:45 p.m., little ones can get their faces painted from 5 to 6 p.m. Poetry Jam from 5 to 6 p.m.


Thank you for shopping at the BHM. We are blessed with a bounty of fruits and vegetables, good friends, great snacks and a weekly dose of old fashion fun and conversation!

Don't forget about our BHM Gift Certificates, the hottest gift in town where part of the proceeds go to support William Byrd Community House programs -- a great way to show anyone that you care about their health and building a healthy community.

HERE'S WHAT OUR VENDORS ARE BRINGING THIS WEEK July 7th:

FARMERS
  • Agri-Berry - Fruit CSA; some fruit available to BHM shoppers early or at the end of the market, raspberries, blue berries, cherries
  • Amy's Organic: squash, swiss chard, kale, raspberries
  • Betty Moore/Lakewood plants: cut flowers, perennials, annuals, dahlias
  • Bill Heath: squash, beets, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, potatoes
  • Faith Farm: Peaches, Anti-biotic free grass-fed beef, pastured pork, chicken, goat cheese, Amish butter, farm fresh eggs, local honey, strawberry jam, and pear butter.
  • Epic Gardens: seeds of heirloom beans, coriander/cilantro and edamame,greens, peas, cut herbs, fresh Bamboo Shoots, and garden plants.
  • Fertile Crescent Farm: mesclun argula, squash, micro greens heirloom plants
  • Manakintowne Specialty Growers - mixed salad greens, arugula, chard, microgreens, sunflower sprouts, peashoots, baby bok choy, escarole, fresh cut herbs and tomato plants
  • Mike Wiblin: Five varieties of lettuce, squash, radishes, onions, beets, potatoes, cherry tomatoes
  • Perennial Pleasures: beautiful lilies, hydrangeas , and mixed bouquets
  • Pleasant Fields Farm: Cabbage, broccoli, onions, greens, squash, herbs, chard, cucumbers
  • Pleitez Produce: lettuce, onions, squash, beets, radishes, tomatoes
  • Rural Virginia Market: Swiss chard, beets, sugar snap peas,cucumbers, onions, lettuce, cheese, chicken, beef, pasta, jams
  • Thistledowne Farm – Peaches, kale, carrots, cabbage, onions, beets, turnips, swiss chard, broccoli, baguette, focaccia, cookies
  • The Wise Gardener – woody trees, shrubs, vines, perennial flowers and vegetables

BAKED GOODS AND HOT FOODS - plan to stay for a picnic dinner and enjoy the sounds of one of our favorite BHM bands, Blue Line Highway!

  • Bernies Baked Goods: sweet potato bars, 7-up bars, pies, cakes.
  • Capitol Coffee and Desserts: deserts, breads and cookies
  • Chocolate Cravings: chocolate barks, bars, and truffles with exotic gourmet flavors.
  • Hot Stuff: hot BBQ sandwiches, beef chili, mac & cheese, chili and mac & cheese,(together!) hot dogs,sodas, chips.
  • Ma-Musu's: African Dishes and vegetarian delights
  • Nana’s Homemades: strawberry jam, pepperoni-mozzarella loaves, benne wafers, russian tea cakes, maple carmels, all natural lollipops, chocolate custard bars
  • Nate's Tacos: Fresh tacos and quesadillas, including great vegetarian options
  • Rostov's Coffee & Tea Company: Hot and iced coffees and teas, coffee beans and loose tea - order coffee by the lb.
  • Soul Ice: serving delicious non-fat, cholesterol free, frozen dessert.
  • St. Andrews Episcoal Church - Strawberry Jam and pickles
  • Sub Rosa Bread - Offers exclusive monthly subscriptions to a naturally leavened, rustic, wood fired bread every week for the period of that month.

NON-FOOD/CRAFTS/GARDEN

  • Amelia Soap Company – Goat milk and glycerin soaps, lotion, balms, medicinal gifts, hot/cold herb packs and lavender eye pillows.
  • Stuart Harnsberger – rain barrels and compost turners.
  • NEW! Camp Diva - lotions and home beauty products.

Chipotle's Fundrasier a Phenomenal Success!

The new VCU Chipotle at 810 W Grace St. hosted an amazing fundraiser for the Byrd House Market and Grace Arents Communty Garden on June 10th which yielded $2030 in funds! The staff worked tirelessly and served over 400 guests in only 3 hours! Thank you so much to all of our supporters who came to the event, a delicious Chipotles dinner for only $5.00, where 100% of the proceeds will go to benefit the Byrd House Market and Grace Arents Community Garden's educational programs for children. And a very big thank you to Chipotle's Regional Manager, Elizabeth Gaeta, and the staff of the Grace Street Chipotles!

Sign up for a CSA at the Byrd House Market

CSA stands for Community-sustained Agriculture and is a system whereby shoppers purchase a share of a farmer's yearly produce yield.   Most farmers pre-bag their CSA shares and members pick them up at the market each week. As the growing seasons change, so does the content of your bag.  This can be a very exciting way to make sure you get the very freshest produce without competing with the crowds at stalls or breaking any speed limits on your way to the market.  Below are links to vendors at Byrd House Market who offer CSAs

Rural Virginia Market CSA, go to www.RuralVirginiaMarket.com 

Fertile Crescent CSA, go to http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M20988


Matthew Brock Makes WBCH His Eagle Scout Project



Eagle Scout, Matthew Brock, chose the William Byrd Community Center as the focus of his Eagle Scout project completed on October 17, 2008. Matthew worked with John Wise, the Grace Arents Community Garden manager, to design and construct a pathway that runs from the back of WBCH to its gym and playground. The path which creates a border alongside the Grace Arents Community Garden and Byrd House Market field, was completed with assistance from Brock's friends and volunteers from Monacan High School, the James River Juvenile Detention Center, and Boy Scout Troop 869.

Matthew first became involved with WBCH as a middle school student when he volunteered to assist the organization's youth soccer team. Now a senior and Varsity Soccer Player at Trinity Episcopal School, volunteer work has remained a major part of his life.

Matthew's dedication to his community was most likely inherited from his grandfather, William D. Brock, who on October 17 presented Mr. Bolling, Director of WBCH, with a handcrafted birdhouse that is an amazing replica of WBCH's building on S. Cherry St. He created the birdhouse from a photograph and his imagination.

Both Matthew's path and his grandfather's birdhouse are perfect additions to William Byrd Community House and both can be seen at the Byrdhouse Market on Tuesday, October 21st from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Byrd House Market Congratulates Urban Farmer Will Allen



Milwaukee urban farmer, Will Allen was honored with a $500,000 “genius grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation this month for his work in stamping out "food deserts" in his community.  Mr. Allen is an inspiration to all of us who are striving to improve the nutritional lives of urban families.  Read about his amazing accomplishments at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/dining/01genius.html?_r=1&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

Back to School Means Back to the Basics for Your Child's Nutrition





Help your kids stay focused and healthy throughout the school year. Studies show that healthy eating not only increases a child's ability to learn but has been linked to improved behavior and better attendance.  Come to the market to load up on fruits and veggies to pack in their lunches or nosh on when they come home from school. Even better, bring your children to the market, introduce them to our farmers, tour our community garden, and use the opportunity to excite your child about healthy eating. Style Magazine called the Byrd House Market "the most child-friendly" farmers market in Richmond and it's true. We havestorytellers, face painters, children's music, and fresh tastings. 

Local Artists and College Students Help Educate Children at the Byrd House Market

Pressed flower artists and VCU student, Kelley Libby and Lookability craft artist, Robin joined forces this month to delight children from the William Byrd Community House Early Childhood Development Program. Kelley who had already planned to press flowers with the children, met Robin while at the Bizarre Market. When she saw Robin’s tiny booklets made from seed packet covers, she realized they were a perfect match for her tiny presses. After hearing about Kelley’s project, Robin generously donated her booklets for the cause. The children pressed flowers into the handmade books with very charming results.

VCU graduate, Liz Chaney worked with the William Byrd Community House teens on a fascinating project where the kids took soil samples from various parts of Oregon Hill and then with Liz’s help, the children analyzed the samples’ content.

The Grace Arents Community Garden and the Byrd House Market are often the settings for educational opportunities for children in the William Byrd Community House Programs. “I can’t tell you how valuable it is to us to have members of the community volunteer to work with the kids,” says Grace Arents Librarian, Patty Parks who oversees the department that includes the garden and the market, “the kids learn so much and having guests makes the kids feel important --- which, of course, they are.”

To learn more about Kelley Libby, visit her website at http://letstakeawalk.tumblr.com/To learn more about Robin and Lookability, visit her websites at http://lookability.blogspot.com or http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=2779

If you think you have something to teach a child or an adult in a William Byrd Community House program, please contact Patty Parks at librarian@wbch.com or call (804) 643-2717. To learn more about William Byrd and its many programs, visit our website at www.wbch.org

Farmers' Market Week Brings Distinguished Visitors to the Byrd House Market!

Robert S. Bloxom, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry and William P. Dickinson, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry visited the Byrd House Market Aug 5th in honor of Farmers Market Week! Also present that day were members of the City of Richmond Education, Planning, and Police Departments. We were very proud to show them around.

Mayoral candidate Bill Pantele visited the market July 15th to spread his election message and speak with William Byrd Community House Director, Robert Bolling. Also in tow were reporters from the Richmond Times Dispatch.

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