Saturday, August 13, 2011

4MRMarket Report: "National Farmers Market Week" Edition

Starting this week, to celebrate National Farmers Market Week, bring your re-usable Buy Fresh, Buy Local bag to the market and you can enter to win $5 to spend at the market. Several winners will be selected! We have more bags to give away, so stop by the 4MRMarket tent and ask a market manager.

It should be a bit cooler tomorrow, so come by and take advantage of one of the few temperate days thus far this summer. As always, we will have a wide selection of fresh, National Farmers Market Week ready fruits, veg, meats, and cheeses.  Not to mention all the great artisan-made products available this week. There's always a surprised craft vendor or two that comes in, as well, so come check out all the great products!

Here is who you'll find at 4MRMarket this week:
  • The Stifler Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" (Shenandoah) - Natural, locally farm-raised black Angus beef, and now fresh, farm raised Pork, including bacon and andouille, chorizo, and breakfast sausage! (all flash frozen for convenience) 
  • Pleitez Produce (Northern Neck) - A full range of locally grown produce, herbs, and more. 
  • Bread and Chocolate (Arlandria) - A range of baked goods. 
  • Herban Avenues at AHHA Ranch (Lovettsville, VA) - Herbal remedies, amazing soaps, heritage breed chicken eggs, and a variety of herbs.
  • C&T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce. 
  • St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and a few extra goodies. 
  • Tom's Amish Cheese Store (Lancaster, PA) - Artisan Cheese, yogurt and Pennsylvania honey.
  • Chris Waters Furniture - Beautiful, rustic tables, bookshelves, and other furniture items, all handmade.
  • Uncommon Knits (WV) - Handwoven linens made with 100% cotton and hand-stitched hems for your kitchen, dining room and bath. 
  • Ron RLR-Designs (Herndon, VA) - Artistic photo prints to dress up any wall
  • Simply Healthy Water (Vienna, VA) - Try Dennis and Eileen's homeostatic filtered water and see if it's something you want to be able to enjoy every day.
  • Sweet Hearts Patisserie (Fairfax, VA) - a Northern Virginia based patisserie specializing in gourmet victorian petit fours and other miniature sized pastries. Sweet Hearts petit fours are made in a variety of delectable flavors and designs, and make the perfect gift or tea time treat.
VeloCity bike co-op will be on-site doing teaching bike maintenance and repair. In our 4MRMarket Tent come meet folks from the Dominion Green Power Program.

If you're a SNAP/EBT participant, remember to come out and take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program that doubles the first $10 SNAP participants spend at the market. 4MRMarket is the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia (and still the only) to accept SNAP. And check out Whole Foods Market on Duke Street in Old Town on August 17th when 5% of store sales will go to the Inova Hospital Foundation to support the Double Dollar program.

If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, we have set up a new on-line way to sign-up. Go to: volunteer.4MRMarket.org to sign up or look for the "volunteer" tab on our website. You'll be able to volunteer to help process SNAP/EBT sales, help us keep our books, help set up or tear down for the market, or help us find musicians to play the market. You can also find a Market Manager to ask to help, or email us at 4mrm@arlandria.org for more info.

Do you like to bike to 4MRMarket? If so, please fill out this survey from the League of American Bicyclists to help get 4MRMarket certified as an official Bike Friendly Business.
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The Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market (Alexandria, Virginia 22305) brings fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels, provide an opportunity for local artisans and producers of goods to bring their wares to market, strive to reflect the diversity of the community, and improve the quality of life for Arlandria residents and visitors. It is part of an overall vision to expand and improve Four Mile Run park and the surrounding neighborhood.

4MRMarket is open every Sunday from 8am until 1pm from May through October in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 

For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/
On Facebook: facebook.com/4MRMarket
Contact us at: 4mrm@arlandria.org
Or call the 4MRMarket hotline: (804) 4mi-Run1