Friday, January 4, 2019

New Beginnings, Same Community Commitment

The Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market (4MRMarket) 
will be open every Sunday from 9am until 1pm 
in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 

If the weather's a bit frightful (even just a little bit), look for us inside the red building Sunday morning!

But we say: No more dark and stormy weekend! It will finally be (probably be?) a SUN DAY and 4MRMarket has several activities happening. Bagels are back from their holiday, and so are some new friends!

We'll be here with a perfect way to enjoy a lovely Sunday morning at Four Mile Run Park. And a great way to #KnowYourFarmerKnowYourFood. Keep on the look-out for more details to come as we venture into the Holidays and Winter.

The midday sun hanging low over the 4MR Plaza means winter is here and the New Year is upon us!
Here's wishing everyone a happy one! And we'll see you Sundays, 9am-1pm (inside or out).
New Vendors! And Special Guests!!

Look for NEW VENDORs Sundays, 9am-1pm at Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market.

NEW this Sunday, Cat's Paw Organic Farm: veterans of the Sunday downtown farmer's market in Baltimore for about 20 years. Rudy and Judy Medicus have several greenhouses with winter greens and early spring crops and farm about 6 acres in Carroll County just outside Union Bridge. In addition to produce, they offer home-baked goods which were awarded the best muffins in Baltimore by the City Paper.

Nell, Winnie, and Josh are pleased to bring The Fermented Pig handcrafted products to market. They have a weekly selection of handcrafted and smoked bacons available all year round! Their curing process and our handcrafted rubs offer an endless variety of exciting flavors ranging from sweet to spicy to savory handcrafted kombucha, bacon, and charcuterie

PINKAVA Coffee Company is built upon bringing you incredibly roasted coffees and making a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Through thoughtful action and great coffee, together we can affect change. Craft roasters with a cause. Single origins, Half-caffs, Decafs, Fair-trade, Organic. 10% goes to breast cancer research.

Baked by Yael are back with bagels and other baked goods. All products are nut-free and kosher, with gluten-free and vegan options. (Bagels are all vegan, but not GF).

This Sunday we're also welcoming Papa's Orchard from Ortanna, Pennsylvania and we're welcoming back Tom's Amish Cheese Shop! These stalwarts stay out in the cold all winter and are ready for some sun.

As a special treat, Tom is bringing Lancaster County produce:  Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Greens, Garlic and Swiss Chard.

Also, on hand will be Etienne's Sweet Inspirations and Sweet Twist of Ecuador is back from visiting home for the holiday. Savory 'n Sweet is off this week.

New crafters and food artisans may be joining us along the way too. Like...
FireRefinedHandmade Home Decor, Signs, and Furniture by Spiros and Vijil Mavronas from Alexandria, Virginia.

Lopez Farms is gone for the winter, but here it comes: organic produce is on its way.

We're proud of how 4MRMarket acts as a business incubator: creating opportunities for start-ups and entrepreneurs to experiment with new and exciting business models. We hear from new businesses all the time, looking to start at 4MRMarket and we're proud to provide a place for them to strive to reach their dreams. It's exciting to see. We hope folks continue to check them out and give them a chance. Feedback is invaluable.

And we're incredibly honored to have been awarded an Alexandria Beautification Award along with our non-profit partner, the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation, for our combined ongoing efforts to contribute to park improvements. We capped that by extending our tree planting efforts with the planting of Food Forest with the help of TD Bank & Tree Stewards volunteers and the Arbor Day Foundation for #TDTreeDays.

Also, keep abreast on FacebookTwitterInstagram or on the web.


As a 100% neighborhood volunteer-run market, we are proud that 4MRMarket serves as an incubator for small start-up businesses, a space for non-profits to promote their causes, and a community gathering place for live music, fellowship, and quality food and craft options. We're happy to announce the new vendors approach us almost every day. We love hosting new businesses and watching them grow. And we've been there through their ups & downs.


4MRMarket Morning Stretch
  • Every Sunday in January! Morning Stretch @4MRMarket!
  • Later start time for the darker days of December!
  • 9 a.m. INSIDE the red building
Join us for Four Mile Run Market Morning Stretch with yoga instructor Julia Valentine. Wake up gently with 45-60 min of stretching -- yoga without the yoga words.
INDOORS: Inside the big red building -- heated, carpeted room.

100% of your donation will help raise funds for park improvements with the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation.

Bring your own mat or towel & water bottle.
Suggested donation $10 -- here online or at class

RSVP to 4MRYoga.eventbrite.com or just show up!


On 4MR Stage, ~10am - Noon

The 4MRMarket Stage will likely remain dark throughout the winter. Look for updates.

We'll also have our Spotify playlist of past 4MR Stage performers. Check it out!

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Since its inception, 4MRMarket has hosted the 4MR Concert Series. This season marks another year where the 4MR Stage will be home a weekly concert series featuring local artists that volunteer their time to bring you a little kick-start to your Sunday! Nearly every week, there will be an artist on stage from 10am to noon. They graciously accept tips and friendly applause, so please help support music at the market from these volunteer musicians!

Remember, the concerts are free, but all our performers welcome tips and friendly applause for sharing their craft with you on a lovely Sunday morning.

Please see the 4MRMarket FaceBook event page for more information about the show!


Composting Sundays @4MRMarket

Community Composting Collection takes place each and every Sunday at Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market. In an effort initiated by the City of Alexandria and heartily support at 4MRMarket, residents can by bring non-animal food scraps in any type of container or purchase one on-site for a very low fee. 4MRMarket even supplies a water hose to rinse out your containers (if you help us water our container garden by emptying it out there.

And ICYMI, along with the Four Mile Run Conservatory we've been supporting Compost Alex in their efforts to pilot community composting in Four Mile Run Park.



4MR Winter Walks & Cleanups
The Four Mile Run Conservatory has added winter events to the calendar for 2019. Land-based clean-ups will focus on some areas that are more accessible when the vegetation is dormant, and on locations where we can get to larger items, such as shopping carts, at low tide. Register for these events to offer your help.
  • Sunday, January 6, 2:00-4:30pm - Land-based clean-up of 'Sunnyside' tributary 
  • Sunday, January 13, 10:00-11:00am - Winter Wetland Walk 
  • Saturday, February 2, Noon-2:30pm - Low tide clean-up (tires, shopping carts) 
  • Saturday, February 9, 2:00-4:30pm - Land-based clean-up of priority areas - locations TBA
    For more upcoming events, walks and cleanups with the Four Mile Run Conservatory, check out their website at: www.fourmilerun.org


    For the current list of revolving vendors this season at 4MRMarket, see our vendor page on our website: Meet our Vendors

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    More ways to support 4MRMarket:


    DONATE. Help 4MRMarket help 4MRPark. Tax-deductible donations can be made to support us in our efforts to revitalize Four Mile Run Park. Donate to our partner the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation to fund tree plantings, clean-ups, water stations and other amenities at 4MRExpand or throughout the park.

    VOLUNTEER. We love help with set-up and tear-down and/or helping folks shop using SNAP or Credit/Debit cards. Just find a Market Manager to ask to help, or email us at 4MRMarket@arlandria.org for more info.

    FOLLOW. Keep up to date on all the goings-on by following 4MRMarket on FacebookTwitterInstagramGoogle+Email or via our website and blog.

    SPREAD THE WORD.  Please tell folks about us. And tell folks about some of the great things we're doing. For instance, all SNAP participants can take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program again this year that doubles the first $20 SNAP participants spend. An extra $20!! 4MRMarket is proud to have been the first farmers’ market in Northern Virginia to accept SNAP.
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    Buy Fresh Buy Local 4MRMarket products.
    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.

    For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/
    On Facebook: facebook.com/4MRMarket
    On Twitter: @4MRMarket
    On Instagram: @4MRMarket
    Subscribe to Updates: via Email
    Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org
    Or call the 4MRMarket info line: (804) 4mi-Run1