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.
Autumn is here and the mornings are pretty nice in Four Mile Run Park.
It's been exactly one year since Julia Valentine took over the Four Mile Run Market Morning Stretch. She was off last week for a break and will be back bright and early Sunday morning. It was our good friend Melody Abella who came up with the idea to occasionally start the 4MRMarket with yoga and she substituted last week while Julia was away, bringing us full circle for the start of another fall season. We're grateful to both of these lovely ladies and to all the supporters who have helped us continue to make improvements and create a love of place in Four Mile Run Park.
So please, if you can: Wake up gently with an hour of stretching on the floor (or a chair if you prefer) -- enjoy the benefits of gentle yoga without needing to know any yoga words or poses. This Sunday's suggested $10 donation will go the Four Mile Run Conservatory to help with park improvements.
This week in the park, we had folks joining in on a Saturday morning Kayak Clean-up of Four Mile Run. It was pretty full but more events will be listed on our calendars soon. And pretty soon we'll start raising funds to kickstart the new accessible water access point to facilitate our cleanups and provide all folks with the chance to experience Four Mile Run.
We're incredibly grateful for the community of support for the non-profit we founded, the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation. Last year, we removed more than 2.5 tons of litter, mostly lightweight plastic & styrofoam, engaged at least 400 people at 28 public and volunteer events, study microplastic pollution with summer student interns, conducted ongoing documentation of wildlife and planned for future park improvements.
Stop for breakfast & share with our community: Pinkava's great coffee for a cause, Baked By Yael bagels, Agape Smoothies, #artbacon, sausages and kombucha from The Fermented Pig, and fresh meats from Harmony Hill Farm. Along with great produce from Papa's Market, Lopez Farms and Tom's Amish Produce. Hot cheese empanadas from Ana's Twist, or baked goods from Savory n' Sweet.
We'll be here this week 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 onward.
Look for NEW VENDORs Sundays, 9am-1pm at Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market.
Harmony Hill Farm, purveyors of beef, pork & lamb from West Virginia.
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 )FF THIS WEEK 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 coming 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).
New crafters and food artisans may be joining us along the way too. Like...
Aroma DC Candles: Aroma DC Candles offers hand crafted scented candles & soaps. We use 100% Soybeans, Beeswax, Almond oil, Coconut oil and Shea Butter eco-friendly products. We take great pride in our products. Our soybeans & beeswax come from locally grown farmers within the US. All candles & soap products are proudly made in the USA.
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 )FF THIS WEEK 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 coming 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).
Aroma DC Candles: Aroma DC Candles offers hand crafted scented candles & soaps. We use 100% Soybeans, Beeswax, Almond oil, Coconut oil and Shea Butter eco-friendly products. We take great pride in our products. Our soybeans & beeswax come from locally grown farmers within the US. All candles & soap products are proudly made in the USA.
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
Join us for Four Mile Run Market Morning Stretch with yoga instructor Julia Valentine (RYT-200).Wake up gently with an hour of stretching on the floor (or a chair if you prefer) -- enjoy the benefits of gentle yoga without needing to know any yoga words or poses.
Class is held OUTSIDE (in shade) if it's mild, or INSIDE the air-conditioned red community center building if it's too hot. Julia closes class with some amazing samples from the Four Mile Run Farmers Market family of vendors including, whenever available, artisanal bacon from The Fermented Pig and fresh bagels from Baked by Yael.
100% of your donation will help raise funds for park improvements with the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation.
RSVP: http://4mryoga.eventbrite.com
Suggested donation $10 -- at class or online at: https://www.fourmilerun.org/p/donate.html
What wear: No yoga or work out clothes necessary, just dress comfortably for moving around.
What to bring: Bring your own mat or towel & water bottle. (refill at our water fountain).
Note: bathroom facilities and water fountain on-site.
VéloCity @4MRMarket
Volunteers will be on-hand for folks every other Sunday through October to ask questions about bicycling. Bring your bike and they'll perform an assessment to determine if there are any areas that might need fixing. Minor adjustments will be made onsite.
All services mentioned will be free.
On 4MR Stage, ~10am - Noon
The 4MRMarket Stage schedule has openings. Email us at 4MRStage@arlandria.org if interested or to make a suggestion. Look for updates as we go on.
Kevin Brady will perform on the Four Mile Run Stage this Sunday! Kevin will bring us accoustic folk, rock, and bluegrass.
Want to play in the future or know someone who does? Email us at: 4MRStage@arlandria.org
We'll also have our Spotify playlist of past 4MR Stage performers. Check it out!
________________________________
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 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.
#KeepOn #eating. Keep on #composting.
#KeepOn #eating. Keep on #composting.
4MR Walks & Cleanups
The Four Mile Run Conservatory has added 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.
Two new volunteer kayak clean-up opportunities are scheduled through October, with more to be added in the Fall. Please consider joining us. It's fun and rewarding.
Did you know that as many as seven water-powered mills operated between present-day Shirlington and Mount Vernon Avenue? That's the subject of Sunday's 4MR History Walk: the Mills of Lower Four Mile Run. Find out about the latest historical research on the mills of lower Four Mile Run, as we walk the trail along this stretch.
We meet at the Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market plaza area. Event will be canceled in case of rain. RSVP: https://4mrhistory.eventbrite.com
Please consider donating to help fund park improvements:
www.fourmilerun.org/p/donate.html
REGISTRATION opens two to four weeks in advance for each event. Upcoming dates:
Saturday, September 28
08:30
Sunday, September 29
09:00
Saturday, October 5
08:30
Sunday, October 20
16:00
Saturday, October 26
19:00
Last year we achieved 2-1/2 tons collected. This Summer we have accumulated over 1 ton. A land-based clean-up of 'Sunnyside' tributary this past Spring was phenomenal collection 717 lbs or litter. That's over 1/3 of a ton, reviving one of our creeks in a way that hasn't been done in maybe a quarter of a century or more.
Specific details available to those who register at the link above. For more upcoming events, walks and cleanups with the Four Mile Run Conservatory, check out their website and 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
____________________________________
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 4MR Plaza 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 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, 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.
__________________________________
 |
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 th!eir 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
Subscribe to Updates: via Email
Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org
Or call the 4MRMarket info line: (804) 4mi-Run1
