CORRECTION with link update

HomeStyle, a special, full-color insert you'll find once a month inside Style Weekly, has a gorgeous cover story about the farmer's markets around Richmond.  It was even written by me--but unfortunately, tragically, it has a couple of gigantic editing mistakes--not committed by me. The last paragraph describing the Byrd House Market somehow became the first paragraph describing the Lakeside Farmer's Market--although the two aren't very much alike.  The article also stated that Avery's Branch Farms sells their raw milk at the Ellwood's Sidewalk Market--but they don't.  Doesn't everyone know you can't legally sell raw milk in Virginia, silly? You can pick up your milk outside of E-T if you own a share in a cow, however, and Avery's Branch does sell pretty fabulous eggs and chicken.

There isn't a link yet to the the corrected text--or any text at all for HomeStyle, for that matter--so after the jump you'll find my original copy. Read it alongside the print edition and enjoy the lovely pictures.

{UPDATE: A corrected version is available--although it has not appeared in print--online here.}

Garden of Plenty by Brandon Fox

Richmond has embraced the locavore movement with the fervor of the newly converted. It’s as if the big daddy of them all, the 17th Street Farmer’s Market, suddenly begat a couple of little markets, who in turn, spawned a few of their own.  Suddenly, local, fresh-from-the farm goods seem to be around every corner.  Of course, markets in Goochland, Ashland, and Chesterfield have been around for a while, but others closer to and in the city, like the South of the James Market and the market on Lakeside, are new this year. Are more planned for the future? It might just be a good idea. Gina Collins of Victory Farms, says that right now “that pod of people (who want local food) isn’t just the usual suspects, it’s expanded way beyond that in the last two years.”

Below you’ll find a whirlwind tour of the four main markets that are within fifteen minutes driving time from the city’s center:

The 17th St. Farmer’s Market, the first and oldest market of all, is feeling its age a little these days, as the craftsman start to outnumber the growers.  Thursdays are still bustling, however, although its outdated morning hours might be a disadvantage as competition grows, and some of the vendors appear to be wholesalers hawking produce that can’t be called local by any stretch of the imagination.  Some of the best growers have stuck with it however; Amy’s Garden still brings an abundance of certified organic produce each week, as does Victory Farms. Faith Farms comes every other week with grass-fed beef, pastured pork, chicken, and eggs, and Pleitez Produce’s tables overflow with fruits and vegetables.  Throw in Saunders Brothers' luscious peaches, Bread for the People and Grammy O’s outstanding baked goods, and Thursdays, despite limited parking, are still worth the trip.

Mike Wiblin of Hanover Produce had his best day ever at the Byrd House Market, despite an unexpected downpour, only to be followed by an even better one on a perfect, sunny day the following week. Opening just last year, this little market behind the William Byrd House in Oregon Hill keeps running strong. Past its big yellow and blue sign, and just beyond a community garden, parents and small children sit on bales of hay while volunteers read stories. On the other side of the low fence separating the garden from the market, other lucky kids get their faces painted or eat homemade oatmeal cookies and drink lemonade.

Although it’s the most child-friendly of all the markets, anyone from young hipsters to older, more conservative types stream through on a weekly basis to buy fresh-cut flowers from Perennial Pleasures, pick up produce from both 17th St. stalwarts like Amy’s Garden and Victory Farms, and newer additions like Fertile Crescent and Pleasant Field Farm, or buy pastured pork and eggs from CCL Farm and Faith Farms. Best of all, with a little advance notice on rainy days, it has a big gym next door in which to relocate, keeping both its vendors and canvas-bag-toting customers dry.

The smallest of markets is also the only one with a 1949 white pick-up truck parked next to it, and the only one in Henrico regulated by the Virginia Department of Agriculture.  Just eleven vendor spots are available at the Lakeside Farmer’s Market. No crafts--only food, plants, and produce are sold, and with two sets of hours on Wednesdays and another set Saturday morning, the more distracted of us have our best chance of remembering to go instead of having to wait until the market rolls around the following week.

Hanover Produce is there in the afternoon on Wednesday with the best tomatoes in town, as is Pleitez Produce, and the new fruit and berry CSA, Agriberry.  In the morning you’ll find peaches from Lowe’s Arlington Farm, lemon cucumbers from Pleasant Field Farm, and Chile Llama Farm has been known to bring up to six different kinds of garlic.  It’s hopping on Saturdays with plenty of produce, freshly baked goods, as well as eggs, pork and beef.  Market manager Peter Franciso worked three years with the county to get the project off the ground, and so far, despite worries about competition from other markets and a desire to keep things small, he sees it grow every week.

“It’s the most fun market,” says Brenda Lawler of Faith Farms, “everyone’s out there with their dogs and their kids. It’s festive!” {The South of the James Market} is also the most profitable for Lawlers, and if the Saturday I went is any indication, every weekend attracts throngs of customers. Lots of parking also means a longish walk, but Marcus Blowfish makes it all worthwhile as he plays his guitar and sings the blues at the entrance. Inside, among the brightly covered tents, you’ll find jewelry makers, henna tatoo artists, stained-glass artists, plus at least a half a dozen growers who might look familiar from other markets around town.  Best of all is the food: both Big Daddy’s BBQ and Tex’s BBQ vie for your attention, along with yet another excellent barbecue choice (as well as spanikopita for the meat-free) from Seven Hills Catering.  “We’d like to see more food,” says Gina Collins of Victory Farms, “the food makes it an event, an activity, a family affair.”

Ellwood’s Sidewalk Market is small, but according to marketing manager Lesley Johnson, "it’s growing all the time, right along with the local produce as it comes into season.”  Growers like Thistle Farm, Trail’s End, and Amy’s Garden rotate on a weekly basis, along with Avery’s Branch Farms’ weekly raw milk pick-up. Crafters are joining in, as well as Grammy O’s seriously tempting cinnamon buns, Herben Avenues with its herbal remedies and teas, and River City Botanicals.  Some have scoffed at the idea of a grocery store sponsoring a farmer’s market, but it’s another chance to grab the good stuff while running all of your other errands.

Although some worry that the customer base might get spread too thin if the markets keep expanding, others, like Collins, worry that the growers might be the ones scrambling to keep up. “It’s important to us to encourage more growers to come, even people selling backyard stuff.  That’s how we started out!” At the moment, however, neither of those things seems to be of concern. The combinations of music, crafts, and especially fresh and local food have made the farmer’s markets around town weekly events not to be missed.

Please check with each market for a detailed list of vendors.

17th Street Farmers' Market
Shockoe Bottom at Main St. and 17th St.
100 N. 17th St.
April 19th through December 6th   
Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
http://www.17thstreetfarmersmarket.com

Byrd House Market
Oregon Hill, at the corner of Idlewood Ave. and S. Linden St.
May 6th through October 28th   
Tuesdays, 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
http://www.byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com/

Lakeside Farmer’s Market
Lakeside Towne Center
6110 Lakeside Ave.
May-November
Wednesdays, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.;
Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to noon

South of the James Market
Forest Hill Park, at the end of New Kent Avenue and 42nd Street, in Shelter 2
May 3rd through October 25th
Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to noon

Ellwood’s Sidewalk Market
4 N. Thompson St.
Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
http://www.ellwoodthompsons.com/

Comments

[Laura Morand Bailey]

Brandon,

I just wanted to thank you for writing such a great article on all the farmer's markets. I could tell that you put a lot of work and thought into analyzing what each market has to offer and that is the kind of thoughtful journalism consumers need to make good decisions. I enjoyed meeting you yesterday at the market and appreciated the reason for your errand. I look forward to learning more about Richmond food on your blog.

Laura Morand Bailey
Byrd House Market

[Mary Kroll]

Thank you for tempering the bad aspects of the 17th Street Farmers market with the good, which reporters and bloggers sometimes forget to do. As a vendor of 6 years, I feel that we hit bottom last season and there's nowhere to go but up.

[Deborah Dowd]

I didn't know that Saunders Brothers came down to the market in Richmond. A trip there is the highlight of every camping trip we make to Crabtree Falls. It is definitely worth a Saturday drive from Richmond for fresh peaches, Asian pears (and be sure to try the peach freeze!)

[Mary Kroll]

In response to your comment on the Goat Notes blog:

The dichotomy of my reactions owes to the fact that I only read the paragraph on 17th St before commenting. It was after I read the article in its entirety that I saw an inequity - no shortcomings are mentioned for the other local farmers markets. That is the main point of my letter, or at least was intended to be.

I do follow Buttermilk & Molasses and have already commented on his most recent market-oriented posting.

As for the hours at 17th St, short of being open 24 hours a day (which is not humanly possible), there is no one schedule that will be right for all potential patrons.

Mary Kroll