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Four Mile Run Farmers' Market


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I don't think there's been a thread started about this relatively new little Sunday market. It's along Mount Vernon Avenue by Four Mile Run, in a lot beside the old Duron store location. It's a small market, with some of the same vendors you see at the Del Ray market on Saturdays. A list of vendors and more details are found here.

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I don't think there's been a thread started about this relatively new little Sunday market. It's along Mount Vernon Avenue by Four Mile Run, in a lot beside the old Duron store location. It's a small market, with some of the same vendors you see at the Del Ray market on Saturdays. A list of vendors and more details are found here.

passed it often and finally swung by thanks to your post. A little small but was busier than I expected with a steady stream of people trickling in. The meat guy was missing, I was told he had run out and had gone to kill some cows! I went there looking for the beer and wine powders which the Tea & Spice vendor touted on their website but the lady had not brought them this time. Understand that they might move into the Duron space come winter. There is music, plus hot beverages from St. Elmos besides the produce and baked goods. Overall a very nice neigborhood feel.

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We went to the market Sunday morning and were pleased with the take. (Apologies in advance - I'm terrible at remembering names.) There are two produce vendors - the berries were particularly fantastic, and the cherry tomatoes I bought tasted like tomatoes instead of water. We also got eggs and an herbed goat cheese from the guy who sells Amish-made products. The cheese in particular was really nice and flavorful. There are preserves, honey, meats, baked goods, and even a guy from the power company hawking green energy. It's not a big one, but the prices seemed lower than at the other markets. We can walk to this one, so I'm hoping there's enough traffic to keep it going!

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Thanks for the update, lperry - I've been wondering if that market was still operating. They have a new(ish) website with some info on vendors, etc. here. Hours are still 8am - 1pm on Sundays.

Sweet Hearts Patisserie's cake truffles looks tempting. Have you tried "What's For Dinner" steaks?

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The Four Mile Run market is still going, and I'm going to try to convince all of you who usually hit the Del Ray market to choose this one instead or in addition. There is currently a single produce vendor, but the product is excellent, they are selling fruits, vegetables, and plants at reasonable to bargain prices, and the farm where everything is grown is in Stafford. For two years in a row I've bought four-packs of heirloom tomato plants from these guys for $1. Nothing is brought in from wholesalers like some produce is at the Del Ray market, and we have never encountered the typical Del Ray crowds.

The Amish Country cheeses and eggs are excellent, Mr. lperry is a big fan of the goat's milk cheeses, and this weekend they had live music. There are meats, a few craft vendors, and occasional purveyors of homemade beauty products. I'm loving the quality of the hand cream I bought a couple of weeks ago.

This market has locally produced foods, has a convenient parking lot, and is open on Sundays. Please support it! We want so much for it to continue.

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Nothing is brought in from wholesalers like some produce is at the Del Ray market

********

Who does this??

This weekend, we'll be back in full swing farmers market mode. FC market on Sat, and I think we'll give 4MR a try on Sun. (and probably swing by Alex. West End too!)

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Nothing is brought in from wholesalers like some produce is at the Del Ray market

********

Who does this??

I don't have specific names, but we had a conversation with a vendor (not the produce guys) at 4MR on Saturday, and it veered toward local products. We didn't bring it up, we just mentioned that we liked buying from a Stafford farm, and then we talked about the crowds at Del Ray. During this exchange the vendor explained that some of the vendors at Del Ray had been there so long that the administration allows them to bring in outside products in addition to what they grow. Some sort of grandfather clause or understanding. The vendor didn't see any issue with it - it was a neutral comment about the history of the two markets - and the small producers are still being supported. Because there was no negative intent to the conversation, and because of the vendor's history with local markets, I had no reason not to believe him.

Their website says they "feature" locally grown items, but there is no indication of exclusively local items. I suppose it would be easy enough to check out by asking the admin at Del Ray.

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I've not had the impression that anyone at Del Ray augments their produce with wholesale because I don't see out of season produce like I do at the Old Town market, which is absolutely in your face! Corn and strawberries in April? Really? And it's more than a handful of the vendors there, but I know who the real gems are, and patronize them.

I know Tom the Cheese Guy resells from farms in Amish Country, but that's OK and the saltenas and apple cider donuts probably have zero local ingredients, but I sure do love them :wub:

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To be honest, I haven't been to Del Ray since a couple of years ago when I was standing right in front of a vendor's table and I got (literally) run over by a rude woman pushing her child in a pram. I'm not much for crowds, hence my preference for the 4MR market. They have a much larger site.

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The Del Ray market does get a little "close" and yes, lots of prams! I like the vibe though and treating myself to the prepared goodies :wub: Mr. MV is addicted to the apple cider donuts from Front Royal, and I find Three Way Farm to be a real gem. Funny story-- twice I bought mustard greens from them. I wrapped the greens in paper towels and stored them back in their plastic bag in the fridge for a week. Both heads of mustards had a living, albeit chilly and very slow moving ladybug in it.

The first one was missed by my knife blade by a hair, and the second one appeared more readily. Both lived to tell the tale.

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Picked up some excellent baby spinach, eggs, and raw goat's milk cheddar this morning. This afternoon I heard back from the Del Ray market staff after asking them about produce provenience via email. I don't know if this part of the conversation needs to be moved to the Del Ray thread (?)

At any rate, from Katie Baker, the Assistant Market Manager at Del Ray:

Your question can be a tough one to answer depending on your definition of local. Our farmers are from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania and sell the meat/eggs/fruits/veggies that they raise on their own farms. We do have a rule that 80% of what a vendor sells has to be from their own farm, so some vendors might get, say, fruit, from a farm local to them and resell at the Del Ray Market, but it can only be in limited quantities.
The only exception to this is Tom, who does the Amish cheese and yogurt. He works with a co-op of Amish farmers who co-mingle their milk to produce the products Tom sells.

She also suggested anyone interested in sources of ingredients or organic vs. conventional produce speak with the vendors directly.

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We waited for the rain to pass and missed out on eggs. :( Interesting and different summer squashes were out this week with little yellow and green cannonballs and yellow and white striped "zucchini." We also saw sweet corn, potatoes, celery, chard, lettuce, cherries, berries, onions, mature and young, and the first of the field tomatoes including green ones for pickling. Next week we'll go in the rain for the eggs.

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Four Mile Run Market is participating in a VIrginia Grown $10 a week promotion from the Virginia Food System Council. You get a punch card, and when the card is completely marked, you enter a contest for a Virginia Grown prize gift basket. The newsletter I received this week indicates there is still enough time to finish filling the card, and you can pick it up at the market this Sunday. More information here.

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C&T Produce is out with racks of flowers and vegetable plants for the garden.  We also picked up some gorgeous asparagus and red romaine lettuce.  There is a new booth with Bulgarian pastries, another with handmade soaps, the egg and cheese people from Pennsylvania are back, and live music is playing on the stage.  A beautiful day to take a relaxing walk and pick up some produce.   

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