4MRMarket Report: "Out of the Gates" Edition

Have yourself a Happy
Crepe this weekend!

The season is starting off earlier than ever here at 4MRMarket.

We already reported on all that is happening at 4MR Park this spring, with new trees coming this weekend and a MUCH cleaner stream. This is all thanks to lots of volunteer effort, a grant from Casey Trees, and a little motivation at the finish line for the volunteers thanks to a cookout by My Organic Market!

Now it's time to get Arlandria's neighborhood market out of the gates for the 4th year! Please come out and support your old favorites and a few newcomers.

This weekend, C&T Produce will bring the fresh early season produce to your doorstep, Stifler Farms will have their Shenandoah, pasture raised beef, and you can even get freshly made crepes from The Happy Crepe!

Here is our list of vendors for week 1.  Other vendors will join us next week and the following few weeks as the season gets into full swing!

• C & T Produce (White Oak, VA) - A huge selection of locally grown produce from a locally, family-run farm in Stafford, Virginia.
• The Stifler Farm aka "What's For Dinner Now" - Farm-raised Black Angus beef, humanely raised on lush pasture fields of the Shenandoah Valley, naturally farmed pork...and now... Uncle Frank's Grilling Sauce!!
• The Happy Crepe (Leesburg, VA) - Just as you'd expect, crepes made right in front of you.  Piping hot and delicious!
• St. Elmo's Coffee Pub (Del Ray) - Brewed coffee, tea, and a few extra goodies.
• Fluffed Up Desserts - (Alexandria) - Gourmet Marshmallow treats and macarons.
• Whole Health Medical (Alexandria) -  Organic teas and body scrubs from one of the largest Message and Acupuncture Therapy businesses in Northern Virginia (approved by the Alexandria Health Department).

Crafts available on a rotating basis.

See below all the ways to help and participate in the market!

The supercool 4MRMarket t-shirt

BUY. Proceeds of our 4MRMarket T-shirts go to support the expansion and revitalization of 4MR Park. They cost $12 and come in 4 colors. See us model a few at the market.  You can pre-pay online via Pay-Pal (send money to 4MRM@arlandria.org).

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 the City's Living Landscape Fund to fund tree and other amenities at 4MRExpand More information here.

HELP. If you'd like to volunteer with the 4MRMarket, 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 4MRMarket@arlandria.org for more info.

READ. Keep up to date on all the goings on by following 4MRMarket on Facebook or Twitter 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/EBT participants can take advantage of the Inova-sponsored "Double Dollar" program again this year 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 C&T Produce now accepts SFMNP vouchers!

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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.

4MRMarket is open every Sunday from 8am until 1pm from April 14th until November in Four Mile Run Park at 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. 

(click here for directions)

For more info see: http://www.4mrmarket.org/

On Facebook: facebook.com/4MRMarket
On Twitter: @4MRMarket

Contact us at: 4MRMarket@arlandria.org

Or call the 4MRMarket hotline: (804) 4mi-Run1

REPORT: Sewage Release Prompts 4MR Warning

According to ARLnow.com, a sewage release in Arlington County has prompted officials to release a warning that residents should avoid Four Mile Run for the time being (Sewage Release Prompts Stream Warning | ARLnow.com):

The county says people and pets should avoid Arlington Branch, Lower Long Branch and Four Mile Run until further notice.

“Residents should not fish in the streams or have any contact with the waters — including wading or swimming,” the county said in a press release (below). “The advisory to avoid all contact is considered an extra precaution to allow the effect of the discharge to be diminished by natural flushing of the streams.”

Volunteers plan massive tree planting in 4MR Park this weekend

The magazine of the
Casey Tree Foundation

Following a couple recent successful stream clean-ups and park renovations, a cadre of volunteers will be back at it again this upcoming weekend planting about 2 dozen trees in Four Mile Run Park.

As featured in the most recent issues of The Leaflet, the electronic newsletter of Casey Trees, volunteers organized by Tree Stewards of Arlington & Alexandria. Spearheaded by resident Kurt Moser, the project is being funded entirely by a grant from Casey Trees, who provide the plant material and tools. The planting marks the first year that Casey Trees has expanded its program outside of the District of Columbia. Casey Trees is a D.C.-based urban forestry non-profit dedicated to restoring, enhancing and protecting the tree canopy of the nation's capital.

The work will be performed Sunday, April 14th from 9am-Noon, during the opening day of the Four Mile Run Farmers & Artisans Market. Local businesses plan to support the effort by providing meals to the workers. MOM's Organic Market has planned a breakfast. Other details are still being finalized.

Sketch of the tree planting plan

 Volunteer: Four Mile Run ParkVolunteer Community Tree Planting event, open to all volunteers. 22 trees will be planted with the help of the Tree Stewards of Arlington on these park grounds.Start: April 14, 2013 9:00 am
End: April 14, 2013 12:00 pm Venue: Four Mile Run Park Address: 4131 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22305

Conceptual view of 4MR Expand from Four Mile Run Restoration Plan

The Casey Trees support of the Tree Stewards efforts is a continuation of a series of private initiatives to revive, restore and expand this public space. The trees will be planted as part of the Four Mile Run Park Expansion (4MR Expand), a project that has been a decade in the works. Originally conceived as part of the 2003 Arlandria Plan, 4MR Expand was incorporated into the Four Mile Run Restoration Plan adopted in 2005. Four parcels were acquired in 2007 with Alexandria City Open Space funds but sat idle for a number of years due to lack of money for planning and implementation. A group of architects, known as Architects Anonymous, banded together to create a workable plan for the site that could rolled out over time making the best use of contributions from grants and the community. The non-profit Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market adopted the site as the site for a farmers' market and provide maintenance and financial contributions to further the project. Architects Anonymous contributed additional plans to re-purpose the former paint store at 4MR Expand and to prevent its demolition. 

The Arlandria Plan Implementation Group supported the project by requesting that the City direct some funds that would have otherwise be lost to help complete the community's vision. Since then, 4MRMarket has solicited private contributions to enhance the site and the City's Parks department has coupled those funds with grants that they've solicited to create a venue to showcase the arts and environmental best practice. To date these include: a performance stage, permeable pavers and rain gardens to collect stormwater run-off. Planters to collect additional stormwater run-off and arts grants are still pending.

Realization of 4MR Expand in progress

The current City Manager proposed budget does not anticipate any tax money being directed to the plan.


Previous related posts from The Arlandrian:

• Four Mile Run DOWNSTREAM Clean-up April 6th
• Tales of an Arlandria Twitcher
• Four Mile Run Park is for the birds!
• Tales of an Arlandria Twitcher: The Ides of March Edition
• Community Comments on 4MR Park
• New Views on 4MR Expand
• Architects Anonymous win for Four Mile Run Park Designs
• Why plan a park?
• Discuss Path Forward for 4 Mile Run Park Expansion Sites
• "Architects Anonymous" Donates Time, Vision To Four Mile Run Park
• How Alexandria City Bureaucracy Didn’t Steal Christmas

Help solve an Animal Control Mystery

Signs posted around Four Mile Run Park today are asking the public to help identify a dog that was involved in a biting incident on Saturday, April 6th at 2:30 in the afternoon near the end of Edison Street. Alexandria officials would like to verify that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies. 

The dog is described as brown, medium to large in size, fluffy and owned by a white male who may have been wearing a red shirt. 

An un-fenced dog exercise area is situated in Four Mile Run Park at the end of Edison Street and has been criticized for its proximity to playing fields and the running/biking trail. The next closest dog runs are the fenced dog area next to Simpson field on Monroe Avenue (soon to be a neighbor of ANOTHER fenced dog run across the street from it) and further up Four Mile Run across the footbridge from Shirlington. 

 

Previous related post from The Arlandrian:

• Results of Survey About Dog Park at Reed Ave Open Space
• Can a Dog Park Reduce Crime? Some Say "Yes"
• Should Arlandria's New Open Space Be a Dog Park?
• New Park Uncovered At Spring for Alexandria
• How Alexandria City Bureaucracy Didn’t Steal Christmas.

4MR Clean-up SUCCESS!!

This morning's Four Mile Run Stream Clean-up gathered more than 80 participants at 3 staging locations along 4MR between Route 1 and Mount Vernon Avenue. The clean-up is part of larger 25th Annual Potomac River Watershed clean-up effort organized by the Alice Ferguson Foundation.

MOM's Organic Market (one of the sponsor of the AFF event) held a thank-you cook-out for volunteers afterward.

Here's a few photos from today's event: