In partnership with the Central Virginia Food Bank (CVFB), Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens created the Community Kitchen Garden.  This is the second season Lewis Ginter has grown vegetables for the CVFB. Lewis Ginter makes weekly deliveries of produce to the CVFB, and the annual goal is to deliver 10,000 lbs. of produce. CVFB uses the vegetables for its Meals on Wheels and Kids Cafe programs. The partnership will save the CVFB around $18,000, while providing citizens with a local source of fresh, healthy food.

While most of the city was enshrouded by a cold, gray, drizzly atmosphere, Virginia Gay PRIDE festival offered a brightly colored alternative.  The 25th annual event was well attended, although afternoon rains had volunteers scrambling to move the event inside. Click on the photo (and click captions) to view a slideshow of the event, with captions.

Watch historical interpreters reenact the colonial experience that paved the way for life as we know it now. The Citie of Henricus, now an outdoor living museum, was established in 1611 and recreated with the help of Ron Blackburn in 2000. Henricus was our nation’s second settlement, founded by Thomas Dale and home to many historical events. It was the first Commonwealth in our nation; the first place where settlers owned private property and farmed tobacco for money. Henricus was also home to the first hospital and college in the New World.

Click on picture to start slideshow. Don’t forget to select captions to learn more!

This is a multimedia component within a package that features the work of master carpenter Ron Blackburn and a podcast with historical reenactor Dennis Strawderman.

The South of the James Market, soon to be in its third year, was an instant success and remains the most popular farmer’s market in Richmond. Watch the slideshow to see why!