Category Archives: William Byrd Community House

The Renegade Market Continues Tomorrow

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From email announcement:

And you will begin to notice a slow but steady increase in the appearance of early spring crops – greens, lettuces, microgreens, Brussels Sprouts and brassicas of many kinds…at BHM and area markets… Enjoy these early fruits of the sun, soil, H2o and daylight savings time. Tuesdays, 3 to 6pm through April. byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com (or use logo link below)

Server Crash
Greetings all, my apologies for no update last week, but our server crashed and there it all went from Thursday to Tuesday. Maybe it was a thunk from the “Gods” because this week the rain will hit Monday and dry out to fairly warm and breezy as this week launches the Spring season. Of course immediately following the first day of spring our nighttime temperatures will plummet to the upper 20s for the following few nights so enjoy those Tulip Magnolias and early sproutlings now before they become freezer burned and mushy. :( so sad.

Ranch Dressing?
I’m looking for a recipe for making this popular with carrot sticks and children salad dressing FROM SCRATCH (whole fat buttermilk, sour cream or mayonnaise, herbs, spices, instructions)! Open to all suggestions and variations on the theme! Post it on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/byrdhousemarket

Urban Agriculture Learning Series
On behalf of the WBCH Eat Good Grow Great Nutrition Education program, I will be at this coming Saturday’s urban agriculture learning session, March 23 to demonstrate “Cooking What You Grow!” If you attended last Saturday the 16th you heard all about WORMS from Daniel Finney of Tricycle Gardens and about Garden Planning from Matthew Daniel of WBCH Byrd House Farmlet. Duron Chavis of McDonough Community Garden (http://mcdonoughgarden.com/), Domoinic Barrett of Shalom Farms, Lisa Taranto of the city, David Stover our fine beekeeper and many others make this FREE series all profit for you. http://www.facebook.com/events/403986199684915/

And speaking of …
Women’s History Month, did you know that Shelia Givens is the first African American woman to serve as executive director in its 90 year history?

More goings on at www.wbch.org
_____________________

Ana Edwards, Manager
Byrd House Market & Library Programs
Grace Arents Library & Education Center
William Byrd Community House
www.wbch.org / 804.643.2717 ext.306

Food-Coop Holds Community Forum At WBCH On Monday

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From email announcement:

The Richmond Food Co-op will be holding its monthly Community Forum on Monday, March 18th at the William Byrd House from 6:00pm -7:00pm (224 S Cherry St Richmond, VA 23220). Prospective members are welcome to come learn about the Richmond Food Co-op’s structure and vision.

The Richmond Food Co-op will be a member-owned full service grocery store providing affordable, local, sustainable and healthy food options.
The Co-op is expected to open in the fall of 2013, following a vigorous membership drive. The membership base is the foundation of the business, and all members of the Co-op will have an equal ownership.

The Co-op is grounded on four key principles:
Provide healthy and delicious food from local suppliers that use environmentally and socially responsible practices.
Improve access to organic and local crops by offering often lower prices for equal or better quality products than those available in local markets.
Employ a democratic process structured around community decision-making and benefits.
Drive community education on nutrition and healthy eating.

The membership investment is $125 per adult member of a household; a $25 non-refundable joining fee per household also applies. People on government assistance will pay a discounted rate for membership:a $10 investment plus a $5 joining fee.

More information on the Richmond Food Co-op and membership is available at www.richmondfoodcoop.com.

Renegade Market Tomorrow

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From email announcement:

Menu by Renegade …
Billy bread (toasted and not toasted, gone in one day) with slabs of Amish butter (melted and not melted). (Byrd Farm and Faith Farm)
Burgers seared in butter and olive oil dashed with sea salt and black pepper and a squirt of teriyaki sauce. (Byrd Farm and Faith Farm)
Hunks of dried gizzard and salmon for Shadow and Blackie, dog and cat (Mugsy’s DogTown Lounge)
A yearning for Old Church Creamery’s cheddar, yogurt, greek-style yogurt and Kefir… (we look forward to seeing them again soon!)
This week I plan to get out early so I don’t miss those greens and roasting birds…

How to Budget with No Money!

WBCH Grace Arents Library Presents the first of our 2013 Enrichment Classes. Dana Wiggins, a specialist in predatory lending with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, will host a small group discussion on what to do when you have no money and feel trapped. Fear makes even the smartest people make bad decisions, especially about money. Learn what resources there are and strategies can be used to help you deal with financial crisis. Since this is a discussion group the number of participants is limited to between 5 and 10. Two sessions will be held: Mar. 14 and Apr. 11. Call 643-2717 ext. 306, stop by, or email byrdhousemarket at gmail.com to reserve a seat at the table for either session.

Farmers Income Tax Tips

Received from VDACS this morning: “We thought you might be interested in a new tip sheet we’ve developed concerning income-tax issues farmers, particularly beginning farmers, ought to be aware of. The tip sheet “Tips About Farmer Income Tax” is part of a series we’ve developed in conjunction with USDA NIFA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (OASDFR) program. This tip sheet and others are available at the ATTRA website www.attra.ncat.org.”
key words:

byrd , house & bash …

at wbch.org

Ana Edwards, Library Programs Manager
_____________________

Ana Edwards, Manager
Byrd House Market & Library Programs
Grace Arents Library & Education Center
William Byrd Community House
www.wbch.org / 804.643.2717 ext.306

2nd Annual Oregon Hill Memorial Day Invitational Announced

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Another soccer tourney from Manny. From the FaceBook event page:

Fund raiser for the William Byrd Community center foundation
$5 per player. All proceeds will be donated to the foundation.
7 v 7 coed invitational on an irregular field…
We are now accepting 6 teams with a minimum roster of 8 players. First come first served.
no more than 5 guys on field at any time per team
mail $20 deposit along with roster and team name/jersey colors to: 614 China St. richmond VA 23220 or email oregonhillnumina at yahoo.com.

Defending champs:

Byrd House Market News

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From the email announcement:

“Pleasant, savory taste”
Some of you fabulous foodies might already know this, but the hazy, soft sound of “umami” just came clear for me with an issue of Martin’s Healthy Ideas magazine (page 37). Umami is a Japanese word that means (yes) “pleasant, savory taste” and represents the 5th essential taste (which apparently emerged with the foodie movement in the 1980s?) our human tongues recognize. The original four are sweet, salty, sour and bitter. I, 4 one, am pleased that SAVORY has been recognized because as opposed to some, I have a SAVORY TOOTH, but try explaining that to people who only seem to recognize sweet or salt. That’s my beef – lack of a peer group!! or so I thought. Do any of you recall that back in the 80s you could buy an herb called “Savory”; it came in Winter and Sweet varieties. Wonderful with beef stew… When I couldn’t find it anymore I started using Juniper berries and peanut butter… yummy. byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com

It is so good to know our vendors are there for us!
Drop by, shop a little or a lot. Soups and stews awaiting those grass-fed meats and free-range eggs. Quick stir-fry or slow saute those winter greens that pump anti-oxidants and all manner of superfood goodness into our cold, wet souls…

Upcoming
March 4: ALL vendors applications due for 2013 Byrd House Market season
March 19: 2013 Market Vendor Orientation, 1-2 pm
April 27: Byrd House Bash – William Byrd Community House’s 90th Birthday Party!!

YES! WBCH is 90 This Year!
Stay tuned for stories, activities, celebrations, pledges for the next 90 years, reflections… The first installment of our story is on our website. The big event, of course, is the Byrd House Bash! April 27…details coming soon!

What’s the oldest story YOU have about William Byrd Community House?
Post it on our Facebook page! We would love to help you share your history (or that of someone you know) as part of the first Nurse’s Settlement House, serving all of Richmond’s populations.

Peace and Good Food to You All.

_____________________

Ana Edwards, Manager
Byrd House Market & Library Programs
Grace Arents Library & Education Center
William Byrd Community House
www.wbch.org / 804.643.2717 ext.306

Richmond Food Co-op Presentation

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From Oregon Hill resident Silver Persinger:

2013 Feb. 18 - Community Forum - Richmond Food Co-op at William Byrd - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger on Vimeo.

Michele Lord and Susan Hill, co-founders and Chair and Secretary, respectively, of the Richmond Food Co-op Board of Directors, gave a presentation explaining what a co-op is and shared information about the proposed co-op including a timeline for benchmarks and financial information.
This was an informational meeting for prospective members to learn more about the Richmond Food Co-op and to ask questions. These community forums will continue on a monthly basis at William Byrd Community House in Oregon Hill throughout the Spring on the third Monday of each month at 6 PM.
For more information about the Richmond Food Co-op:
richmondfoodcoop.com
facebook.com/Richmondfoodcoop
richmondfoodcoop.blogspot.com/
twitter.com/RVAfoodcoop

Renegade Market Today

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From email announcement:

Byrd Farm and Rurual Virginia Market
Faith Farm Foods
The Old Church Creamery…Just the sound of those words illicites hunger and assurance that you will be fed, and fed well. Don’t you think? So, the market is open, today 3 til 6pm. Come out, Enjoy, Shop, Snack… Bring friends and relations or Shop for friends and relations. See who else might come. Get yourself a treat, or two. Oh, it is so like winter out there…but with a touch of springy anticipation, right?

Upcoming
March 4: ALL vendors applications due for 2013 Byrd House Market season
March 19: 2013 Market Vendor Orientation, 1-2 pm
April 27: Byrd House Bash – William Byrd Community House’s 90th Birthday Party!!

YES! WBCH is 90 This Year!
Stay tuned for stories, activities, celebrations, pledges for the next 90 years, reflections… If you or someone you know attended WBCH programs at any point during its 90 year history, we’d love to hear your story. The first installment of our story is on our website. The big event, of course, is the Byrd House Bash! April 27…details coming soon!

Peace and Good Food to You All.

_____________________

Ana Edwards, Manager
Byrd House Market & Library Programs
Grace Arents Library & Education Center
William Byrd Community House
www.wbch.org / 804.643.2717 ext.306

“ghost of Grace”

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Henrico Citizen has a recent article that touches on Oregon Hill’s ‘patron saint’, Grace Arents:

Just across Hilliard Road from the Lakeside Town Center, at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (LGBG), employees of the Garden often speak of the “ghost of Grace.” At a recent Lakeside Business Association social, a few business owners wondered whether the spirit playing in the shops might be a long-ago resident of the homes that were once on the site – or perhaps the young Grace Arents, Lewis Ginter’s niece.

Beth Monroe, LGBG director of public relations and marketing, noted that Arents – who lived as an adult in the Bloemendaal House and possibly played on the grounds as a child – had a generous nature and was known for her philanthropic efforts, such as establishing a convalescent home for children and founding Richmond’s first public library.

Arents was especially concerned with the plight of urban children, who would often be brought out from Oregon Hill to Bloemendaal Farm so that they could enjoy fresh air and eat healthy foods. “The site of the Children’s Garden is where she grew her vegetables,” Monroe pointed out.

Noting that “places like Lewis Ginter often have a patron saint of sorts,” Monroe said that Arents clearly fits the profile of the affectionate, benevolent, and playful spirit that seems to show up at the Bloemendaal House from time to time. While “Grace’s ghost” has not been heard to giggle, staff members and volunteers have occasionally reported feeling a rush of air when no one else was around, said Monroe. Others have caught a glimpse of a vision in white.

And like the spirit that frequents the Lakeside Town Center, the Garden’s ghost seems to be an especially mischievous one.

“Whenever something odd happens at the house,” said Monroe, “like the lights blink, or a door that was closed is left open, we say, “Ahhh, there’s Grace again!”

William Byrd Community House Announces New Executive Director

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From WBCH press release:

Richmond, December 12, 2012 – The board of directors of the William Byrd Community House, the near century-old community organization that provides a range of services to some of Richmond’s most vulnerable families, has named Shelia Givens as its new executive director, effective immediately.
Ms. Givens has served William Byrd Community House as its director of operations for the past four years. She succeeds Robert Bolling, who served as executive director for five years.
“We had the right person ready to step into the role,” said José “Pepe” Porrata, president of the board. “She understands our programs and the people they serve, and has earned the respect and affection of the staff and the many friends and partners of the William Byrd Community House. We are confident that, through her leadership and the dedication she brings to her expanded role, our next century will be as bright and productive as our previous.”
Prior to William Byrd Community House, Ms. Givens held positions at Wachovia Securities, LG&E Power and the Virginia Department of Health.
“William Byrd Community House holds a special place in this community, as it does in my heart, and I am thrilled and proud to serve as its new executive director,” Ms. Givens said. “Our work is critical on so many fronts – as a resource for families striving to gain self-sufficiency, as a safe and nurturing place for children, as a safety net for those unable to meet their basic needs. As we celebrate our 90th anniversary, our focus will be on continuing to meet the needs of Richmond’s most vulnerable families.”
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