Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Richmond Crop Mob Initiative Continues April 17

Richmond Crop Mob Initiative Continues April 17

RICHMOND, VA—Richmond Crop Mob will hold its second “mob” event Saturday, April 17, at the William Byrd Community House’s (WBCH) new urban farmlet. The event will begin at 12pm and continue all afternoon, followed by a casual dinner hosted by WBCH and Crop Mob coordinators.
Richmond Crop Mob is an initiative of Richmond Ground Up, a network established by VCU graduate students to utilize social media in addressing community needs. Through media such as Facebook and Twitter, Richmond Crop Mob alerts all of its participants and followers to urban gardening volunteering opportunities, including dates, times and locations. Followers can choose to attend these “mob” events, spend time working outdoors, learn tips and tricks from other urban farmers, and help build a sustainable urban agriculture movement here in Richmond. The Richmond Crop Mob is based on the original Crop Mob initiative based in the Triangle region of North Carolina.
The first mob was held March 28, and was attended by approximately 20 workers, many of whom had no affiliation with Richmond Ground Up or WBCH. Volunteers worked throughout the afternoon creating raised planting beds, preparing the farmlet’s perimeter for fencing and building compost storage containers. The mob’s afternoon of hard work was capped with a communal meal, allowing all participants to take a place in the urban farming community.
Richmond Crop Mob’s second mob will take place April 17 at WBCH’s Byrd House Farmlet. The Byrd House Farmlet is an urban farm intended both to feed the WBCH community and to educate youth enrolled in WBCH’s Early Childhood and After School Programs about “the cycle from seed to plant to market to plate by gardening and growing their own food and selling it at the Byrd House Market.” Please visit www.wbch.org for more information.
Those who wish to join the Richmond Crop Mob initiative should become a fan of Richmond Ground Up on Facebook, email richmondgroundup@gmail.com, or visit our website richmondgroundup.blogspot.com. Any who plan on attending the mob April 17 are advised to bring work gloves, rakes, and any other basic gardening equipment they see fit.



April 7, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kate Redding
ksredding@gmail.com
434.409.9357