Source: http://tricyclegardens.org/about/

When you think of tricycles, you probably think of litte tykes cycling around on their bikes. But Tricycle Gardens is a lot more.

Richmondmom.com recently celebrated Tricycle Gardens at our Wine Down at The Wine Loft as we raised funds to support their incredible work towards sustainable living. We had a great time socializing, but more importantly, it was fascinating to hear about all of the great work they do in the Greater Richmond Area.

As a nonprofit organization, Tricycle Gardens has done ground breaking work engaging individuals, community centers, non-profits, businesses and the city government. They work to restore our urban ecologies and create beautiful public spaces throughout Richmond, Virginia.  They also provide nutrition education and healthy food access to greater Richmond in many ways.

There are plenty of ways they reach out to the entire Richmond community and surrounding areas, including:

• Advocating for more food producing green spaces within the City of Richmond.
• Creating and selling rain barrels.
• Managing an urban, year-round, highly productive farm in Manchester at the corner of 9th & Bainbridge Streets (a living classroom for adults and youth to learn about farming, soil improvement, nutrition, organic growing, and more – they hold tours the first Saturday of every month at 10am for just $5 per person).
• Working with HandsOn Greater Richmond to educate, encourage, and support sustainable projects with organizations such as Bon Secours Healing Garden.
• Offering workshops to educate and train others.
• Managing five (5) Community Gardens.
• Managing community and school-based gardens for hands-on educational programs for youth age 5 and up that connects inner-city youth with the food they eat.
• In partnership with the Children’s Museum of Richmond, they have developed a garden for children and families to experience where food comes from – and to understand the science of nature through an interactive experience. This garden’s harvest is donated to guests at the nearby Ronald McDonald House.

Tricycle Farm Stand

In addition to the many opportunities listed above, they also operate a Four Season Farm Stand on Thursdays from 4-7pm. It is located at 2107 Jefferson Avenue, Richmond VA 23223.

You’ll find a rotating supply of locally grown seasonal produce that is grown at the Urban Farm in Manchester all year long. You can also purchase:

• Rain barrels
• Worm bins
• Worm castings
• Worm leachate
• Products from other vendors (milk, soap, shampoo, chicken eggs and delicious homemade goods)

You will be amazed at all they do at Tricycle Gardens – visit their website to learn more. They area always looking for volunteers to help in many different ways. You can be part of this life-changing experience and promotion of sustainable living.

And you also may want to consider making a donation which can help:

• Provide seeds for gardens
• Build a compost bin
• Sponsor a child for summer programs
• Fund a raised garden bed
• Help start an urban farm to create jobs and healthy food
• And much more

Thanks to Tricycle Gardens for making a positive difference in the lives of adults and youth. And for helping us find a better way for healthy nutrition and sustainable living in the Greater Richmond Area.

Time: 6:30-9:00 pm

Location: The Wine Loft in Short Pump

Who: Anyone who wants to have fun and help a great cause!

Thanks to Downtownshortpump.com’s team for partnering with us
each month for these fun events.

About Tricycle Gardens

Tricycle Gardens is a grassroots, environmental nonprofit organization focused on bringing agriculture, nutrition education and healthy food access to the urban core of Richmond, Virginia.  Founded in 2002 by three architects living in Church Hill who believed community gardens, and the simple act of growing food, were the fastest ways to transform the overall health of their community – both for the residents and the environment.

The goal of Tricycle Gardens is to transform abandoned, overgrown urban lots into sources of food and opportunities for economic development in low income neighborhoods.  Starting with a group of friends and neighbors planting one community garden on a vacant lot owned by The Better Housing Coalition; Tricycle Gardens has grown into four community gardens, three learning gardens, a green house at Bryan Park, a ½-acre urban farm and a 3,000 sq ft edible forest garden at the Science Museum of Virginia.

Invite Others and Join Us!

RSVP & Share on Facebook here!

Invite all of your friends and share this on social media! And if that’s not enough reason to come, then check these additional great reasons to join us:

• The Wine Loft Richmond is the shizzle. It’s a cozy atmosphere that allows for networking so bring a friend, or two, or three! Or come alone, we’ll introduce you around.
• There will be complimentary delicious appetizers provided with discounted wines for purchase.
• We give stuff away. That’s right. . .for every entry fee of $10 we give you a raffle ticket. Additional tickets may be purchased for $1 each (so bring lots of dollars!).  We give away photography gift certificates, Richmond Rocks books,  and generally cool prizes you will surely put to use.
• All funds raised will benefit the non-profit. Contact us if you want to mail a donation.
• As much as $1,000 is raised each month in just a couple hours at each event at the Wine Loft – we raised over $1,200 at our May 2013 event!
• Over the last three years, we’ve raised thousands of dollars for great Richmond non-profits just by having fun.

For businesses owners who would like to donate a raffle prize, we appreciate you! Please contact us: christa@richmondmom.com.

These events may also be sponsored by businesses owners, like the Gundlach sisters, who have a huge charitable heart!