Like roadside kudzu, the spread of Richmond-area farmers' markets is inching tendrillike toward the western edges of Henrico County.
Innsbrook in Henrico's West End is t
he latest paved area to be overtaken by a weekly farmers' market. The new one, running each Thursday afternoon beginning Sept. 17 through Oct. 29, is part of the sprawling office park's broader green initiative.
“They're encouraging health among their employees,” says Karen Atkinson, whose Market Umbrella collective will operate the market on behalf of the Innsbrook Foundation. “There isn't a European-style market in that area and they want to be a complex that offers [fresh produce] as an incentive to their employees.”
Held at the Snag-a-Job pavilion, the market isn't the only opportunity workers in the area will have to purchase fresh, local produce. The Veggie Bus, a converted school hauler now a roving minimarket, has begun making Wednesday visits throughout the day to various corporate offices in the park. The bus is also associated with Atkinson's Market Umbrella group.
The Innsbrook market joins nearly a dozen other markets operating in and around Richmond, which have sprung up in the past two years to meet demand for organic and locally grown produce.