What Buying Local Means:
With over 8,144 farmers’ markets across the nation (USDA National Farmers Market Directory, August 2013), a 2012 estimate of nearly 6,500 CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) nationwide, and a growing interest in starting farms by entrepreneurs, young folks, and those transitioning out of first careers, buying local from health food stores has never been easier. You can be part of the movement by shopping at farmers’ markets, joining a CSA, or searching out local products at your local grocer or restaurant (and asking them to offer even more!). By doing so you will reap the benefit of knowing your food dollar is doing all it can to keep the local food movement strong.
Reasons to consider buying local:
- Exceptional Taste and Freshness
- Strengthen Your Local Economy
- Support Endangered Family Farms
- Safeguard Your Family’s Health
- Protect the Environment
Community Supported Agriculture
Local vendors include the artisans we purchase our baked goods and cheeses from as well as the farmer’s markets that provide another outlet for our local producers to sell from. Friendly City also serves as a pick-up point for some of our local farms who offer CSA subscriptions – currently, Season’s Bounty, Glen Eco, Radical Roots Farm, and Saint Isidore Homestead.
Other farms currently offering CSA’s that have their own pickup locations include: Friendly Neighbor Gardens in Harrisonburg. We’re proud to connect local producers with you and share the wealth of talent and resources Virginia offers.
Interested in Becoming a Local Vendor?
We are committed to using our local vendors – if you have a product you think would be a good fit for our co-op, we’d love to hear from you! Before you submit an application, please review our Product Selection Guidelines/Vendor Guide here to make sure your product meets our selection criteria.
Our hope is to create a relationship that is equally good for our customers, the co-op and our vendors.
Please download a fillable application here and email it to denise@friendlycity.coop
Some of Our Local Vendors:
Currently, we have over 125 local vendors in over 50 different towns and cities across the state. In addition to local fruits and vegetables, we currently carry local coffee, honey, buckwheat flour, popcorn, ice cream, prosciutto, beef, pork, chicken, lamb, corn tortillas, tofu, milk, butter, candles, face creams, lotions, soaps, lavender products, bee pollen, music CDs, cookbooks, gift cards, cheese, barbecue sauces, cereal, apple sauce, jelly, salts, herb blends, canola oil, salsa, wine, beer, vinegar, cookies, potato chips, granolas, doughnuts, breads, sandwiches, soups, chocolate, eggs, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and more!
Listed below are just some of the local vendors we have the pleasure to work with.
- A Bowl of Good, Harrisonburg
- Adam’s Apples & Herbs, Woodstock
- a.m. FOG, Afton
- Aperture Coffee Roasters, Woodstock
- Autumn Olive Farms, Waynesboro
- Back Creek Farms, Monterey
- Ballad Brewing, Danville
- Barren Ridge Vineyards, Fishersville
- Basic City Beer Co., Waynesboro
- Beeswax Delights, Floyd
- Big Fish Cider Co., Monterey
- Blue Crab Bay Co., Melfa
- Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton/Arrington
- Blue Ridge Baking, Waynesboro
- Blue Ridge Bucha, Waynesboro
- Bluestone Vineyards, Bridgewater
- Bold Rock Hard Cider, Nellysford
- Broad Porch Coffee, Harrisonburg
- Brothers Craft Brewing, Harrisonburg
- Crazy Fox Coffee, Shenandoah Valley
- Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery, Monticello
- Cave Ridge Vineyard, Mount Jackson
- Chestnut Ridge Coffee, Harrisonburg
- Clark + Hopkins, Richmond
- Cool Hollow Farm, Sugar Grove, WV
- CrossKeys Vineyards, Mount Crawford
- Early Mountain Vineyards, Madison
- Edgewood Eggs, Dayton
- Falling Bark Farm, Berryville
- Farmstand Ferments, Charlottesville
- Firefly Hot Sauce, Fort Valley
- Gentle Bee Apiaries, Verona
- Golden Angel’s Apiary, Singers Glen
- Golden Harvest, Powhatan
- Good Phyte Foods, Charlottesville
- Grains of Sense Coffee, Lynchburg
- Green Acres Popcorn, Dayton
- Grit Coffee, Charlottesville
- Gunther’s Gourmet, Richmond
- Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Richmond
- Heritage Virginia Mills, Nickelsville
- Hickory Hill Farm, Keezletown
- Hobbit Hill Farm, Mt Crawford
- Hollands Three Rivers Farm, Lexington
- Homestead Creamery, Burnt Chimney
- Hudson Henry Granola, Palmyra
- J&L Green Farm, Edinburg
- J&W Farm, Winchester
- Jerry’s Gourmet Berries – Woodstock
- Jump MountainVineyard, Rockbridge Baths
- KimKim Sauce, Richmond
- Landcrafted Food, Independence
- Lightwell Survey Wines, Waynesboro
- Lilly F. Farm, Elkton
- Loose Leaf Tea Company, Boston
- Lovingston Winery, Lovingston, VA
- Mad Hatter Foods, Charlottesville
- Mainstream Farmstead Cheese, Stuarts Draft
- Mary Jo’s Flowers, Harrisonburg
- Meadowcreek Dairy, Galax
- Merge Coffee Company, Harrisonburg
- Mountain Culture, White Hall
- Mountain View Farm Products, Fairfield
- Millcroft Farms, Stanley
- Mt. Crawford Creamery, Mt. Crawford
- Muddy Creek Farmstead, Harrisonburg
- Muse Vineyards, Woodstock
- Nana’s Cocina, Manassas
- The Natural Garden, Harrisonburg
- Old Dominion Brand Fine Meats, Edinbrg
- Old Hill Hard Cider, Timberville
- Orange Dot Baking, Charlottesville
- Ox Eye Vineyards, Staunton
- Pale Fire Brewing Co, Harrisonburg
- Parkway Brewing Co., Salem
- Peg’s Salt, Waynesboro
- Pennacook Peppers, Virginia Beach
- Pollak Vineyards, Greenwood
- Potter’s Craft Cider, Free Union
- Parkway Brewing Co., Salem
- Polyface Farms, Swoope
- Port City Brewing Co., Alexandria
- Portwood Acres, Port Republic
- Quinoa Queen, Penn Laird
- Radical Roots, Keezletown
- Reason Beer, Charlottesville
- Red Rooster Coffee Co, Floyd
- Red Root & Co, Shenandoah Valley
- Reginald’s Homemade, Richmond
- Rockbridge Vineyard, Raphine
- Rosemont of Virginia, LaCrosse
- Rt. 11 Potato Chips, Mt. Jackson
- Saint Isidore Homestead and Permaculture, Grottoes
- Scratch Pasta, Lynchburg
- Seaman’s Orchard, Nelson County
- Season’s Bounty, Harrisonburg
- Second Mountain Farm, Rawley Spring
- Shenandoah Spice Company, Tom’s Brook
- Shenandoah Family Farms, Dayton
- Shenandoah Growers, Rockingham
- Shenandoah Valley Organics, Harrisonburg
- Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction, Dayton
- Shirley’s Popcorn, Harrisonburg
- Showalter’s Orchard and Greenhouse, Timberville
- Smartmouth Brewing Company, Norfolk
- South Street Brewery, Charlottesville
- Sparrow’s Floral Design, Downtown Harrisonburg
- Staff of Life, Broadway
- Sunomi, Washington DC
- Teeny Tiny Spice Company, Harrisonburg
- Texas Beach Bloody Mary Mix, Richmond
- T&E Meats, Harrisonburg
- The Farm at Red Hill, Albermarle
- The Virginia Chutney Co., Flint Hill
- Three Notch’d Brewing Company, Charlottesville/Harrisonburg
- Tiny Fields, Churchville
- Turkey Knob Growers, Timberville
- Valley Green Naturals, Sperryville
- Virginia Vinegar Works, Nelson Co.
- Wadel’s Farm Wagon, Mt. Crawford
- Wayside Produce, Dayton
- Whistle Creek Pet Treats, Lexington
- White Oak Lavender, Harrisonburg
- Whitley’s Peanuts, Williamsburg
- Woods Edge, Harrisonburg