The Botetourt Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee will be hosting its first 2022 Lunch & Learn on May 5 at Stoney Brook Vineyards, 516 Stoney Battery Road, Troutville.
The Agriculture Committee’s mission is simple: “To be a liaison between the community and the agricultural industry.” The committee has worked to organize an impressive farm-to-table luncheon featuring local growers, producers and restaurants and will provide a Cinco de Mayo-themed lunch. All food served will be locally sourced and/or prepared. Businesses include Cattleman’s Market, Eggie Lope’s, Heritage Family Market, Nick of Thyme, Salt Like Hill Farms, The Pie Shoppe, Tizzone Wood Fired Kitchen & Wine Bar and Williamson Farms.
Attendees will hear about the Botetourt Farmers Market, which has been in existence for over 15 years. Dr. Mallory White, an assistant professor of biology at Virginia Western Community College and who serves on the market’s board of directors, noted, “The farmers market gives our ag vendors and customers a centralized outlet to keep their products and money as local as possible, and it’s growing. It has gone from a small pop-up market to a weekend destination. Our new festivals, like Tomatofest, Honeyfest, and our popular holiday markets helped generate over $200,000 in sales for 2022. That’s a 400 percent increase in two years.”
The Botetourt Chamber of Commerce thanks Stoney Brook Vineyards and First Bank & Trust Company for their sponsorship of this community event. The public is invited to “join us as we welcome Spring, kick off the farmers market season, and highlight our local producers and businesses,” the Chamber’s news release said.
Registration is at www.botetourtchamber.com/events.