Runnymeade Community Farm To Help Preserve Small-scale Farming In Varina

By Lyndon German

Henrico County is partnering with a local nonprofit to support the project.

Henrico County is taking another step in its effort to preserve open space and strengthen local food systems, partnering with local nonprofit Happily Natural Day to establish the Runnymeade Community Farm on county-owned property in Varina.

The initiative, backed by a two-year agreement approved by the Board of Supervisors, will make small farm plots available to both new and experienced growers while contributing to the county’s ongoing conservation goals.

Varina Supervisor Tyrone Nelson said the partnership reflects the area’s agricultural roots. He noted that Varina's farms helped sustain the county for generations and that the project continues that lineage in a modern form.

In a statement, Nelson framed the farm as a way for residents to nurture their ambitions by honoring and continuing an “outstanding legacy.”

“Our community farm will be a place where Varina’s small farmers and others can nurture their entrepreneurial spirit,” Nelson said. “By working with the land, they will be able to grow wealth for themselves and their families – just as generations of local farmers have done before them.”

The project sits on 10 acres of the 1,052-acre Runnymeade tract along Willis Church Road, with the potential to expand to 20 acres or more if demand grows.

For participants, plots as small as a quarter-acre will be available beginning in fall 2026. Henrico is preparing the site with water access and initial infrastructure, and the county will pay Happily Natural Day $50,000 annually to manage the farm and provide direct support to farmers. Henrico residents will be given priority over non-residents.