On several acres of bottom land bordering the Robinson River in Culpeper County, James and Holly Hammond grow hundreds of varieties of about 30 kinds of vegetables and herbs—an abundance of flavors for their customers to discover.
Farm and Restaurant Profiles
The following profiles were featured in one of our annual Buy Fresh Buy Local guides.
Croftburn Farm
At Croftburn Farm, flocks of sheep and herds of cattle graze in wide green pastures on either side of Route 3, just outside of the Town of Culpeper—so the farm offers local residents both pastoral views and healthy, quality meats.
L’etoile
Mark Gresge is a self proclaimed food nerd. He loves food. He loves researching food history, learning about why people eat what they eat, what foods pertain to particular regions — he can't get enough. We all know that food nerds are not a rarity in Charlottesville. Yet, it's the path that Mark's passion led him down that's rare. Mark went from being an engineer who loved to cook, to owning and operating the Main St. restaurant L'etoile with his wife, Vickie Gresge.
Revolutionary Soup: Pushing for a Food Revolution
When Will Richey bought Revolutionary Soup in downtown Charlottesville five years ago, he started working with local farmers to provide as many of the restaurant's ingredients as possible — from fresh, flavorful salad greens to the meat in his popular lamb curry soup.
Caromont Farm: Farmstead Cheeses with the Flavor of Virginia
Gail Hobbs-Page was given her first pair of goats as a young child growing up on a farm in North Carolina. Her father gave her the animals because he wanted to try goat's milk. Little did he know, that decision would mark his daughter's life.
Retreat Farm: Healthier Food, Healthier People
Frank and Cindy Gillan manage 100 acres of the beautiful Retreat Farm in Rapidan, VA. When the Gillans came to the farm almost 12 years ago, they started with a small vegetable garden. Today, that garden has grown into a five acre plot that produces a variety of fruits and vegetables, and the Gillans are raising about 100 Karakul sheep, 25 Piedmontese cows, 60 chickens and a few pigs.
Potomac Vegetable Farm
The vision of “the American farm” has long been that of the family farm — a plot of land that is worked and managed by a family, and then passed down from generation to generation. Today, however, that is often not the case — and Potomac Vegetable Farms (PVF) is living, growing proof.
The Wine Kitchen
A few years ago, Jason Miller and Michael Mercer noticed a hole in Leesburg’s restaurant scene. The quaint town was surrounded by farms and vineyards, and yet there was no farm-to-table restaurant — no restaurant that seemed dedicated to relying on local food sources.
Waterpenny Farm: Sustainable Farming Offers a Sustainable Lifestyle
Rachel Bynum and Eric Plaksin of Waterpenny Farm in Sperryville, V.A., were drawn to farming for a number of reasons, but, for Bynum, the lifestyle of small-scale farming was a major factor in her career decision. Rachel majored in environmental studies in college, and was first exposed to sustainable farming in a class.
Saving the Farm
How conservation can help working farmers achieve their goals
David and Terry Ingram are father-son farmers who recently donated conservation easements on their farms in Brandy Station, in Culpeper County.
Brandy Station is a great place for farming, with rich soils and moderate slopes. In fact, a full two thirds of Culpeper County ranks as farmland of statewide importance.