Rappahannock Valley, Virginia

[tanabutler]

Howdy, eGulleteers in the know.

I am seeking information about the organic farm/foods movement in the Rappahannock Valley in Virginia. Who are the respected farmers there? If you're familiar with them, which farms are the most beautiful? Got any good stories about them?

Any information would be welcome. I've Googled, and there is a ton of information out there, but it's overwhelming.

Thanks!

[Emily Kaiser]

You might try contacting the folks at American Farmland Trust, www.farmland.org. Can you say more about what this is for, what you're after? By "respected farmers," respected by organic community, or restaurant chefs, or their local sheriffs? From what little I know, there are a few rappahannock guys who supply to DC restaurants who aren't the most politically organic ones out there, but do farm organically ...

Edited March 26, 2004 by Emily Kaiser (log)

[tanabutler]

Thanks, Emily.

By "respected," I mean visionary and venerated, for having been involved with organic farming for a long time, for being a spokesperson, for being an authority, for being involved. There is apparently some kind of organic movement afoot back there, which I am very interested in.

[Malawry]

Sounds like you're talking about Sunnyside Farms. Their "wangus" (wagyu/angus) beef is starting to show up on menus around DC...attributed to the farm, which is unusual in these parts. They also sell at the Dupont Circle farm market, which is run by the trust Emily listed. I've toured their farm before, with my culinary school. They also run a chi-chi food market within a short walk of The Inn at Little Washington, in Washington, VA.

Website

They are far from the only organic farmers in Rappahannock County, but they're a good starting point.

My personal favorite vendor from the Takoma Park, MD farm market where I shop weekly is Wheatland Vegetable Farms. However, I believe they are situated in Loudoun County, not in Rappahannock. Chip and Susan Planck, parents of Nina Planck (who has written for The Daily Gullet before), run this terrific farm. I rely on them for Asian greens in the fall, sweet and hot peppers and middle eastern cucumbers in the summer, sprightly mesclun in the spring. I don't know how chef-connected they are but they do also vend at the Dupont Circle market, which is popular with (supported by, and even popularized by in the case of Nora Pouillon) several local chefs.

[tanabutler]

Sounds like you're talking about Sunnyside Farms. Their "wangus" (wagyu/angus) beef is starting to show up on menus around DC...attributed to the farm, which is unusual in these parts. They also sell at the Dupont Circle farm market, which is run by the trust Emily listed. I've toured their farm before, with my culinary school. They also run a chi-chi food market within a short walk of The Inn at Little Washington, in Washington, VA.

Website

They are far from the only organic farmers in Rappahannock County, but they're a good starting point.

My personal favorite vendor from the Takoma Park, MD farm market where I shop weekly is Wheatland Vegetable Farms. However, I believe they are situated in Loudoun County, not in Rappahannock. Chip and Susan Planck, parents of Nina Planck (who has written for The Daily Gullet before), run this terrific farm. I rely on them for Asian greens in the fall, sweet and hot peppers and middle eastern cucumbers in the summer, sprightly mesclun in the spring. I don't know how chef-connected they are but they do also vend at the Dupont Circle market, which is popular with (supported by, and even popularized by in the case of Nora Pouillon) several local chefs.

Malawry, thanks; yes, one productive Google produced a Mother Jones article about David Cole. When I Googled him, your eGullet entry mentioning your visit to Sunnyside (and the Inn at Little Washington).

The other farm that came up in repeated Googles was Goat Hill Farm. I like their website: when you want to e-mail the farmer, it goes to "oldgoat@goathillfarm.com" -- heh heh.

Someone asked me to research the organic vibe in Rappahannock, so I'm trying to acquaint myself with it. It's hard being all the way out here.

But thanks for the tips, again.

[Emily Kaiser]

The only thing about Sunnyside is, it's a kind of johnny-come-lately-but-hugely to the organic farms around DC. It was bought in 1996 by David Cole, a big cheese at AOL, and transformed into an organic farming behemoth of sorts in just a few years (for a quick write-up on him, there's an article here in Pacific Business News about a Hawaii venture of his). Not to knock them at all; they probably are the people you've heard about, they've launched a program to get other farmers to go organic, etc., and certainly active spokesmen for organic food, they just haven't been around a long time.

If you're interested in tracking the longer history, you might also wish to speak with some DC chefs who've been around a while - Nora Pouillion, of course (who sits on Sunnyside's board), also Ann Cashion, Frank Ruta, Peter Pastan, Todd Grey, Umbi Singh at New Heights, to name a few.

This isn't very helpful for your Rappahannock angle, but the late great Ward Sinclair, a former Washington Post reporter who left the Post to farm organically way back in the dark ages of 1989, wrote a wonderful book about his Flickerville Farm in Pennsylvania (and selling to the DC market), called Truck Patch, now OP but available on Amazon here.

[tanabutler]

Thank you for the valuable information, Emily. I'm trying to absorb and learn as much as I can, and will pass your words onto my client.

EDIT: Your website is great!

Edited March 26, 2004 by tanabutler (log)

[Emily Kaiser]

thanks.

[sextons]

Sunnyside also just opened a much larger shop in Sperryville (where Faith Mountain and the Emporium were housed for those who know the area). Apparently the selection at the Washington store has decreased some since the new store opened but nothing dramatic. Sunnyside is a great resource for organic farming. I really enjoy Goat Hill Farm (as I'm prone to buy from the smaller farms). It's a great place to visit if you are in the area (although you might want to call ahead for their hours). You can also check out Rucker farm who makes some of my favorite goat cheese.

[Nina Planck]

Rappahannock, VA

is a great local foods county.

Here are some contacts:

Best wishes,

Nina Planck

Heidi Eastham

Rucker Farm

Tack House Creamery

13357 Crest Hill Road (Route 647)

Flint Hill, VA 22627

Rappahannock County

540 675 3444

goat cheese

Eric Plaksin

Rachel Bynum

Waterpenny Farm

waterpenny@earthlink.net

YOUNG FARMERS, TENANTS UNDER SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH LANDOWNER CLIFF MILLER, ABOVE. ORGANIC METHOD VEG. V SUCCESSFUL AT TAKOMA PARK FARMERS’ MARKET (old and established FM in region: opened in 1982. LEARNED TO FARM ON MY PARENTS’ FARM. ALSO SUCCESSFUL farm share IN RAPPA. FUTURE OF FARMING. MARRIED OR ABOUT TO BE.

[tanabutler]

Thank you, Nina!

[Malawry]

Ooh yes, Waterpenny has fabulous produce. Unfortunately their selection is almost identical to that of Wheatland...they grow more tomato variety but less cucumber variety. So I have to decide which farm to give my business to every week, except when I want tomatoes or cucumbers.

[sdelgato]

The authority on organic farms in the area is John O'Malley Burns at Goat Hill Organics. He also certifies organic farms and knows all the players in the area.

[tanabutler]

The authority on organic farms in the area is John O'Malley Burns at Goat Hill Organics. He also certifies organic farms and knows all the players in the area.

That's what I figured. His e-mail address is "oldgoat@" -- that amused me no end. And everything I Googled led to him. I've passed that along, and will reinforce it to my client.

Thank you so much, Sdelgado.

[sdelgato]

His sig/other runs e-cow (Epicurious Cow) out there as well. Cute little food shop onHwy211. FYI

[sextons]

In case you haven't been by E-Cow lately, they have a nice selection of the Goat Hill plants for sale. A little one-stop shopping ...

I also just heard that Heidi's cheese recently took 3rd in the nation and 10th in the world in some cheese competitions (sorry I don't know which competitions and can't seem to find anything on google).

[sextons]

For those of you who haven't heard, Heidi from Rucker Farm is retiring from the goat cheese business .... She'll still be dealing with the cattle but she's selling off her goats and there is officially no more goat cheese. Sad, sad news.