Our Farms

Northern Neck Farm is located in the northern neck of Virginia.  

 

We grow fruits and vegetables conventionally in the same county where George Washington lived. It is 98 acre farm, a lot of which is in woods with about 20 acres in fruits and vegetables (lettuces, arugula, kale, collards, turnip greens, turnips then swiss chard, blueberries, yukon gold potatoes, tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, yellow wax beans, cantalopes, watermelons, cherry tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, green bell peppers, cucumbers, basil, rosemary.

 

We grow conventionally - we use fertilizers and herbicides and pesticides. We also use 2 kinds of irrigation; sprinkler and plastic mulch with a drip tape underneath it with raised beds.

 

 

By returning a portion of Historic Woodlawn property to sustainable farming, Arcadia will become the closest working farm to the nation’s capital and will demonstrate an environmentally and economically sustainable model of agricultural and livestock production.  We will use only the highest standards of sustainable growing, and cultivate primarily heirloom and heritage foods to increase the biodiversity in this area.  Over time we will use our land to grow food for the local school system and we will dedicate a significant portion for a small plot "farmer incubator" program, to encourage careers in sustainable farming by providing mentorship and start-up resources.

 

 

Through a variety of initiatives, Arcadia will act as a physical link between small, local farms and the DC metro public. The food hub will be our wholesale outlet, created to aggregate and distribute fresh local food to schools, restaurants, nonprofits, and retail businesses.  Our Mobile Market will retail local produce and artisan foods to urban dwellers both in central, downtown areas, as well as neighborhoods that typically don't have access to fresh food.  

 

Path Valley is an Amish Cooperative that works within the Amish community in Pennsylvania to source the freshest, seasonal produce available.  The Amish Community's ability to gather together and sell their produce to the larger city communities such as Philadelphia and DC is often hindered by their smaller-scale farming.  Path Valley enables these farmers to continue to thrive and prosper as traditional Amish farms while reaping the benefits of larger-market immersion.  

 

Tuscarora Organic Growers (TOG) took root in 1988 when a group of neighboring organic fruit and vegetable farmers discussed the possibility of joining forces in the marketing of their products. 

 

By working together, they could coordinate crop production to complement one another rather than compete. And they could enjoy economies of scale in shipping and selling.  The cooperative form of business fit the farmers' needs, allowing ownership and market access to be divided fairly and decisions to be made jointly. 

 

And through cooperation, the growers were able to serve their customers better, by providing a diversity of crops and a level of service that no one grower could provide on his own.  In TOG's first season, seven growers moved about 1,500 cases of produce to Washington DC retailers over a five-month period. 

 

Since then, each successive season has brought steady growth in sales as well as diversity, season length and professionalism. In the coming season, TOG will work with over 28 member  producers and 17 non-member producers to bring a projected 100,000 cases of produce from farm to city, offering locally grown, certified organic produce all 12 months of the year.