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Rambling Roads
Farm Tour: Where urban meets rural: Twice each year, once in the spring and once in the fall, the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development executes a proven marketing strategy by introducing local farms and agribusinesses to their neighbors just down or up the road.For two days, residents who spend their working hours in offices, in traffic or in cubicles get to shake off the memos and meetings and wander through green pastures.
Or fields of lavender.
Or herds of alpacas.
Or casks of wine.
Or horses and stables.
In two weeks, May 17-18, the 2008 Spring Farm Tour offers maps and directions to 31 farms -- and businesses that rely on farms -- to the public. Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., those who need a break and truly fresh products of all kinds can drive at their own pace and satisfy their curiosity about how things are done close to the earth.
For some of these establishments, like The Lavender Path in Lovettsville, this is the only time during the year they are open to the public.
The lavender life
This enterprise is owned and operated by Debra Fay and Wayne McKenna. Surprisingly, this couple has their feet in both worlds. She is employed by the Federal Aviation Administration in Herndon as a national traffic management officer. He is an air traffic controller.
But they come home to fields of lavender and, as Fay said, “all things lavender.”
“We're going to have a beekeeper there and so we'll have a demonstration hive and honey available,” Fay said. “We'll have our products for sale.”
This is where the all-things-lavender part comes into play. There will be lotions, mists, sachets and dried bouquets of all sizes and shapes.
The lavender, itself, however, will not be center stage.
“The lavender will not be in full bloom,” Fay said. “It's just about two weeks early for that.”
But, Fay said, the scenery is still beautiful and there are nearby wineries offering tastings.
“We're inviting people to bring a blanket and hang out,” Fay said. “It's very pretty where we are.”
Where they are is on Sierra Lane just off Berlin Pike in Lovettsville.
Ann Higgins, marketing coordinator with the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development, pointed out that this tried-and-true success story, even after ??? years, does not happen overnight.
Higgins, who has been doing this for five years, said she starts planning right after Christmas.
“I identify the farms and invite them,” Higgins said. “I make the phone calls and I have to get all the data from them for the brochure.”
Higgins was happy to report that this year her job was made a little easier because more and more farms want to be on the tour and are calling her first.
But a farm does not just add itself to the list. The farm, Higgins said, has to bring something to the table as well.
“We do ask that the farms contribute an educational component if they are to participate on the tour,” Higgins said. “It's wonderful because we promote Loudoun farms and we want to educate the public about farming in Loudoun.”
DDE_LINK1H DDE_LINK1appy with alpacas
Gerry and Catie Dutcher left their life in the military and in very urban settings to establish Butterfly Hill Farm, Fiber and Fashion.
This all began five years ago when they left Prince William County after he retired from the Air Force.
“I think our military friends look at this, and they would never have picked this for us,” Catie said. “We weren't farm children. My husband never cared much for cats even, but he fell in love with alpacas.”
The name of the farm, interestingly enough, ties the two very different lifestyles together.
Talking about the origin of Butterfly Hill, Catie explained, “It's what we named our place before we even had alpacas, because there were tons of butterflies,” Catie said. “This turned out to be a really cool thing, because butterflies are a symbol of transformation, and that's what this is from life in the military.”
Their products are mostly yarns and fibers. There will be a weaving demonstration, and there will be 17 alpacas to meet, some Peruvian, some Bolivian.
“They are white, brown, fawn, black, gray,” Catie said. “Alpacas come in 22 natural colors. Sheep do not come in as many colors, and a black sheep is not really black like a black alpaca.”
Catie also emphasized that alpaca fur is a naturally hypoallergenic fiber.
“The fur doesn't have to be scoured with strong chemicals to get the lanolin out because there's no lanolin in it,” Catie said. “... It's twice as warm because it's a hollow fiber. We have alpacas here that are within four microns of cashmere. Its comfort factor is about three times what it is on wool.”
The husband-and-wife team of Carlagay Higgins and Michael Lyon own Alpacas of Higgly Farm in Round Hill. Like the Dutchers, they are relative newcomers to the world of alpacas.
“We had visited another alpaca farm on the farm tour a couple of years ago, and it seemed like a good idea,” Lyon said. “It does take some capital. It took us just about a year.”
As for the Dutchers, the alpaca farm represents a drastic change for this couple as well. He is a CPA fraud examiner and she is a retired attorney. Both are from Los Angeles.
To date, they have eight Huacaya alpacas and are shopping for a female to start breeding.
For those who stop in to visit the weekend of the tour, there will be a wide range of fleece products, stuffed animals and scarves.
A third alpaca farm, Alpacas of Middleburg at Flowing Fleece Farm on St. Louis Road, is owned by Keith and Dorri Bryan, who will provide training and handling demonstrations as well as offer clothing
And much more
Bringing in other kinds of adventures and learning experiences will be the majestic horses and unique agricultural projects taking place at Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, and the old-fashioned offerings in the small but much-loved and very historic Taylorstown Store.
The Zurschmeide family on Foggy Bottom Road in Bluemont offers hayrides, strawberries and rope swings at Great Country Farms.
Heritage Farm Museum in Sterling give visitors a hands-on look at farming in the past.
Ivandale Farm in Hamilton features more than 10,000 trees and 120 varieties.
Leesburg Animal Park on U.S. 15 south of Leesburg, with its exotic and domestic creatures, cuts its admission rates just for the occasion.
There are eight vineyards offering world-class, Virginia-produced vintages.
Chickens are clucking their way into the program at Chicama Run in Purcellville, and Debaggio's Herb Farm is offering every imaginable variety of every imaginable herb in Chantilly.
There is a gourmet meal waiting at Grandale Farm on Harpers Ferry Road, and fresh-grilled lunch courtesy of Fields of Athenry at Corcoran Vineyards in Waterford.
In Hamilton, there is the 35-years-in-business Ellmore's Greenhouse, and in Purcellville, the hydroponics of Endless Summer Harvest.
Kimberly and Brian Rupp extend a warm welcome to those who visit their Forest Grove Stables in Leesburg.
The Loudoun County Master Gardeners show off their demonstration garden at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg, while Loudoun Nursery-Bellwether Tree Farm on Short Hill Road in Purcellville exemplifies the advantages of air root pruning containers that allow nearly year-round harvesting.
People who want to visit the oldest continually operating health food store in the region should remember that Natural Mercantile of Hamilton is only open on Saturday.
Jean Brown, Sara Brown and Scott Maison offer tours of the 18th-century house known as Oakland Green Farm Bed and Breakfast in Lincoln. Individual cuts of black Angus beef will be on sale.
Temple Hall near Lucketts invites comers to visit with its Shire horse, the two Percherons and the four miniature horses that co-exist with Shropshire lambs and belted Galloway calves.
There's eco-ganic sheep farming at Willow Hawk Farm in Lovettsville and the 900-acre nature preserve at the Blue Ridge Center's Mountain View Farm on Harpers Ferry Road.
Those who visit Baileywyck Farm on St. Louis Road in Middleburg will have the privilege of observing Golden Dreams, a therapeutic horseback riding program that helps cognitively and physically handicapped people.
The stops are all over the map of Loudoun and the offerings cover a gamut so wide it is difficult to imagine anyone who couldn't find something that sparks their interest, piques their curiosity.
And if it's difficult to cram everything into only two days, there's always the Color Tour in the fall.
Contact the writer at ecarlton@timespapers.com
The Lavender Path would like to post a correction to this article. We are situated on ten acres but we only have 1000 plants in our lavender field. We welcome your visit to the farm tour.
Deb and Wayne
Posted by itsfayt
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