The Farm Project Galleries

Wegmeyer Farms: Summer Raspberries : Wegmeyer Farms in Loudoun County, Virginia started as a farmstead in the 19th century known as Grassymead. It has been the site of a grist mill, dairy farm, beef farm, and horse farm. This pick-your-own farm has strawberries and blackberries in the spring, raspberries in late summer, and pumpkins in the autumn.

Wegmeyer Farms: Summer Raspberries

Wegmeyer Farms in Loudoun County, Virginia started as a farmstead in t ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2012 12:36pm PST

Ticonderoga Farms: Fig Feast : Ticonderoga Farms in Loudoun County, Virginia has been in the family for five generations. They grow figs, pumpkins, bamboo, flowers, Christmas trees, tomatoes, and other vegetables on their 1,000 acres. In addition, they raise free-range hens and sell the eggs and keep bee hives. They hold festivals in spring, summer, autumn, and winter celebrating each season and the things they grow. In 2011 they hosted their first Fig Lovers Feast, a celebration of the fig groves that they had planted eight years earlier which now have over 400 trees and produce enough figs to sell commercially. They grow five varieties of figs for commercial production and are experimenting with 10 other varieties. They provide figs to several high-end restaurants in Northern Virginia, including The Inn at Little Washington.

Ticonderoga Farms: Fig Feast

Ticonderoga Farms in Loudoun County, Virginia has been in the family f ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2012 12:37pm PST

Wegmeyer Farms: Autumn Pumpkins : In autumn Wegmeyer Farms opens their hillside pumpkin field for picking. Visitors can pick their own or purchase picked pumpkins in the old stone barn at the top of the hill. The farm sells 30 varieties of pumpkins, including many heirlooms, but they are growing about 45 varieties.

Wegmeyer Farms: Autumn Pumpkins

In autumn Wegmeyer Farms opens their hillside pumpkin field for pickin ...

Updated: Jun 01, 2012 5:24pm PST

Ticonderoga Farms: Autumn Pumpkins : Autumn at Ticonderoga Farms means pumpkins, hayrides, and plenty of outdoor fun in their huge play area. Their pumpkin patch is a short walk from the entrance or the hayride will take you right there, though I recommend the hayride, which takes you around the bamboo maze and part of the Christmas tree forest.

Ticonderoga Farms: Autumn Pumpkins

Autumn at Ticonderoga Farms means pumpkins, hayrides, and plenty of ou ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2012 12:37pm PST

Chrysalis Vineyards: Autumn, After Harvest : Chrysalis Vineywards is on 412 acres in the Piedmont region of Virginia. They specialize in unusual Spanish and French varietals and the Virginia native grape, Norton, as well as traditional grapes, a total of over 20 varieties. The vineyard is just 35 miles from downtown DC, still close enough for an easy weekend trip for locals yet far enough to make you feel like you've really gotten away from the hustle and bustle of city life. November in the vineyard is beautiful, though different without the lushness of full clusters of grapes and green leaves hanging on the vines. Now the vines are mostly empty, though a few still have some mostly dried clusters and a few leaves clinging in the wind. The tasting room is still open daily from 10 to 5:30, and the good folks there would love to pour a glass for you.

Chrysalis Vineyards: Autumn, After Harvest

Chrysalis Vineywards is on 412 acres in the Piedmont region of Virgini ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2012 12:37pm PST

Ticonderoga Farms: Christmas on the Farm : Ticonderoga Farms started their Christmas tree destination 50 years ago, so this is a very special time of year for the farm. They start their celebration the weekend after Thanksgiving with breakfast with Santa and of course cut your own Christmas tree. They grow White Pines, Weymouth Pines (aka Virginia Pine), Scotch Pine, Red Cedar, Leyland Cyprus, and Norway Spruce. They also sell pre-cut Frasier Fir trees that they obtain from growers further north since the tree does not grow in our climate.

Ticonderoga Farms: Christmas on the Farm

Ticonderoga Farms started their Christmas tree destination 50 years ag ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2012 12:38pm PST

Chrysalis Vineyards: Winter : We've had a warm winter with barely any snow to speak of, so waking up to to a cold weekend with snow flurries is a chance to enjoy the beauty of the vineyard in winter. The snow fell softly at first with temperatures hovering in the range between a wet or dry snow, later swirling around me and the camera as the temperatures fell. I walked in the snow-covered vineyard, gazing at the pruned canes and the remains of grape stems with flakes of snow and drops of ice water clinging, and thinking about how different the vineyard would look in just two short months. The warmth of the tasting room felt good afterward, and I came home with eggs from the heritage hens that they keep in another part of the estate. Hopefully I can make photos of the hens the next time.

Chrysalis Vineyards: Winter

We've had a warm winter with barely any snow to speak of, so waking up ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2012 12:38pm PST

Al-Mara Farm: Spring on a Dairy Farm : Al-Mara Farm is a dairy farm in Midland, Virginia. The Leonard family has had the property since the 1930s and has been running a dairy farm since 1954. With a herd of about 300 cows to milk, they work the farm every day of the year along with a handful of employees. The cows roam about freely and can wander into the milk parlor anytime they need to be milked. The pregnant cows are in a separate pasture the family affectionately calls “Club Med, “ and the cows that are due within a couple weeks get to rest in their own separate area where they can be watched carefully. The family is dedicated to their cows and have named a number of them.

Al-Mara Farm: Spring on a Dairy Farm

Al-Mara Farm is a dairy farm in Midland, Virginia. The Leonard family ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2012 12:39pm PST

Wegmeyer Farms: Spring Strawberries : The strawberry field at Wegmeyer Farms is blanketed with plants laden with blossoms and fruit. The field slopes down from the grass-covered parking area, and the rows are covered with black plastic to keep the weeds out and prevent erosion. During my visits, workers picked berries and put them in flats destined for nearby Whole Foods Markets, while visitors selected berries and dropped them into picking buckets. The farm is in a very peaceful area of Loudoun County with beautiful views of the hills, giving me the chance to enjoy the stillness of the cool morning while I worked. It was a Zen-like experience.

Wegmeyer Farms: Spring Strawberries

The strawberry field at Wegmeyer Farms is blanketed with plants laden ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2012 12:39pm PST

Sprout Therapeutic Riding Center Tour : During a recent visit to Sprout Therapeutic Riding and Education Center in Loudoun County, Virginia, I was treated to a tour of the center and the opportunity to meet the horses. As I am a horse lover myself, this was an extraordinary treat for me. The horses at the center are all gentle and well-trained to provide therapy for children, teens, and adults with special needs. The center is run by a number of volunteers who love horses and working with the people who visit for therapy. In addition to mounted instruction, they also offer skill-building programs that train students in the care of horses, giving them valuable skills and a sense of community contribution. The center is supported by donations and horse sponsorships.

Sprout Therapeutic Riding Center Tour

During a recent visit to Sprout Therapeutic Riding and Education Cente ...

Updated: Jun 21, 2012 8:28am PST

Ticonderoga Farms: Summer Growing Season : Summer at Ticonderoga Farms is a big growing season. In addition to the bamboo and figs, they have a large pick-your-own garden as well as a community garden that has been filled by many people from the surrounding area. You can drive out to the farm to pick sweet peppers, chilies, tomatoes, watermelon, corn, and some gorgeous sunflowers. They also have their award-winning organic honey and organic free-range eggs, as well as their bamboo for sale in various sizes, all in their market entrance. The community garden has many different kinds of vegetables, including corn, tomatoes, sweet peppers, chilies, greens, squash, chard, kale, basil, and other herbs. Each garden plot is unique, planted with a wide variety of vegetables and extra touches that reveal the personality of the gardener. Some of the gardens include flowers among the vegetables, decorative rock layouts, signs, and garden ornaments. Plots open in the spring, so check their website for more information.

Ticonderoga Farms: Summer Growing Season

Summer at Ticonderoga Farms is a big growing season. In addition to th ...

Updated: Aug 13, 2012 12:40pm PST

Ticonderoga Farms Fig Feast 2012 :

Ticonderoga Farms Fig Feast 2012

Updated: Sep 25, 2012 9:21am PST

Chrysalis Vineyards: Grapes on the Vines :

Chrysalis Vineyards: Grapes on the Vines

Updated: Oct 03, 2012 10:25am PST