Locally Grown: Virginia
Appalachian Harvest
Abingdon, VA
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Appalachian Harvest is a not-for-profit organization that assists the small family farmers of southeast Virginia and northeast Tennessee in making a comfortable living from their farms and gardens while simultaneously encouraging the transition of their fields into organic cultivation.
Blue Ridge Growers
Stevensburg, VA
"We grow year round. We start in January and February with spring plants such as primrose and pansies, that leads us into summer patio plants and hanging baskets. In the fall, mums and ornamental kale and then finish up with Poinsettias for the holidays," says Beth Osborne of Blue Ridge Growers. Located at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Blue Ridge Growers is a family owned business that has been in operation for over 30 years. "We are one of the Top 100 Growers in the U.S., growing over 200 hundred varieties of plants and flowers."
Homestead Creamery
Wirtz, VA
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All the milk at Homestead Creamery comes from two local farms, both in their third and fourth generations of family ownership. The milk is free of all hormones and antibiotics, and because the milk is sold in recycled glass bottles it tastes fresher longer and is more environmentally friendly.
Krisp-pak
Norfolk, VA
"In 1949, my father was the first to wash and package leafy greens in individual plastic bags to be sold to the customer. And now 57 years later I'm running the business he started," says Paul Bataglia of Krisp-pak. Today Krisp-pak specializes in alfalfa and broccoli sprouts that are clean and healthy for the customer. "Sprouts are living plants full of vitamins and enzymes that your body needs. Sprouts are so good for you, if you eat them on a regular basis, you feel great each morning."
Linden Vineyards
Linden, VA
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Since 1983, Jim Law has been delicately working the soil at Hardscrabble Vineyard in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, intent upon growing the best grapes in order to produce the best wine in the region. The soil, site, and microclimate are even more important to Jim than the grape varieties. The combination of a cool mountain microclimate and well-drained mineral soils give Linden Vineyard wines their fresh, assertive aromas and concentrated flavors.
Moorenko's Ice Cream
McLean, VA
Susan Soorenko started Moorenko's Ice Cream Café, an ice cream shop in McLean, Virginia, in 2002, and moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2005. Susan has been selling Moorenko's ice cream pints to Whole Foods Market since June 2007.
Moorenko's ice cream is ultra-premium and made by hand. The milk used is from farmers who pledge not to use rBGH, and they use no chemical emulsifiers or stabilizers. They also feature unusual flavors, such as honey lavender, red hot chocolate (with chili flakes), crème fraiche, fresh ginger, and rice pudding. With a custard base and high cream content, Moorenko's is richer and more intensely flavored than your standard ice cream. And as Susan says, "Ice cream — it's cheaper than therapy!"
Moorenko's Ice Cream is a Local Producer Loan Program Recipient.
Parker Farms
Oakgrove, VA
"The fresher the produce, the healthier it is for the customer. And the environment benefits too because it's local so there is less shipping time to get our produce to the customer," says Sean McFaden of Parker Farms. A fourth generation farming operation which originally grew tobacco and raised cattle, Parker Farms has now become one of the largest farms on the East Coast. "The broccoli we grow is so fresh; it arrives to Whole Foods in 24 hours from the time it's cut in our fields. And it just tastes so much better than other broccoli that takes a week to be shipped."
The Farm at Red Hill
North Garden, VA
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The Farm at Red Hill is a small family-run farm located just eight miles from Charlottesville in North Garden, Virginia. Richard and Wendy Harrison, along with their two children, farm the dirt in season and utilize greenhouses in the colder months to ensure fresh produce is available year-round. In addition to fresh produce, the Harrisons offer a line of fresh salsas, hummus, pestos, dips, and habanero jams.
