family part is really important,” Stafford added.
Te last two Agribusiness of the Year
award winners – Scott Smith of Ashland Farms in 2022 and Wayne Brown of Kildee Farms in 2023 – boast being fourth-generation farmers, with their grandkids now growing up and helping maintain the agricultural heritage. And the family farms that win
the awards are also the ones regularly thinking of new ways to move agriculture forward. Both Smith and Brown pivoted their operations — Ashland Farms from dairy to grain and Kildee Farms from dairy to events. Under Brown family stewardship,
today’s Kildee operation blends a traditional heritage farm with an events and agritourism business. Some of their barns, featuring antique
farm tools and equipment on display, are open to the public. And they double as event venues, hosting weddings, receptions, parties and private functions to share the magic of history while making memories for the future.
Te county’s “green industry” —
flowers, turf and most ornamental greenery — also is growing, oſten bringing more women into local agriculture.
Choose Culpeper Farms Kicking off 2023, the Culpeper
County Department of Economic Development launched a new agricultural brand, Choose Culpeper Farms. “Choose Culpeper Farms seeks
to highlight Culpeper Farms and agricultural operations, products and events and provide education on making agriculture and fresh, local products part of Culpeper family’s everyday lives,” said Culpeper County Department of Economic Development Business Development Coordinator Winona Pritts, who leads initiative. The initiative’s website
(
chooseculpeperfarms.com) provides consumers with information on purchasing farm-to-table products from farmers throughout Culpeper County.
Visitors can learn about local farms open to the public and information on events hosted by farms. Residents can also find information on community organizations that provide learning experiences for youth, technical advice for farmers, hands-on instruction and experiential learning opportunities. “We’re extremely excited about the
positive response we’ve received since launching Choose Culpeper Farms,” said Pritts, who also organizes the Culpeper Farm Tour. “During the development of the website, we met with a number of farms and community groups to understand their needs.” It’s easy to support local farmers
when they’ve been long-standing neighbors. “(Farmers) serve the community on
bank boards and county government boards and Little League and 4H and Boy Scouts,” Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Carl Stafford said. “Their names and their times are just scattered across all those different groups and organizations.”
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