It’s been a thoughtful winter break for us here at Great Country Farms. Today’s world seems to be a bit off the rails. From frequently empty store shelves to flight cancellations, cracks are appearing in our mechanized systems of efficiency. We see people yearning for community and connections and real food and laughter.

As farmers, we grow food and fun here at Great Country Farm and have taken a fresh look at our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in light of today’s world.  

A CSA Program that helped us buy this land back in 1993. We are blessed to be able to steward this ground and want to welcome your family to nourish and flourish with a Farm Club Option that works best for you.

A Bit of History about CSA & Great Country Farms

Community Supported Agriculture began as a gamble. In the 1970s, a handful of Japanese housewives began to suspect that their country’s industrial food system was making their families sick. For the sake of their children, they asked a few local farmers to abandon factory farming and sell their crops directly to people in the neighborhood. And to minimize the risks inherent in that kind of paradigm shift, they offered to pay in advance.

The new model was a big success — for producers as well as consumers. Its focus on cooperation for mutual benefit prompted those pioneering women to say that they were now feeding their families “food with the farmer’s face.”

Great Country Farms was an early adopter of that model and has been a  — in fact, our first crops in 1993 were planted with community support and it is CSA that helped us purchase this land we are blessed to steward.  We’ve been raising food for our neighbors for almost 30 years and the connections and community have sustained our members and our family to flourish.

Industrial agriculture forces farmers to prioritize rapid growth, uniformity, and durability, qualities that facilitate mass marketing but may diminish vitamin, mineral, and phytochemical content. The CSA model, on the other hand, allows us to select seeds and varieties with higher nutritional value and better flavor — and to grow them using methods that regenerate our soil rather than depleting it such as cover crop cocktails, rotational grazing, composting and compost tea fertilizer. While we are not a certified organic farm, we believe we are better than organic by avoiding genetically modified seed,  and minimizing or eliminating chemical use.

The CSA model provides a reliable, predictable cash-flow, much of which is front-loaded so we have the money we need to cover expenses early in the season, when costs are highest. That allows us to avoid debt and send the money you invest in us back into the community, where it continues to grow among our neighbors. In that sense, food with the farmer’s face is good for everyone.

A Fresh Look at CSA 

When we founded Great Country Farms in Bluemont, VA in 1993, we created the following mission statement to guide our efforts:

GCF Mission:   The goal of Great Country Farms is to offer a way for everyone to experience farm life and enjoy the benefits of its bounty.

As we update our CSA model, our goal is to continue to grow and expand upon that mission by providing three membership options to enable our members to choose the experience and means of securing their local, farm fresh produce.  We want to be your Bluemont station for all things food and fun.

Farm Club Fan Membership ~ Pick exactly what you want. Play exactly how you want. 

Fresh air| Sunshine | Playing in the Dirt

Pick your own has always been a fundamental part of Great Country Farms and our classic “Fan of the Farm” membership remains much the same.  This Farm Club option welcomes families to extend experiences beyond the picking bounty to include regular romps in our 12 acre farm play area.  Share the seasons with us.  From picking your own cherries, peaches, blackberries, apples, pumpkins and more to laughing, running and jumping, Fan Membership is designed so your immediate family can harvest memories as often as you like.

The farm play area opens March 2022 and we will open through December for a full 10 months of family fun on the farm.     We have our eye on growing in the winter months in high tunnels and updating some of the farm barns for indoor winter play with a goal  to expand our winter offerings and be a year-round farm. Let us know what fun-tivities you would like to see:  greenhouse classes, wild life experiences, who knows – maybe even an ice skating rink at Henway?! 

Farm Club Market Membership ~ The Farm Market to Your Door

CSA has alway been about a shared commitment between farmers and their neighbors.  With the Farm Market Club option, we ask for your commitment to purchase $100/month in our Farm Market for our season but you choose when to shop, what to purchase and how to receive your order. 

Want apple cider donuts and estate ground beef along with your fresh apples and tomatoes?  This is the farm market bounty that you know and love with the option to add everything from estate meats, farm fresh eggs, honey and more.  Come shop the market and pick up or have it shipped to your home and apply your monthly $100 Farm Market store credit to your purchases. 

One big change here is a combination of shipping & delivery instead of  all personal delivery by our Great Country Farmers. 

The truth is, it has been hard to keep drivers because of the seasonality of our farm to your table produce. Gas prices are spiraling and supply chains are impacting everything from seed to fertilizer.  With shipping, our plan is to spend more time focusing on growing the things you love most with a regenerative approach while bringing health and wellness back to its roots. 

Farm Club Market Membership is our classic CSA with a convenient twist– you choose 100% of what goes in your shipment and how often you want to pick up or have it shipped.  

Farm Club MEGA  ~ Fan + Market  = The Best Value

Harvest the best of all worlds with this combination of the Fan and Market Clubs.  

MEGA membership is for those who want to nourish and flourish on the farm and have it all.  With this membership option, we break down the walls of a traditional CSA and combine Fan and Market membership into one MEGA membership.   Pick as often as you like, play all day, bask in the sunflower fields and shop the Farm Market to take home the bountiful harvest.

When you make the MEGA commitment to Great Country Farms, we make the commitment back to you to provide the curated experiences you expect.   MEGA members will have the added benefit of enjoying exclusive access to items that are not as plentiful or may be limited due to frost, varmints, rains… all the things that make farming a challenge and ever changing.  This year, one limited crop will be strawberries and MEGA members will have the first and perhaps only access to the pick your own strawberry field this season.  

The sky’s the limit when you come Pick & Play as often as you like and shop the Farm Market on site or from the convenience of home when life gets a bit too crazy for a farm visit.   Fan & Market Clubs are combined in one easy subscription.  Pick, Play, Market… It’s all waiting for you to flourish and nourish your family. 

 

Ready to join Farm Club? 

Who’s Your Farmer?   For years, that has been our tagline and we have been honored to farm here in Bluemont, VA for almost 30 years. As we welcome the next generation of family to the leadership roles here Great Country Farms, a new energy is invigorating our experiences and farming process.  

We are as committed as ever to growing, producing and sharing good food with good people, and  that’s where you come in. We hope you will skip the trip to the grocery store and tackle your list locally with sustainably sourced produce and family fun on the farm. Getting your kitchen in sync with the season is only one benefit of our sustainable Farm Club subscriptions.

We want to be your farmer and look forward to welcoming you as a Farm Club Member this season.

Review all the Farm Club Options   

 

The art of cider making has been around for a very long time. In fact, it used to be very common for every family farm to have a cider press for pressing, fermenting, and preserving their produce. We were lucky to spend time chatting about all things cider with Farmer Bob (Bob Zurschmeide) also known as Pawpaw, the one who shared a love of farming with his children,  grandchildren and now his great grand children for 4 generations of impact on farming. When Pawpaw stumbled across an old cider press in a field in Indiana over 60 years ago, he knew there was something special about it. He gave it a good cleaning, fixed a few details, and built a strong wood frame to hold it together. At that moment, he had no idea of the good use this machine would get. Its frame is still strong and standing at Great Country Farms  and is used at the annual September Apple Harvest Fest for Cider Pressing Demonstrations.

Then:

After recovering the press and making it his own, Bob has ventured with this large, heavy, apple press across the country not once, but twice! He and his wife, Faye Zurschmeide, have used it to make their own wine by pressing grapes, juice with apples, and cider vinegar to help preserve vegetables and produce. This press is all cast iron and has the year, 1865,  it was made engraved in the exterior. Using an older model press requires more work and time. It is a slower process because cider is produced in batch quantities. The process includes loading the apples, using power and speed to start the process, and then allowing the juices to press and then repeating over again. Pawpaw explained that today, an apple pressing machine is continuous which means the conveyor belt is always loading apples and doing the powerful work. This makes it a much simpler and more efficient process. One bushel of apples will produce about a gallon of cider when using the older press model.

Now: 

Time has passed and technology has taken speed by creating several efficient models for apple pressing. The two most common presses used in the cider-making industry today are a belt press or a bladder press. Each of these presses can produce up to three times the amount of the older model press. 

1. Belt Press- A belt press runs off of electricity. It is a continuous process that rolls out each ounce of juice. The continuous process makes it an easier process because you save cleaning until the very end.

2. Bladder Press- This press uses air and water pressure to create a softer process for pressing apples. A bladder press is often used for grapes in wine production. The great thing about a bladder press is that it uses much less water and allows more control during pressing cycles.

No matter which press is being used, it is much easier and faster than hand spinning the apple press with each small batch. The amount of cider produced at one time does depend on the quality and softness of the apples as well as the variety. Overall yields run between 130-185 gallons a ton based upon apple variety and condition.

The Future:

The cider industry is slowly making a comeback. At Great Country Farms we press fresh apple juice for the whole family. Our cider is boxed and bagged air-tight to create a long-lasting freshness that keeps it drinkable for 6 months to a year.

Virginia Cider Week started in 2012 when the Virginia House of Delegates and the state Senate passed House Joint Resolution 105 to designate the full week before Thanksgiving as Cider Week in Virginia.

Since then, Virginia Cideries have celebrated Virginia Cider Week through festivals, tastings, pairing dinners, workshops and open houses at venues throughout the state.   Our neighbors at Henway Hard Cider also create refreshing seasonal hard ciders with flavors such as Apple Cider Donut, Concord Grape, and Peach.  Henway also provides a unique opportunity to learn about cider from the orchard to the glass in their seasonal Graft to Glass Tours.  Join one of our orchard managers and mixologists to tour the grafting field, orchard and tasting room.  

Plan your visit this winter to pick you some cider to take home and cozy up by the fire and sip on fresh-pressed apples in your glass at Henway with Winter Spice. Sip back and enjoy the farm-fresh apples pressed to perfection!

“ When you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is.” – Alice Waters

Our Why

Where and how consumers get their food has changed a lot not only in 2021, but also more than ever before. Some may have memories of harvesting their own food with their families, while others may remember their weekly grocery trips or easy prep meals that brought everyone to the dinner table. A popular way that people get their food in the current day is a meal plan service. Companies like HelloFresh and Blue Apron reported  46% growth in 2021. With people staying at home during the pandemic, looking for convenience with their busy lifestyles and finding comfort in delicious food, this comes as no surprise.

At Great Country Farms, we are excited to make meal planning simple and healthy by offering a farm fresh, locally grown meal kit to our customers. Our new Farm to Table Meal Kit harvest boxes are taking the planning off your plate while keeping your food  homemade and grown right here in Loudoun County, Va.

Fueling Families 

While the days get shorter and we turn inward for winter, eating and preparing seasonal foods helps keep our bodies healthy and strong. Choosing nutrient dense, local foods for your family boosts immune systems and brings fresher foods into your home. We implement no-till practices in our fields that we couple with regenerative methods of spreading compost and rotating our animals through the fields to help increase nutrient stores in the soil. This gives our produce an increased nutrient density over conventionally grown vegetables.

The meal kits we have curated this fall harvest are sure to bring  joy in preparation and satisfaction around the table. Our step by step instructions make it easy for the chef of the house to prepare and our specially selected ingredients will have even the pickiest eaters begging for seconds. 

Supporting Local

 Now you can skip the stress of shipping your food by purchasing meals from your local farmer. Choosing locally grown foods is friendly to the environment and economy, but most importantly, better for your health. Our kits feature produce grown with regenerative culture practices and 100% grass fed, estate meats from our herd. These nutritious and delicious foods can help to keep your body healthy and strong as cold and flu season approaches. It is hard to believe, but there are only a few weeks left in our 2021 growing season here in northern Virginia. We invite you to bundle up and come enjoy the fresh air while you roam our 12+ acre play area, visit our barnyard friends, and stock up on local foods for the winter ahead from our farm market. These Farm to Table Harvest Meal kits are available for purchase on our online market or in store during your visit.

We hope to see you on the farm and look forward to nourishing your family and soul.

What is Pumpkin Chunkin’ Week?

All fall things must come to an end, but the fun still continues after Halloween night at Great Country Farms.  This event started in the 1990s after farmer Mark saw a pumpkin chunkin’ event on TV and said we could do that.  After a crazy busy October season, it seems a stretch to add on another weekend but the smashing of pumpkins at the end of the season has an uplifting affect on the farmhands.  There is just something about being able to release of all the pressure and stress and close out the season with a good smash.  We believe our guests appreciate the outlet value as well.  When was the last time you were told, ” Go Ahead, Smash it?!”

How Can you Join the Smashing Good Time?

Bring your pumpkins out for a smashing good time! There are several stations around the farm where you can drop your pumpkin and even watch it fly. We have a zip line where you can push your pumpkin and watch it soar through the sky until it smashes, a silo drop for a dramatic fall, or you can leave your pumpkin at the biggest of them all, the pumpkin drop zone and watch it be thrown off of our 40ft lift.   Some have described this ultimate smash as “upside-down fireworks”.  

The choice is yours! While you’re at the farm, you can also enjoy apple cider donuts, wagon rides, the Corn Maze & 12 acre farm play area.  The weekend is even more fun as we add on the option to fire apples from our cannons, live cider pressing demos, marshmallow roasting and live music for Saturday & Sunday, Nov 6 & 7, 2021.

When can you smash with us?

An added bonus for 2021 is an extra long pumpkin smashing season because school is out for the entire first week of November for Loudoun County Public Schools. We couldn’t resist celebrating with daily pumpkin smashing November 1-7 from 10AM-5PM. Come and enjoy the beautiful weather outside and bring your jack-o’-lantern friends along for one last fling! For times, details and tickets, visit our website and get the inside scoop to plan your visit. This is one last hoo-rah you won’t want to miss. 

What do we do with all of the smashed pumpkins?

Never fear there is no waste here!   All of the smashed pumpkin goodness goes to our animal friends for their harvest feast. It is the best time of the year for them. When the animals have had their fill, the remaining smashed pumpkins go directly into our compost to reuse the nutrients to help build future soil here at the farm. We don’t know about you, but chunkin’ pumpkins at the farm sounds like a lot more fun than just leaving them outside for the trash. Trust us, our animal friends and next year’s crops will thank you!

 

The history of our races:

Some researchers question how we have the leanest bacon in Loudoun County, our secret is kept in the Stall of Fame. The Stall of Fame is home to some of our all time greatest racers: Tom ‘Boar’ady, Peyton ‘Hamm’ing, Kim ‘Pork’dashian, and ‘Piggy Minaj’. We even successfully predicted Presidential races including ‘Boar’ack Obama and Don’Hog’ Trump. In 2019, we received national attention from our ‘Sty’nly Cup Champions’ with quick skating TJ Osh’wee wee wee all the way home’. Go CAPS!

Our training methods:

We used to think oreos were the key, until we realized pigs can smell a cider donut from a mile away. Donuts from the farm added 15 mph to our pigs’ fastest race times. They truly run faster when they have bigger audiences  cheering them on from the sidelines! With practice and precision, we are very proud of our racing piggies and their speed.

We love our pigs!

Although pigs are sometimes perceived as messy, they are some of the smartest and most organized animals on the farm. When visiting our farm, you may notice a lot of dropped apples and leftover pumpkins from Halloween. Nothing goes to waste here! We feed our piggies dropped apples, lost pumpkins, delicious scraps from the farm market and barley grown below Dirt Farm Brewing. Our pigs are some of the hardest workers on the farm. They assist with rotational grazing, manures, and  weed control as part of our regenerative agriculture practices employed to grown our produce for our Community Support Agriculture Program (CSA) and Farm Market.

2021 THE PIG PATROL

Chase, Rubble, Marshall, Rocky, Zuma and Sky are ready for a runt runt rescue! This crew has been so busy since their premiere on the big screen this summer. Cheer on your favorites and watch Mayor Goodway vs. the Mayor of Foggy Bottom Road, Mayor ‘Ham’-dinger, race to the finish line. No track is too big and no pig is too slow. These pigs are ready to go!

Coming soon to a stall near you….

The Richest Porks in the barnyard:

Pig Gates ($133 Billion)

Founder of ‘Mud’crosoft. His foundation focuses on philanthropic endeavours such as swine-flu vaccination.

Pork Zuckerberg ($134 Billion)

Founder of Facebook and owner of Insta‘ham.’

E’Loin’ Musk ($190 Billion)

Some little piggies go to the market. This little piggy went to space….His self driving tractor and solar powered fencing is driving Te‘Slop’ through the roof. One tweet and the price of pig-coin went up 95% overnight.

Jeffrey ‘Bacon’zos ($200 Billion)

Founder of Amazon Swine. This hog stepped down as CEO after his company’s wealth grew by almost 40% during the pandemic. His newspaper, the Washington ‘Com’post covers all the buzz around the barnyard.

Come watch our piggies race to the Stall of Fame on  October Fall Harvest weekends at 11, 1 and 3 o’clock.

Reserve your tickets in advance as Saturdays & Sundays do sell out.