Farmer Mark Dewey gets some help from farm dog, Sandy, watering the green house.
We are all finding new ways to shop, cook, entertain, connect and cope in the light of COVID-19. One colleague encouraged, “Put down the phone and write.” That has inspired me to pick up the pen and share with you, our Pick your Own and CSA Community, the latest from Great Country Farms.
First and foremost, we are HERE and thankful to be able to support our community with wholesome, nutritious, food grown on this land that we are blessed to steward here in Loudoun County, VA. This time of uncertainty is challenging for all of us and something none of us anticipated.
As farmers, we regularly have to cope with the uncertainties Mother Nature sends our way – be it frost, raccoons eating all the corn the day before we pick it, too much rain, too little rain or beavers cutting down 300 apple trees overnight as the tireless engineers they were made to be. COVID-19 is one uncertainty we didn’t see coming but we are steadfast in our planting and plans to grow food for our community and we are here for you and your family.
Here’s a quick snapshot of how we are pivoting to provide:
- We have purchased more seed, more onion sets and more potatoes to step up our spring plantings to help meet the needs for local food.
- Our farmhands are coming into work each day to build our soil, plant the seedlings and nurture the seeds in the green house. Our regenerative farming is in high gear!
- We have stepped up our creativity and computer savvy and are now offering online market ordering and curbside pick-up at the Farm Market.
- We are working with other local farms such as Audley Farm and Baker’s Pork, to bring in more eggs, ground beef, pork and chicken for online purchase.
- UPDATE 4.15.20: GCF Harvest Box CSA Shares are SOLD OUT! Thank you all for your support. We are evaluating the demand to offer more shares. If you would be interested in purchasing a 20-week subscription, please join our wait list and you will be the first to know if we open up more shares for the 2020 season.
It is our goal to ensure that the time after this crisis is filled with good food, family fun on the farm, and deeper connections with our community & neighbors. When your family savors a meal from our farm at your table, you connect with the soil, the seeds, the environment, our farmhand team and our family. We are honored to be your farmers! We thank you and send you a big “KALE YEAH!”
Peace & Pick Your Own,
Kate Zurschmeide, Founding Family
This change is a big deal. It means far less wasted food, both for you and for us. It means you can eliminate unwanted items from your box, and add extras if you like. It means we can add some unusual crops to our growing plan, knowing that people who want them will get them. It means you have an easy way to buy surplus items in bulk, and we have an easy way to sell surplus items. 
