Blooming in the Blue Ridge: Stonecrop Farm
Here in these Appalachian mountains, farmers are presented with unique challenges—and opportunities—at every step.
For Gwynn Hamilton and Bert Webster, their days are spent on steps: 39 terraces cut into clay earth where their flower farm resides near Newport, Virginia.
Gwynn explained, “Nothing here is flat. Of the 70 acres, we farm on the only open part there is.”
For 22 years and counting, they’ve farmed on this land. Starting with veggies and quickly turning to flowers to meet market demand and give Blacksburg locals variety at market, they recall the many changes that have taken place at the market over the years.
Gwynn and Bert love what they do and how their flowers complement all that our market has to offer. They sell here on Wednesdays and Saturdays, through a seasonal bouquet subscription, and at many weddings, events, and workshops throughout the region.
On the farm, calmness abounds. The diversity of songbirds, insects, and wildlife almost outnumbers the hundreds of flower varieties they grow on the property.
Their staff: Sean, Jo, Lauren, and Sam stay hard at work bringing flowers to market and planting for the next crop. Often, they provide flowers to multiple weddings each weekend and spend their weeks keeping up with that demand.
As each season passes, Gwynn and Bert admit that they rely on their staff more and more. Farm work is hard work and they’re feeling the years, decades in now. In love with each other and what they do, they focus on working in ways that their bodies will let them and are so grateful that their staff is more than willing to jump in at every turn.
Looking for some beautiful flowers, whether it’s for your special day or simply a bouquet for the kitchen counter? Shop their flower subscriptions, book a workshop, or find these Stonecrop Farmers at the market!
