About the Farm
Edgegrove Farm, established in 1746, is one of the oldest farms in Loudoun County. Until 2005, it was owned, lived on and continuously farmed by the direct descendants of its first settler, a Quaker from Wales, David Potts. Edgegrove Farm is the site of the original Potts homestead and retains the original well, spring house and smokehouse from the farm's founding. The curent stone house, bank barn and corn crib date from the 1880s. The Farm remains surrounded by land that continues to be owned and operated by Potts descendants. It is a historical treasure that has persisted through the founding of our nation, the civil war, the post-WWII technological agricultural movement and, most recenlty, the rapid development of Loudoun County. It is situated in the valley known as "Between-the-Hills,"which is between the Blue Ridge and Short Hill Mountains. It's views are simply beautiful.
When Edgegrove Farm became our home in 2013 we were only the second owners to not be a Potts descendent. We are deeply respectful of this fact and honored to become the stewards of this land and its history. We are committed to retaining the farming character of this place and maintaining its legacy as an operational Loudoun County family farm.
Our vision is to provide our family, friends and community with pure, good food, thoughtfully raised. We are committed to sustainable farming and permaculture practices; do not use genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in any of our animal feed, crops, fruits or vegetables; and avoid pesticides and herbicides. Whenever possible, we raise heritage breed animals to preserve and perpetuate genetic diversity in livestock. We are well on our way. Our animals live a good life, spending almost all of their time outside foraging on fresh pasture. The garden and its harvest have been bountiful thanks to beautiful, rich, dirt that we will continue to foster with compost and rotational planting.
Aswe learn and experiment, and as Edgegrove Farm grows, we pray for it to be a place of refreshment and blessing to all those who visit and are part of it. We'd be honored to have you share in the journey with us.
The Farmers
The Animals
We recognize the direct relationship between how animals are raised and the quality of meat produced. All of our animals are raised so they can live their full life the way they were intended: roaming, digging and foraging with plenty of space, fresh air and sunshine. Our chickens, pigs, cows, goats and rabbits are happy animals.
The animals that require additional nutrition beyond grass, are fed only non-GMO feed and grain produced by a local Virginia feed mill. No antibiotics. No hormones. No steroids. We use a local butcher that is certified humane and processes our meat without any nitrates, nitrites, MSG or other additives.
It takes longer and costs more to raise and process animals this way but we think the restuls - happy, healthy animals and superior product - are worth it.
We are Scott and Kelley Shreffler and this is Edgegrove Farm. We stumbled upon Edgegrove Farm during a birthday drive in 2013. We explored the property with wonder; we didn't even think there were farms like this left in Loudoun County. In a whirlwind of events we took ownership of the property before the year was out and began the transition from the city to the country. After countless trips between Falls Church and the farm with a load strapped to the bed of the pick-up truck each time, we finally settled in the following summer of 2014, and the adventure began.
The last few years have been marked by many firsts and much learning as we have started putting some of our farming ideas, dreams and plans into place. Along the way we have welcomed family and friends old and new to join us in our farming journey and to experience this place with us. Some come for a visit and a meal, some come for a respite and to breath the fresh air, and some come to help us with the farm work for a few hours, a day or even a season of life.
Rachel Schroeder has been a part of the farm for the past few years and she currently tends the medicinal beds and lovingly starts and nurtures all the seedlings for the farm garden. She has also established Nadarra Leigh, a small herbalist company that believes whole health starts at home. She shares a love of tending and nurturing the land to produce food for her family and friends as well as an unexpected path to becoming a farmer.
