Tourists flock to many of Culpeper’s historic farms

By Rhonda Simmons

Published: October 5, 2008

At the end of a narrow gravel road in Remington sits six decades of black history, dating back to the mid 20th century.

River Edge Farm is one of the oldest black-owned-and-operated dairy farms in the Piedmont region, according to local farming agents.

The farm was one of 13 that participated in the 11th annual Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour on Saturday and Sunday where visitors got to experience agriculture up close.

William Milton Fox purchased 72 acres of farmland on Fox Groves Road in 1946 where he began with 10 dairy cows.

Fox farmed the vast rolling pasture — just 10 miles north of the town of Culpeper in Fauquier County — on both sides of the Rappahannock River.

Sixty-two years and 230 cows later, his son, William Eric Fox, continues to run the family business selling milk to local companies in Virginia and Maryland.

A Fauquier native, Fox said his father started off as a cook in Washington, D.C. until he saved up enough money — with the help of a bank loan — to purchase the family farm.

“It was definitely difficult for him at that time,” Fox said, explaining the obstacles that black entrepreneurs faced before the height of the Civil Rights Movement. “But, he was well liked in the community and even served on numerous local boards.”

There are five types of dairy cows: Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Guernsey, and the Holstein. Each breed produces a slightly different milk product varying in nutritional elements.

In addition to the 240 Holstein dairy cows, Fox’s farm boasts acres of soybean and grain to nourish the cattle.

The cows are milked twice a day usually around 4:30 a.m. and again in the evening producing 60 pounds of the nutritious, opaque white beverage each day.

“It keeps them balanced doing it 12 hours apart,” Fox said, explaining the importance of maintaining the cow’s regular schedule. “If you do it 14 hours one time and then eight or 10 the next, it throws them off and you may not get the same amount of milk every time.”

His heifer’s diet includes alfalfa, barley, soybean meal, ground corn, corn beans and water. Fox said his cows weigh about a ton on average.

The farm also features a free stall barn, a milking parlor, an equipment shed, old-fashioned tractors alongside high-tech machinery.

Holding a small carton of Marva Maid milk — one of River Edge Farm’s clients — a group of kids watched as farm helper Joey Gray milked six cows inside of the milking parlor using state-of-the-art equipment.

“That’s creepy,” barked a little girl, as she giggled with her friends.

Outside, the children gently touched the calves and climbed on huge tractors situated near the dairy house.

New Jersey natives-turned-Williamsburg residents Paul and Joanne Dorris make the 140-mile trip to Fauquier every year to visit the farms.

“We love getting out in the open air and the kids love to see the animals,” said Paul Dorris. “It’s good for the kids to get out and see a working farm.”

A breath of fresh air
Like a department store’s fragrance counter, a sweet, potent aroma drifted throughout the air at Morningside Farm & Nursery on Griffinsburg Road in Culpeper on Sunday.

The source: an angel’s trumpet flowering plant.

Its pleasant scent greeted patrons as they walked past the display garden in front of the nursery.

Owners George and Karen Mosebrook welcomed visitors, taking them on guided tours throughout their 41/2-acre plant and herb farm.

The plant’s large leaves exude a highly noticeable fruity smell during the early evening.

“It’s intoxicating,” George said.

The greenhouse growers sell perennials year-round and annuals during the spring.

In addition to the fragrant flowers, the nursery is also filled with a vast amount of herbs.

The long list of edible plants includes: lemon basil, rosemary, lime mint, Italian oregano, lavender, columnar basil, pineapple mint and stevia, an all-natural alternative for sugar.

“It’s like 100 times sweeter than sugar,” said George. “Some people are using it as a sugar substitute.”

What’s the best part of owning a nursery?

“I like meeting the people,” said George. “And in a business like this, they become more than just customers. They are more like friends.”

For Karen, living a few hundred yards from work is priceless. They live just behind the nursery.

The couple sells a lot of native plants, too.

“They are really important because they do well in our climate because this is where they belong and they’re also non-invasive so they don’t spread and take over (a garden) like exotic things do,” George said.

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .