I believe the thing that won my heart about Stony Ridge Farm was the handwritten note I received with my first order of fresh eggs and delicious salad greens. The note was written on a professionally made postcard with a stamp that said handpicked by Bob and Lorrie. I knew I had made a friend.
When Roxie and I toured the farm several weeks ago, we were welcomed by a lovable German Shepherd and a couple eager to minister kindness with wholesome food. We enjoyed the afternoon touring the micro-farm nestled on Engle Molers Road while listening to Bob and Lorrie share their story and permaculture gardening practices.
I originally stumbled across Stony Ridge Farm while reading about the Sustainable Shepherdstown Community Garden. As the director for the community garden, Lorrie Schoettler quickly responded with an eagerness to provide assistance and create awareness for the garden, and I soon learned that she had her own homestead in Harper’s Ferry.
Stony Ridge Farm is set apart from other farms in this area because of its user-friendly website and online ordering platform. I was hesitant to join a CSA this past spring because of the large up-front cost and required commitment. I was absolutely thrilled to find a local farm that allowed weekly ordering; this was the perfect solution for my family to receive organic produce on a needed basis. At Stony Ridge Farm, customers are able to submit orders on a weekly basis and schedule a pick up from three local spots; Morgan’s Grove Market on Saturdays, Bolivar Market on Mondays, or directly from the farm on Tuesdays.
“It’s honest,” shared Lorrie. “. . . It’s really nice that you can put a seed in the ground, a miracle happens and you get garlic. Then people say I love your garlic, and life is good and you sleep well at night.”
Bob and Lorrie’s story begins when their hearts pulled them from inner-city Baltimore in 2009 to create a homestead in Harper’s Ferry. “We didn’t even see the house when we bought it; we walked past it and saw land,” said Bob. With a background in marketing and neighborhood revitalization, the couple is using their skills and experience to provide their customers with professional business practices. “It’s neat because we are creating our own brand; whereas in the past we would have done that for other people,” said Bob.
Bob and Lorrie spend their time pouring their love and energy into growing heirloom produce with organic farming practices. “People taste a difference, and it’s in the soil,” said Bob. “Plus the heirloom seeds that we are using – that combination gives [the food] a unique flavor.” The 5-acre plot originally housed a horse farm with thistle covered grounds. Drawing information from the internet, farming conferences, and consultants, Bob and Lorrie began learning how to work the ground in a natural way. “Since we are chemical-free, we are at odds with everything here – bugs, bees, all that,” shared Bob. “But then you think on it and just use common sense . . . we use nature against nature.”
To combat the untamable ground, they planted a rye covered crop to choke out all of the weeds while the roots broke up the clay to prepare the ground for planting. As a natural bug repellent, Bob planted egg sacs of Praying Mantis in the raised beds so they would hatch and eat a majority of the bugs.
For the winter months, Bob and Lorrie use technology from Elliot Coleman on growing produce in low tunnels with no electricity, a practice popular in Southern France. Costing less than $200, the tunnels are built low enough to the ground to preserve the earth’s temperature, allowing them to grow and harvest certain crops outside of season.
Stony Ridge Farm supplied produce consistently for 15 families last year. They have been able to enjoy and share potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, Brussels Sprouts, strawberries, and mushrooms as well as many other items. In the upcoming years, they hope to begin growing lavender and grapevines. Bob and Lorrie also plan on adding a greenhouse in addition to the cold frame built from up-cycled windows from the house. They currently have two Tennessee Fainting Goats to keep them company, and a slew of pasture-raised chickens that provide fresh eggs.
If you are looking for a local farm to purchase produce from, I encourage you to check out Stony Ridge Farm. The taste and nutritional value of their produce is unbelievably better than if you bought it in a supermarket. Plus, you get the opportunity to build a relationship with some wonderful people.
Please go to their website for more information and check out their online ordering platform to see what they are offering this week. And of course, if you have any questions, just reach out to Lorrie at 304-876-8153 or info@stonyridgefarmwv.com. You can also stop by their stand at Morgan’s Grove Market on Saturdays from 9-1pm or Bolivar Market on Mondays from 3-7PM.
