We were delighted that Grapewood Farm was chosen as the 2022 recipient of the Sierra Club’s Living Green Award. The award was presented on Earth Day by the Rappahannock Group Sierra Club in recognition of the farm’s outstanding nature friendly and sustainable farm practices. Grapewood Farm is dedicated to the good stewardship of the land it works, and manages its resources in a sustainable manner. We use no-till and reduced tillage methods in a 3 year field rotation. Additionally we are developing cover crops and on-site composting to improve the quality of the soil while rebuilding fertility.
This year we used crimson clover again as part of a mixed cover crop on the fields that were not growing a grain crop. It was so beautiful that people would stop to ask what it was and take pictures of it. The "good word" about cover crops is spreading!
Of the farm’s nearly 500 acres, 130 acres are dedicated farmland with the remainder featuring mixed species wood lots, fruit trees, wildlife set asides, wildflower meadows, ponds, and wetland marshes. The energy needs of its barn and office are offset by a rooftop solar array. Rainwater runoff from the roof is captured as gray water for use in non-potable situations like equipment wash-down or crop hydration.