Legacies of our Land
Overbay family built on past to create its future
CHILHOWIE, Va. — Virginia Middlefork Farm in Smythe County is home to a family that has made a success of farming by embracing life and change since the land was purchased in 1949.Andy Overbay, a Smythe County dairy Extension agent, and his wife, Andrea, a...
Harner, Sangfroid Distillery tap into old apple orchard
HYATTSVILLE, Md. — Jeff Harner’s path to owning an old, rescued apple orchard in Western Maryland began about five years ago on the Internet. The 37-year-old federal government worker, who had decided that the successful distillation of his own spirits also...
Laurel Grain Company serves farmers through 56 years
LAUREL, Del. — Just a year after incorporating and building the initial grain handling facility in 1965, Laurel Grain Company, started by a group of area farmers each putting up $5,000 per share for its launch, needed to double its capacity. The success of...
Farm museum depicts early Virginia homestead
FERRUM, Va. — Imagine watching a farmer pulling the reins of two oxen that are plowing his garden, or seeing a blacksmith forming tools with heat and iron, or tasting fresh-baked bread straight out of an open-hearth oven.Likely, you might not see this today...
Thomas’s horse-drawn passion lives on in museum
BLACKSTONE, Va. — Robert “Bob” Thomas III carries on his father’s passion for horse-drawn, antique vehicles.Robert Thomas Jr. was born in Nottoway County, Va. and was a farmer, cattleman, horseman; high school teacher, coach, principal, college professor, and...
Cross credits business legacy to adaptability, service
Sandra “Sandy” Cross refers to her family business as a gift — one that she’s taken precious care of as it has transitioned into the next generation. The Cross family legacy dates back to the mid 1800s when John and Elizabeth Cross moved to North Keys in...
There are key financial measures to remember (Credit Corner)
(Editor’s note: Austin Benner is a loan officer with MidAtlantic Farm Credit.) As a young or beginning farmer, you’ll find there are many ways to prepare for the financial aspects of owning a farm. Working with an agricultural lender like Farm Credit from the...
Durbins keeps up family’s bicentennial heritage
DUNKIRK, Md. — Tiffany Durbin said there’s something sacred about White Hall, a place that’s been in her family continuously since the early 1800s. This year, she and her husband, Todd received a designation for White Hall Farm as a Maryland...
Old barn given new life as a venue for weddings
SEAFORD, Del. — Donna Vanderwende said she and her husband, Jimmy, used to dream about owning the old dairy farm at 22304 Atlanta Road in Seaford every time they drove by. They wanted to make sure the farm, the barns and the house, were preserved. So...
Knauer goes from NASCAR to a 1947 Farmall M
CAMBRIDGE, Del. — Born during the Great Depression in 1933, Frank Knauer was destined to be a third generation farmer. Frank’s father and grandfather lived in difficult times when about 400,000 families lost farms through foreclosure across the...
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