By Barrett Baker
There’s something special about the anticipation of waiting for the weekend to attend a farmer’s market. However, if you’re looking for fresh produce or locally sourced meats any other time, there’s no need to wait. Farms in the Pungo section of Virginia Beach have been offering their goods for generations and are ready to serve you now. If you’d like to support area small businesses, here are a couple to check out.
Vaughan Farms Produce
There are five farms in Virginia Beach that are certified as what is known as Virginia Century Farms. Farms are designated as Century Farms when they have been in continuous operation—in their designated municipality, by the same family—for at least 100 years. Vaughan Farms Produce has reached that level more than three times, but as of now, Century is the highest designation available.
Established in 1695, the farm is only slightly less than a century younger than when the first settlers in Virginia established Jamestown in 1607. It’s also 81 years older than the Declaration of Independence and 86 years older than the historic battle at Yorktown, where the Continental Army (with substantial aid from the French) defeated British forces to establish the beginnings of what we now call the United States.
“My wife Jennifer and I own Vaughan Farms Produce, and we’ve been farming it at the 1258 Princess Anne Road site for more than 30 years,” Robert Vaughan said. “We’re eighth-generation farmers, and that’s a legacy we’re very proud of.”
As part of their legacy, they offer an honor payment system at The Shed if no one is around to take your payment–so bring cash just in case. They have pre-picked crops for those who are in a hurry or a pick-your-own option if you’re looking for a little fun and adventure. The crops change based on the season. In the late summer and early fall, there are squashes, potatoes, peas, melons, and tomatoes. In the spring and early summer days, you’ll find asparagus, strawberries, and sweet corn. If you want to pick your own Halloween pumpkin, give them a visit in October. Check their website to see what’s available throughout the growing season.
The Shed also offers jarred goods (preserves and more), meats, and eggs pretty much year-round. They also have goat milk soaps and lotions from nearby Blue Dragonfly Farm, in addition to local honey from 8 Veterans Farms. Looking for the perfect gift? The Shed has farm-themed gift baskets if you’re seeking something to brighten someone else’s day or your own kitchen.
For more information about Vaughan Farms Produce, go to vaughanfarmsproduce.net.
Cartwright Family Farms
A 100-acre farm located in the Back Bay area just about a mile-and-a-half down the road from Vaughan Family Produce, Cartwright Family Farms has had five generations of family members working the fields over the decades. The current caretaker, Derek Eason, has been involved since he was a kid and took over full operations in 2014 when he introduced pasture pigs to his family’s legacy started by his great-grandfather.
Why pigs?
“Everyone loves bacon, right?” Eason said. “Pigs are also wonderful tillers and can clear brush, briars, etc., and I felt like they would benefit our land by helping to till the soil and clear the underbrush in our woods.”
The farm is now well known for its prized hogs, which includes humanely raised heritage Tamworth/Berkshire breeds crossed with Red Wattle/Tamworth/Berkshire pigs to produce a superior strain of pork products.
The animals have free range on the farm in rotating paddocks, and they have numerous shaded areas and “mud spas” around the property to help them beat the heat in the summer. Pigs do not have sweat glands and need the “wallows” to keep them cool. The mud also acts as a sunscreen and protects them from bugs.
In addition to what the animals forage on the property, the hogs’ diet is supplemented with non-GMO feed, and they are never subjected to growth hormones, antibiotics, or other chemicals. The processing plant that Eason uses is Animal Welfare Approved and USDA inspected, so those looking for the highest quality bacon, ham, and pork chops can rest assured they are getting top quality.
In addition to selling whole-, half-, and quarter-hog packages during the harvesting season (usually in the fall), Cartwright Family Farms also offers nearly everything from the tail to snout at its Meat Shack on a regular basis, so nothing gets wasted. That includes sausage, smoked sausage, breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, breakfast links, pork chops, Boston butts, and organ meat. However, they do not offer pig snouts or pork rinds.
Eason also recently added a few head of Florida Cracker Cattle to his menagerie, which he hopes will increase his farm’s viability and help him out with “mowing” the property. Eason works full time as a firefighter, in addition to his farming duties, and can use all the help he can get. The cows, a type which dates to the 1500s and came over with the Spanish conquistadors, are prized for their toughness, disease resistance, and ability to thrive in sparse conditions.
“I think there are only maybe something like 5,000 of them left in the U.S.,” Eason said of the bovines. “We can rotate them through the fields, which will save me some time, and they can fertilize as they go. So it’s a win for everyone.”
Speaking of cattle, local produce shoppers can also find fresh cuts of beef at The Meat Shack, which is a cooperation between Cartwright Family Farms and Coastal Cattle (coastalcattle.com)—owned by Robert Vaughan’s brother, Billy.
The Meat Shack is located at 2337 Vaughan Road in Virginia Beach. It is open 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
For more information about Cartwright Family Farms, go to cartwrightfamilyfarms.com.
