Tour of Potomac Vegetable Farms
Followed by an Obie Gathering to Snack and Socialize
Visit a farm founded in the 1960s by Tony (who died in 1984) and Hiu Newcomb, both ’56. Potomac Vegetable Farms (PVF) has been raising vegetables and future Oberlin graduates for over 55 years. The farm is now run by Hana Newcomb ’80. PVF terms itself Ecoganic Growers, using organic practices but foregoing certification. They sell what they grow through its CSA, five farmers markets, and two roadside stands.
The tour will take you around a section of the farm and provide information on strategies to grow vegetables at scale without harmful chemicals, and to make enough money so PVF can do it again next year. Topics to be covered include:
- Principles and practices of sustainable agriculture (with examples of composting, mulching, cover cropping, crop rotation and other techniques)
- The history of the farm—how did two young college grads with four children decide to start farming here 55 years ago?
- Local, just, and environmentally sound food systems
- The importance and challenges of growing food locally and on a small scale
At the end of the tour, we will enjoy an Oberlin shindig to snack and socialize.
If it is raining or has rained recently, wear shoes you won’t feel sad getting muddy.
Children are welcome but the tour is not geared for small children. You can visit the small flock of chickens but that’s it for farm animals.
The farm will be in green salad season. Lettuce, radishes, baby greens, and maybe some other vegetables from the fields will be available for purchase at the farm stand.
Questions? You can contact Michael Lipsky ’61 at Michael.lipsky@icloud.com. Michael has been married to Hiu for the last 24 years.
The Vienna location, four miles west of Tyson Corner on Rte. 7, is the business hub of PVF. The farm is five minutes from the Beltway (near Wolf Trap). It is a 10-minute car-service ride from the Spring Hill station on the Silver Line. For more information on the farm see: https://potomacvegetablefarms.com/.
