Producing Produce

At VALOR’s sixth seminar in July, we had the pleasure of visiting Garner’s Produce a Virginia Century Farm near Warsaw, on Virginia’s Northern Neck.    The produce operation, run by Dana Boyle, her husband Bernard, her father and several seasonal employees provides fresh vegetables for a dozen farmers markets throughout Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia.  Dana’s Sister Lora operates the farms on-site roadside stand 7 days a week from April through November.  The farm offers a full line of products for sale fresh, as well as a line of canned goods made from their fresh produce.

Our visit included a lunch provided by Dana’s family that allowed us to taste some of their products, a tour of the farm operation and the roadside stand.

Three generations of Mrs. Boyle’s family can be found on the farm.  Mrs. Boyle has drawn upon her family’s experience in farm production, as well as her own training in Agricultural Economics to build a strong community-focused operation.  Garner’s Produce has helped support education in agriculture at local schools and provides produce to school systems and the Northern Neck Area Food Bank.

Thanks to the entire family and staff of Garner’s Produce for providing us with insight into the fresh produce industry in Virginia.  I encourage you to stop in to their roadside stand or visit them at one of their weekly farmer’s markets.  You’ll be impressed by their products and their friendly service!