Culpeper farms: Where it all starts

Chilly weather blew into the Piedmont just in time for the 14th annual Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour over the weekend.

The cool 55-degree temperatures were ideal for folks to pick their own pumpkins and gourds at Wilevington Farm in Rixeyville on Sunday.

Despite some scattered showers, Culpeper resident Laurie Miller brought her two young children: Nathan and MacKenzie Miller, to select their own Halloween staple.

“They wanted to pick their own pumpkins,” she said.

This is one of the favorite activities at the farm, according to the Culpeper Farm Tour’s brochure.

“Children of all ages will enjoy this experience,” the guide promised.

Participating on the farm tour for two years, Wilevington Farm owners Sharon and Dick Williams offer six varieties of pumpkins. They also sell apple, pumpkin and pear butter, strawberry preserves and apple cider.

Although the couple began planting pumpkin seeds four years ago, the property has been in Sharon Williams’ family as a dairy and cattle farm for about 70 years.

“I was born in that house over there 67 years ago,” said Sharon, pointing to a modest home located a few 100 yards from her home.

The farm is open to the public from mid-September to October.

Dick Williams said the farm is personalized for families. He said he planted about 1,500 pumpkin seeds toward the end of June.

“We are a small operation,” said Dick Williams, of the one-acre land he uses to plant seeds. “This is about as much as I can handle. I don’t want to be big.”

The rest of the 33 acres features manicured lawns, the couple’s spacious home and rental property.

In downtown Culpeper, Piedmont Railroaders of Flint Hill cruised into the Culpeper Depot to set up its elaborate train display.

“This is getting to be very simple for us,” said longtime member Phil Irwin. “We do this eight or nine times a year, but this is our favorite venue. It’s in the perfect room, in the perfect location because it’s right next to real trains.”

Irwin also added that the Piedmont Railroaders has been displaying its trains before the farm tour.

“We were here during the Culpeper Rail Days about 15 years ago,” he explained. “We’re glad to be doing this since the railroad played such an important role in the development of Culpeper County.”

The rails were responsible for transporting farm essentials such as grains, livestock, equipment, seeds, supplies, fertilizer, wood products, milk and everything else that needed to be moved.

As the model trains traveled around the small town, the motion captured the attention of onlookers like Michael and Andrea Dunn of Jeffersonton. They also brought along their toddler, Keigan, who also enjoyed the display.