Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour coming Oct. 1-2

By: Jeff Say | InsideNova
Published: September 20, 2011

Bob Wollam sells his flowers all over the region, but he likes those in his immediate community to know what is going on at Wollam Gardens in Jeffersonton.

That community involvement is one of the reasons Wollam enjoys participating in the Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour, set this year for Oct. 1-2 at various farms, nurseries, vineyards and distilleries in Culpeper County.

Wollam, who moved to his 11-acre, 200-year-old farm in 1988, began operating Wollam Gardens in 1991 and has been participating in the farm tour since its inception.

“I sell most of my flowers in D.C., so I don’t make the connection I’d like to with my local community,” Wollam said. “One of the reasons I like the farm tour is it allows me to make that connection.

“I’m also a supporter of small agriculture farming and I love what I do and the people on the tour are like myself.”

Wollam, who has lived all over the world, said his business started as a hobby but as he left the corporate world, he found himself being called to the plant world. That’s when he opened Wollam Gardens in Jeffersonton and started learning on the job.

“It was hard because there’s not a lot of people who do what I do in the states,” Wollam said. “I visited fellow farmers, read up on it and learned by making mistakes.”

Now, Wollam specializes in plants that “don’t ship well,” including his signature dahlias. Wollam hosted a Dahlia festival a few weeks ago and says the beautiful flowers should still be in full bloom when the farm tour arrives.

“Oct. 10 is the frost date for this area, and we’re always hoping for more days,” Wollam said. “Having the farm tour on the first week of October almost guarantees they’ll all be in bloom.”

He currently has 8,000 dahlia plants and will be hosting tours of his garden from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days of the tour.

Wollam says his tour takes about an hour and a half and is a walking tour through the gardens.

The farm tour takes visitors through 18 agricultural themed locations, varying from gardens like Wollams to farms like Lakota Farm in Remington.

Other popular attractions on the farm tour include the Stillhouse Distillery at Belmont Farm and Old House Vineyards.

Making an appearance this year is Berry Hill Farm and Mineral Spring in Elkwood, which served witness to thousands of Confederate and Union troops marching past during the Civil War. The original home was burned in 1863 by Federal troops and was rebuilt in 1865 with wood from surrounding trees. Berry Hill will host hourly historic lectures, hayrides and forestry department demonstrations.

The farm tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and there is no charge for entry to the farms. Most of the activities and demonstrations are free.

Want to go?

What: 14th annual Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour

When: Oct. 1-2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Information: The farm tour’s welcome center will be hosted at the The Depot’s Visitor Center. For information call 825-8628.

Participants in the Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour

Andora Farm & Stables

Stillhouse Distillery at Belmont Farm

Berry Hill Farm & Mineral Springs

CFC Farm & Home Center

Cibola Farms

Cornerstone Horsemanship