Guests:

Sam Armel – Founder, Frederick County Homesteaders; local real estate agent
Kristin Tesdall – Five Roots Farm (fiverootsfarm.com)
Jaclyn Mommen – Laurel Grove Wine Farm & Patty's Place (laurelgrovewinefarm.com)

What We Cover:

Why Frederick County Homesteaders is switching from a farm crawl to a farm hop — and what that means for families, those with mobility challenges, and anyone who couldn't make it farm-to-farm
How the new centralized format opens the door to more farms, vendors, nonprofits, 4-H clubs, and demonstrations than ever before
The bigger mission: doubling farm profit margins by connecting consumers directly with local farmers
Why the data center threat in Frederick County has energized the community to take action in support of local agriculture

Event Details: Spring Farm Hop

Date: April 18th
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location: Frederick County Virginia Fairgrounds
Admission: FREE (no parking fees, no entry fees)
RSVP encouraged: frederickcountyhomesteaders.com → Events

What to Expect at the Event:

~60 vendors including local farms, homesteads, and micro hatcheries
Demonstrations: Raw milk butter making (Old Cedar Farmstead), herbal infusions (Willow Moon Farm), fermentation/sauerkraut/kimchi, sourdough, canning
Panel 1 – Healthy Living Locally (10:00 AM): Raw milk & herd shares, herbal remedies, chiropractic and movement
Panel 2 – Homesteading 101 (afternoon): Getting started, land stewardship, Q&A with experienced homesteaders
Live bluegrass music over the lunch hours
Kids' activities: Scavenger hunt with prizes, young entrepreneur vendor section
Plant sales & swaps, animal swaps, livestock sales
CSA & herd share sign-ups
Lunch service by Chef Van Haute from Inn at Vaucluse Springs

About the Farms:

Five Roots Farm A micro farm on just over 5 acres on the west side of Frederick County. Raises sheep (wool, dairy & meat), ducks, chickens, geese, and rabbits. Offers a self-service farm stand stocked with eggs and seasonal produce.

Upcoming workshop: Sheep on the Homestead – April 25th
fiveroottsfarm.com | @fiveroottsfarm on Facebook & Instagram

Laurel Grove Wine Farm & Patti's Place Home to one of the best regenerative wine collections in the US, now shipping nationwide. Offers workshops on composting, vermicomposting, home gardening, and holistic medicine. Hiking trails and a playground coming soon.

Marketplace hours: Wed–Sun, 10 AM – 4 PM
Café hours: Thu–Sun, 11 AM – 3 PM
laurelgrovewinefarm.com | @LaurelGroveWineFarm | @PattyPlace_LGWF

Coming Up from Frederick County Homesteaders:

Expanded Annual Shop Local Guide – launching June during Love Your Farmer Week (think: Southern Living for Frederick County — recipes, farm stories, interviews)
Available at local farms, farm markets, and tourism departments throughout Frederick County

Connect & Learn More:

Frederick County Homesteaders: frederickountyhomesteaders.com
RSVP for the Farm Hop on the Events page (helps vendors prep food & product quantities!)
Sponsorship opportunities available — includes banner placement on Route 11 fencing for a week prior to the event

Frederick County Homesteaders Spring Farm Hop