Our Farms
Growing More Than Produce
Our first growing season was in 2009. That year we grew a few hundred servings of produce on ¼ acre at Camp Westview on the James in Goochland County. Since then, we have expanded to two large-scale farms with 9 acres harvesting over 600,000 servings of produce annually.
2
large-scale farms
600K
servings of produce annually
9
acres of land
What’s Happening on the Farm?
Thousands of volunteers work alongside Shalom Farms staff to support all aspects of our farm operation.
We grow a wide range of seasonal fruits and vegetables. We focus on easy to use and cook crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, zucchini, broccoli, collards, kale, and sweet potatoes. We also adjust our produce varieties each season to better support those we serve.
Approximately 93% of what we grow is distributed through our food access programs in order to reach the most vulnerable families in our community. A small percentage of our produce is sold for profit to carefully selected retail partners to help financially support our mission.
Growing Practices
We believe healthy soil and a healthy ecosystem is critical to supporting healthy people!
We are proud that our practices have always met or exceeded organic growing standards. In 2018, we officially began participating in the Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) program at our Powhatan farm. As CNG farmers, we don’t use any synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms, and are committed to actively stewarding our land through our growing practices. Learn more about Certified Naturally Grown standards and view our profile here.
Powhatan Farm
Since 2017, Powhatan Farm has served as our primary growing site. It is located off of Rt. 288 and Huguenot Trail. This 14 acre site has nearly 7 acres in production, six hoop houses, and harvests over 500,000 servings of produce a year.
Northside Farm
In 2017, we broke ground on our 5 acre Northside Farm, conveniently located in the heart of metro Richmond on Union Presbyterian Seminary’s Westwood Tract. The farm is just minutes from the communities we serve and is the largest “urban farm” in the region. With 2 acres in production, this secondary farm site harvests 100,000 servings of produce a year. We added this site to increase the accessibility of education and volunteer opportunities, and as a central location for distribution and on-farm partnerships.
Volunteers and On-Farm Education
From planting and harvesting, to weeding and field preparation, volunteers are hard at work almost every day and assist with nearly every aspect of our farm operation. While some groups or individuals may only volunteer once, others may decide to come more regularly, and our dedicated Lead Volunteers commit to volunteering at least once a week during the growing season!
Both farms offer unique learning experiences for volunteers and students of all ages. All first time volunteers receive an education tour at the start of their shift and we offer robust hands-on educational experiences for K-12 students.
Volunteering
Volunteers are an enormous asset to both of our farms, and we truly couldn’t meet our mission without them.
Field Trips
Educational experiences are led by Shalom Farms staff and often take place in partnership with other educational organizations.
We're More Than a Farm
In kitchens, food pantries, and markets across the city, our food access programs are focused on finding lasting ways to ensure meaningful access to healthy food.