10/13/2026
Last week, we got the chance to spend some time with our friends and partner farmers Lorie Townsend and Sam Dobson of Farmers United Cattle Co in Burke’s Garden, VA. Our EOV team performed long and short term pasture monitoring, checking for water retention, species diversity, and soil and land health while others tagged along with Sam, Lorie, and their crew to walk their land and keep up with their operation.
Sam and Lorie are long time friends and collaborators and bunking with them, sharing their table, and soaking up more than nine generations of agricultural knowledge invigorates in us the awareness of one of Hickory Nut Gap’s core values: the key to a strong food system is a strong community of farmers.
Our farmers, at home and at every one of our partner farms, are the beating heart of what we hope to do and the goal of a resilient, regenerative food system is a living goal shared by all. Happy National Farmers Day, and here’s to the hard work being done, and the hard work we’ve yet to do.