May 2024

from throughout | | 6 kitchen | cottage lighted stream, acres

SPRING GLADE

MIddLEBuRG, VIRGINIA

French Country home, with renovations in 1999 & 2017 | 4 BR, 5 full & 2 half BA, 5 FP, hardwood floors, flagstone terrace | Beautiful drive to hilltop stetting overlooking pond, lake & mountains | Im provements include pool, 2-car garage, 2 BR guest house & apartment | Lovely boxwood gardens | Kitchen allowance to be provided | 79.89 acres Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905 helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

SALEM HILL

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

Well protected Fauquier location | 6 bedrooms | 4 full and 2 half baths | 3 fireplaces | Great views | Pool with large flagstone terrace | Large county kitchen | 4-car detached garage with apartment/ office | 9-stall barn | Covered arena | Outdoor ring | 4 stall shed row barn | 51 fenced acres

$3,690,000

203 acres in River frontage 4 full & 3 1/2 Gunnite pool and private | 5 stall Jim paddocks, pasture | Old d

A remarkable property located within a private enclave just minutes from town | Stone and stucco manor house with main level master suite | 7 additional BR | 5 stone FP | Beautiful

RECTORTOWN, VIRGINIA

SAINT LOUIS ROAD

PUBLISHER: Greenhill Media, LLC

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kaitlin Hill | kaitlin@middleburglife.com

COPY EDITOR & DIGITAL ASSISTANT Susan Stark

PUBLISHER

Christian Bentley christian@middleburglife.com

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

Vicky Mashaw vmashaw@middleburglife.com

ADVERTISING SALES

Jennifer Richards | jennifer@middleburglife.com

Andrea Ryder | andrea@middleburglife.com

ACCOUNTS ADMINISTRATOR

Joanne Maisano

DESIGNER: Elisa Hernandez

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: Nicky Marshok

ON THE COVER

Sam Cockburn wins the combined Timber Race at the Old Dominion Point-to-Point with his horse, Keys Discount. Middleburg Life chats with Sam about horses, family, and the young rider’s future on page 6. Photo by Joanne Maisano.

ON THIS PAGE

Bridget Wilson tends to the flowers in Oak Spring’s Serpentine Garden. Read Bill Kent’s interview with Wilson, BBC “Gardeners’ World” host Monty Don, and more experts on page 32. Photo by Gracie Savage.

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All editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. All unsolicited manuscripts and photos must be accompanied by return postage; the publisher assumes no responsibility. Middleburg Life reserves the right to reject any advertising. Distributed in Aldie, Alexandria, Boyce, Centreville, Delaplane, Front Royal, Great Falls, Haymarket, Leesburg, Manassas, Marshall, Middleburg, Millwood, Paris, Purcellville, The Plains, Rectortown, Tysons, Upperville, Vint Hill, Warrenton, Washington, D.C., and Winchester.

Make Your Next Move

CONTRIBUTORS

Shannon Ayres is a Reston-based freelance photographer. His work has appeared in Arlington, Chesapeake Life, Northern Virginia, Virginia Business, and USA Today magazines. He has an MFA in fine art photography from San Francisco’s Academy of Art University. His editorial work can be seen at sdayres.com

Callie Broaddus is a Warrenton native and graduate of the University of Virginia. After seven years as a book designer at National Geographic Kids, Callie founded the nonprofit, Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, in 2019. Callie’s land preservation projects and focus on youth empowerment are aided by her talent as a professional photographer. In her spare time, Callie enjoys Earl Grey tea, Harry Potter trivia, and dreaming of getting back into the jumper ring.

Caroline Gray is a D.C.-based lifestyle and travel photographer. A native to Northern Virginia, she holds an MBA from the University of Virginia. In September 2023, she launched her own photography brand after eight years in the fashion industry. When she is not behind the camera, she enjoys hiking with her Labrador retriever, Captain, visiting her retired horse, Cleverly, and trying new restaurants in Washington, D.C.

Diane Helentjaris chose Loudoun as her “forever home” in 1990. Following years as a clinical physician and public health administrator, she returned to her humanities roots. A finalist in the 2020 Icelandic Writers Retreat, her book “The Indenture of Ivy O’Neill” was released in June 2022. Diane also writes a monthly newsletter, The Silk Mill, which is dedicated to those in love with fabric in all its glory.

Dulcy Hooper and her husband Richard moved to the country from Washington, D.C., nearly 10 years ago. Shortly thereafter, both began writing occasional articles for Middleburg Life. Dogs are a big part of the Hoopers’ lives and several of Dulcy’s earlier articles focused on the couple’s Chinese crested powderpuffs!

Beth Rasin graduated from Middlebury College, where she studied nonfiction creative writing. She worked as a writer and editor at The Chronicle of the Horse for more than 25 years, including 10 years as the president and executive editor. As a freelancer, she’s contributed since 2015 to Middleburg Life, as well as Northern Virginia magazine, Blue Ridge Outdoors, the former Loudoun magazine, and many others. She lives in Hume, where she and her husband and daughter run a boarding facility for retired horses. She enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with her adopted dogs and cats.

Shayda Windle is a freelance writer covering the arts, people, and places that make Hunt Country so special. Her work has been featured in Plein Air Magazine, the Fairfax County Times, and several online media outlets. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying the great outdoors and exploring Northern Virginia with her husband and two children.

Heidi Baumstark has been writing for several lifestyle magazines and newspaper publications since 2005, specializing in history-related articles highlighting Virginia’s Piedmont. She has been with Middleburg Life since 2014. Heidi hopes to inspire readers to pause and consider the people, places, and events that have shaped the story of our local history.

Michael Butcher is the owner of Butcher Photography. Originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, he resides in Springfield, Virginia, with his family. For the past 15 years, Michael has specialized in portraiture, event, and editorial photography. When not behind the lens, he enjoys gardening and swimming. More of Michael’s work can be found at butcherphotography.com.

Laticia Headings is grateful to call Middleburg home. She discovered Middleburg by attending the first annual Middleburg Film Festival in 2013 and has come back to the event every year since as a volunteer, attendee, and for the past several years, as a writer for Middleburg Life. Laticia is the founder of Latitude Media and has 23 years of experience as a producer, writer, and camerawoman for television (Discovery, National Geographic), documentary film “Everest: A Climb for Peace,” and multi-platform media. Now, as a full-time realtor with McEnearney Associates, she is helping her clients realize their dream of calling Hunt Country home.

Lia Hobel is a freelance journalist, known for her blog, Uplift Loudoun. In addition to her work for Middleburg Life, Lia writes periodically for online platforms with articles appearing on GOBankingRates, Forbes, Huffington Post, and Yahoo! She is a Loudoun 40 Under 40 honoree and a Certified Tourism Ambassador for the county.

Bill Kent’s journalism has appeared in more than 40 national and regional publications including the Washington Post, Art & Antiques, Philadelphia Magazine, Baltimore Magazine, New Jersey Monthly, and The Hunt. A former correspondent for the New York Times, he taught writing and journalism at the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers, and Temple universities, and is the author of seven novels, a Fodor’s Guide, and a history of Atlantic City. When not writing, he enjoys walking his westies on Washington Street.

Gracie Savage is a local photographer who grew up in the village of Aldie and has been photographing local weddings, portraits, and events since 2016. Her passion began when she received her first camera in middle school and she continued to study the craft in high school and in college. She was a photographer at Georgetown University for over three years and joined Middleburg Life as a contributor in the spring of 2022.

Also in this issue: Kerry Phelps Dale.

Artwork

Artwork by Palmer Smith

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR: Sam CoCkburn TalkS HorSeS, Family, & THe FuTure

Written by Kaitlin Hill

“Ialways wanted to ride. I started riding when I was 3,” shares Sam Cockburn, a familiar face in the local steeplechase and hunt scene.

For Cockburn, an inclination for equestrian sports runs in his blood. “My mother had a boarding and lessons facility in Maryland that she started with my grandfather. My grandfather always bred flat horses and steeplechasers.” His grandfather, Gordon “Gordie” Keys, was a house-

“So, [in] my first two weeks of racing against adults [I had] a win and then a broken bone.” – Cockburn

hold name in the equestrian world for the thoroughbreds he raised, owned, and raced. Cockburn adds, “He and my mom bred a horse named Iron Fist. He went off to win the Virginia Gold Cup and the My Lady’s Manor Steeplechase.”

He continues, “We’d sell them, they’d breed them, and my father would point-to-point them. Then they would sell to bigger stables.”

Cockburn’s father, Bay Cockburn of Shuckburgh, England, would have a legendary equestrian career in Virginia’s Hunt Country. Between 1988 and 1998, he participated in 433 steeplechase races resulting in 85 wins, 74 second places, and 54 third-place finishes. His career would be cut short after a paralyzing fall in 1998. He passed away in December 2013.

“I started foxhunting and doing shows when I was about 8, and [my dad] asked me if I wanted to start racing,” says Cockburn. “My first pony race was at the Rappahannock Point-to-Point.”

At 16, Cockburn would get his first horse. “My dad got me a horse from a local guy named Gregg Ryan, who is Master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds. I got to ride my first point-to-point at Casanova in 2009, I believe. And I won my first point-to-point race.” He adds with a laugh, “But then again, the next week, I broke my first bone at

the Blue Ridge Point-to-Point. … I broke my left wrist on the second to last hurdle fence. So, [in] my first two weeks of racing against adults [I had] a win and then a broken bone.”

The injury didn’t put Cockburn off racing, nor did it dampen his dad’s encouragement. “I think my dad had me riding flat races before they even took the cast off,” Cockburn laughs. “Once they cut the cast down below my elbow, I was riding flat races at the point-to-points, to the dismay of

Neighbor | Page 7

Left: Early morning exercise. Right: Sam on Keys Discount. Photos by Joanne Maisano.

Neighbor | From page 6

my mother and the other jockeys.” He finishes, “But dad wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Like his father, Cockburn splits his time hunting and racing, enjoying each thoroughly. “He was a full-time huntsman and he only stayed an amateur jockey. He just liked to race. He was an adrenaline junkie.” Cockburn continues, “He was my idol. I grew up watching him; I would rewatch all his replays on VCR. So I always wanted to race. And, I’ve always enjoyed hunting as well. I love whipping in. I whipped in for Middleburg and Piedmont. I’ve also whipped in a little bit to Warrenton Hunt this past year. I love hunting, [and] I love the hounds. I think it’s a great thrill.”

“If you are not in tune with your horses, you could be sending a horse off to lose. You have to be aware. They’ll run all day for you, but you have to set them up to win.” – Cockburn

a steeplechase horse. It’s very, very time consuming and you have to be patient. You have to let them have a bad season… You can have a great horse and you can have a terrible season that makes you want to throw in the towel. But sticking with it is a really rewarding feeling.”

He finishes, “If you are not in tune with your horses, you could be sending a horse off to lose. You have to be aware. They’ll run all day for you, but you have to set them up to win.”

On April 6’s Old Dominion Point-to-Point, Cockburn did just that with Keys Discount. He shares, “I was entered in the foxhunter division in the point-to-point circuit. That’s supposed to be just amateurs on their foxhunters, more of a nod

always uncertain. It’s a very difficult lifestyle and difficult to make a living.” He continues, “Hopefully, one day down the road, I’ll grow a clientele and go off on my own.” For now, “You gotta stay healthy and take care of yourself,” and adds with a laugh, “and put the money away when you can.” Cockburn currently works with local trainer Julie Gomena. “She was very good to my father and she would let us school her timber fences and hurdles. So, I’ve always had a good relationship with her and started working with her full-time in the past year… I’m lucky to have Julia as an employer and as a mentor.”

As for newcomers to the sport — either spectators or aspiring athletes — Cockburn says, “My advice is to go to the races. Watch the races. Watch how

He expands, “I think I get more satisfaction out of producing a racehorse, but I have more love for hunting. It’s something where I can just shut the world off and enjoy.”

Though perhaps what he enjoys most is the relationships he develops with the horses. This can take time, and patience. “My horse, Keys Discount, my grandfather and I got for $2,000. He is showing a lot of promise over timber fences, after a kind of dismal hurdle career. But, you know, perseverance. Stick through it.”

He continues, “It takes a long time to produce

to the tradition of steeplechase racing. I was the only one entered, so they combined me with another race with professional steeplechase horses that are being run to ride in sanctioned races.” He adds, “And, we beat ‘em. We beat them by a lot. So, it was a nice feeling.”

In mid-April, a trainer reached out to Cockburn to purchase Keys Discount. Cockburn shares, “I will enjoy rooting for him in the future.”

When asked about his plans for the future in the sport, Cockburn sagely says, “The future is

“We want people to be involved with it. If new people don’t come in, the sport won’t grow or it’ll eventually die. I would like people to know that it’s very open.” – Cockburn

the horses are jumping. Watch how the jockeys are riding. Follow the horses through the point-to-point season and reach out to your local trainers.” He adds, “If you want to get into it, reach out to someone like myself, or Julie Gomena, or Neil Morris, who is local to Middleburg. Come see their facilities, ask questions. You just have to knock on doors, or send emails and Facebook messages these days.

“It’s not a secluded circle. People shouldn’t think that. We want people to be involved with it.

Neighbor | Page 8

Old Dominion Timber Race. Photo by Joanne Maisano.

Neighbor | From page 7

If new people don’t come in, the sport won’t grow or it’ll eventually die. I would like people to know that it’s very open.”

Only 31, yet with the wisdom of a much older man, Cockburn says without prompting, “It’s not just showing up on race day. You get to be a part of your horse improving as an athlete, as an animal. You get to be surrounded by other people who love the sport. And you get to meet some of the hardest working people in the world.” He finishes with a laugh, “But if anyone tells you they know everything about a horse, they are lying to your face. You’ll never know everything about a horse because they are all different. Some horses will drop you one day and then win a race for you the next. It’s a rollercoaster.” ML

Left: Cockburn and Julie Gomena. Photo by Joanne Maisano. Right: Cockburn with his mother, Chrissy Heard, and his sister, Katie Baker, at the Middleburg Fall Races. Photo courtesy of Sam Cockburn.

DulleS SouTH Soup kiTCHen & THe raCe againST Hunger

Written by Shayda Windle | Photo by Shannon Ayres

Four days a week, you can find a team of dedicated and talented cooks preparing hot, nutritious meals for those in need at the Dulles South Soup Kitchen (DSSK). Unlike traditional soup kitchens, where meals are served on-site, DSSK takes their generosity to the streets, distributing prepared meals free of cost, no questions asked. Their impact is significant, with 850 to 900 meals distributed weekly at Stone Springs

cooked meal.

Mahapatra’s journey began in her native India, where her family instilled in her a profound empathy for the underprivileged and an understanding of the transformative power of a warm meal. This ignited her lifelong mission: No one should ever go to bed hungry. Driven by this foundational principle, Mahapatra opened her heart and her home during the pandemic, preparing meals and serving them to those most in need. As the demand for meals grew, so did her vision. Mahapatra built a team of advisors, including board member Chef Kumar Iyer, owner of Manassas-based Rangoli, to assist in moving DSSK to a commercial kitchen capable of supporting larger volumes.

Hospital and through community partnerships.

DSSK founder Devina Mahapatra’s vision has always been to “supplement the good work of the food pantries and other organizations in the community. Food pantries are a wonderful way to help our neighbors,” Mahapatra shares, “but they provide packaged provisions. For people who are homeless, who live out of their car, who don’t have a kitchen ... they don’t have the ability to transform these items into a hot meal.” This is where Dulles South Soup Kitchen bridges the gap and provides the comfort and dignity of a freshly

The sad truth is that in America’s wealthiest county, too many still experience food insecurity. Defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as the lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life, food insecurity impacts around 16,000 people in Loudoun County, with 49% of these residents ineligible for federal nutrition programs.

Despite being named the wealthiest county in America, the child food insecurity rate in Loudoun County is 9.5%, or approximately 9,660 children, and of these children, 66% are likely ineligible for federal nutrition programs due to income limitations.

“Sometimes it will be a large, healthy salad alongside the main meal, but we always donate a meal, week after week, to supplement the work our local food pantries are doing,” shares Kim Curran, director of operations at Dulles South Soup Kitchen. “Our mission is to provide nutritious hot meals, free of charge, to anyone who is

seeking nourishment in a warm, dignified, and compassionate environment.” DSSK is hoping to soon expand its direct distributions by adding a Sterling distribution site.

Curran says, “Some people don’t have time to cook. They are working two or three jobs. They don’t have a kitchen, or they are living out of their cars. We understand life’s circumstances and do not ask questions. There are no requirements to receive a meal from us.” Curran shares a recent effort of the soup kitchen resulting in 210 meals prepared for direct distribution at Stone Springs Hospital, 200 meals for Loudoun Hunger Relief, and 110 meals for Tree of Life Ministries’ community dinners in Sterling and Leesburg.

Something else that sets them apart from a traditional soup kitchen is their menu. Go online to the “Need Help” section and you will see a full menu for the weekly distributions. Despite the “soup kitchen” in their name, it’s not just soup they serve. Though patrons won’t find fried food on the menu, they will find dishes that use produce from local farms, including JK Community Farms out of Purcellville. Meals for May include a turkey wrap with chips, Mexican chorizo rice, meat with potatoes and rice, and cheesy ground beef pasta.

Like most nonprofits, Dulles South Soup Kitchen could not operate without the help of volunteers, donors, and corporate partners. On April 20, the organization hosted its first annual “Race Against Hunger” fundraiser at the Middleburg Spring Races with VSTI-Partners as the premium sponsor in the Winner’s Circle.

In addition to cash donations, DSSK runs on food donations. Food items that are usually most needed include pasta, rice, canned vegetables, canned fruit, tuna, tomato sauce, oil, mayonnaise, and other condiments. To find out more about how you can help, visit dullessouthsoupkitchen.org. ML

Phil Curran, Kim Curran, Lori Gheitanchi, Malisa Haley, and Patrick Haley of DSSK.

SCENES FROM THE MIDDLEBURG

Kim Curran.

A fox graces a tailgate.

A display at the Salamander tent.

A handwritten welcome sign. The Roberts and Wolfe families enjoying their lunch spread.

Rachel Stanton & Katherin Sanders.

David Wolfe.

A decked out Jeep.

Angel Negron.

VMFA's spread. DeAnn & Jamie Jeremiah with Tatiana Shoja.

A 1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Marina & Myron Dobson.

Photos by Shannon Ayres

SPRING RACES -

Photos by Joanne Maisano

#1 High Definition ridden by Jamie Bargary wins the Allowance Hurdle Race.

Schoodic in the lead, ridden by Graham Watters.

The crowd watches the Allowance Hurdle Race.

Training Flat Race.

Schoodic wins the Middleburg Hunt Cup Timber Race.

remembering ann maCleoD

(JUNE 28, 1922 – APRIL 9, 2024)

Written by Kerry Phelps Dale

Ann lived a good, long life. She was a beloved community icon. She was a faithful churchgoer with a Christian heart. She was an avid tennis player and downhill skier. She was an active member of many garden clubs. A Saratoga celebrity. A voracious reader. An accomplished writer. A loving mother and grandmother. An inspiration to all lucky enough to know her.

She was married to her best friend Sandy MacLeod, but spent much of her life a widow: Widow Ann. She was a mentor and a friend to many of the community children: Granny Annie. But to so many of her friends collected and cultivated over the years, she was simply Ann.

Of her 101 years of life, most were spent in her home state of Virginia. She was born and raised in Staunton, Virginia, and attended Mary Baldwin, where she graduated with a degree in

political science. She joined the Red Cross and traveled to Europe, later returning for a job in the intelligence arm of the military in Austria. Upon returning to the U.S., she took a job with the CIA writing reports. Then she met Sandy, married, and moved to Middleburg, where she helped in his family’s horse business on her beloved Dunvegan Farm. And there she had lived ever since bringing her enthusiasm and passions to Hunt Country.

Ann cared about people, creatures, and causes. When she decided to champion a cause, she was formidable and never gave up the fight. Her tenacity and passion were simply who she was.

She attended marches in D.C., most notably Mothers Marching for Peace during the Vietnam War and more recently a march for gun control. She was an advocate for the poor and the disenfranchised and a community conduit for bringing

people together. She initiated Trinity’s 30-plusyear relationship with SOME (So Others Might Eat) in Washington and faithfully served meals to hundreds every other month. As a volunteer for the organization Middleburg FISH, which provides assistance to those in need, Ann would often take a call. If she couldn’t assist through FISH channels, she would relentlessly pursue other avenues until the caller’s needs were met.

Preserving hedgerows as a safe habitat for wildlife was one of Ann’s passions. When Trinity Church started a tradition of burning Christmas trees on Twelfth Night in a bonfire, Ann revolted. Those trees were to be left at the wood’s edge to provide cover to the creatures. No more Epiphany bonfires happened again.

Ann loved her tennis, playing three games a week and participating in club tournaments until

Remembering | Page 17

Left: Ann at her 100th birthday celebration. Photo by Joanne Maisano. Middle: Ann sporting her classic all-white outfit at the tennis club. Photo courtesy of the Middleburg Tennis Club. Right: Ann MacLeod. Photo by Kerry Phelps Dale.

Remembering | From page 16

she was 99. She was old school on the court, from her all-white tennis apparel to her valued tennis etiquette. The Middleburg Tennis Club named their sportsmanship award after her. Ann set out in detail many requests for her memorial service, which were closely adhered to. “Ann never made a bad call. (Pause for hysterical laughter),” she wrote in her directives.

On the court, Ann, would not abide bad language. Once when her partner let an expletive slip out after hitting the ball into the net, Ann summoned her to the baseline. “Don’t ever cuss,” Ann chastised. “But I couldn’t help it,” her partner told her. “Next time control yourself,” she said, “…and if you must cuss, do it in Latin: awshitticus.” Ann’s personal expression of frustration was most often, “Oh, bother!” à la Winnie the Pooh.

Ann loved people and loved to talk, making her a perfect docent for Trinity Church’s annual Hunt Country Stable Tour. She was perennially the guide for the Goose Creek Stone Bridge, which she was instrumental in saving and having placed on the National Register of Historic Places. One year Ann enthusiastically flagged down a Greyhound bus traveling west on Route 50,

thinking it was one of the many tour buses scheduled for the event. The bus stopped for the woman waving her arms, and she boarded and began giving her spiel to the bus full of confused travelers and an equally perplexed bus driver. No doubt all were enchanted by the chance encounter.

Ann’s driving over time became legendary, as evidenced by the dents and scratches on her own car. One day while driving through Middleburg on her way to tutor at Middleburg Elementary School — she was a devoted volunteer tutor at Windy Hill, as well — she was pulled over by town police for an unknown infraction. The coy, cunning, and always charming Ann diverted his attention, explaining that she was going to the school to tutor a young boy. “Sir, this little boy would love to meet a real police officer; would you be able to come with me to the school and meet him and talk to the children?” He complied with Ann’s will and a possible ticket was averted, supplanted by a wonderful experience for the officer and children.

Having lived through the Great Depression, Ann was conscientiously not wasteful. “She would say, ‘Oh, that’s perfectly good,’” recalls her son Colin. Whether it be moldy cheese or a broken item, not much in Ann’s life did she render

useless. He recounts a time an old friend and house guest decided to clean out Ann’s refrigerator. “Oh, that’s perfectly good,” she repeated over his shoulder.

What was most evident and infectious was Ann’s relentless positivity. “Think lofty thoughts,” she would tell Colin. Or, “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

For Ann, being upbeat was something she wore inside and out — always coiffed and dressed in classic clothes, known for her vintage wardrobe of dresses and hats.

Her positivity played out in all facets of her life. Her faith in God and his children was evident in her community involvement and daily life. She was curious about people and issues and had a yearning to understand all that she encountered.

Ann’s sense and sensibilities are further illuminated in this verse of a hymn she asked to have read at the close of her service:

Love can exclude no race or creed

If honored by God’s name

Our common life embraces all Whose Father is the same

For all who knew Ann and all whose lives Ann enriched, 101 years seems not quite enough. ML

Left: Ann and Tom Troutman. Middle: Ann and Andrew Richards. Photos courtesy of the Middleburg Tennis Club. Right: Ann with her son and grandson. Photo by Joanne Maisano.

Turns Stationery into Hand-Crafted Souvenirs

Written by Diane Helentjaris

Photos courtesy of Every Little Something

Nicole Ferguson’s dream is coming true.

On May 23, Every Little Something The Shop, her first brick-and-mortar store, will open at 109 W. Washington Street in Middleburg.

She wants it to “be your neighborhood stationery shop, your source for one-of-a-kind gifts, for connecting with your loved ones with a note … a neighborhood paper shop with an old-world experience and high-end gifting. … Everything is stationery and writing focused.” The shop will offer, along with luxury print design services, items for everyday needs. Customers will find curated wrapping papers, pens, desk décor, and more.

One of life’s simplest delights is reaching into a mailbox and finding something other than a bill. According to the U.S. Postal Service, 98% of Americans collect their mail the day it is delivered and spend around a half-hour perusing it. To receive a hand-addressed envelope is a special pleasure. They have cachet and reflect the sender’s willingness to invest time in communicating.

Writing carries benefits lost in email, texts, and social media posts. Letters and notes can convey an intimate, personal message. They are experienced through multiple senses — touch, sight, smell, and even hearing as the reader rustles one page to reach the next. Neuroscience

Hand-Crafted | Page 19

Nicole Ferguson.

Hand-Crafted | From page 18

confirms that tangible media stimulates and leaves a deeper impression in the brain than reading an electronic message. Paper missives can be saved, tucked into a drawer or special box to be relished and read again and even passed down to future generations. Few are storing emails for their grandkids to read.

This impact of the written word is, at least partly, the result of its rarity. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service found that the average American

College of Art and Design, concentrating her studies on graphic design and advertising. After marrying and starting her family, she realized she missed making “tangible goods.”

Every Little Something, Ferguson’s business dedicated to designing and printing luxury stationery and invitations, began as a part-time hobby. Ferguson does all the art, design, layout, and calligraphy. All art is hand-drawn. Ten years later, her home studio-based company has blossomed into a full-time venture with a global reach. Over

Ferguson relies on a combination of talent, technical expertise, and a very careful attention to detail. She discusses printing techniques and paper weights with enthusiasm and the expertise of a civil engineer discussing types of steel. Every Little Something invitations and stationery are made by process printing. Plates and dyes are used in techniques going back to the days of the Gutenberg Bible. Letterpress printing creates debossed designs in paper which can be felt by running a thumb over them. Foil printing uses heat

household received a personal letter only once every seven weeks, down from once every two weeks in earlier surveys. Over 37% of adults, according to a CBS 2021 survey, had not received or written a personal letter in more than five years.

Ferguson wants to help people reconnect with letter writing. Back in 2014, she realized that she missed the tactile experience of hand printing. She had earned her BFA from the Savannah

100,000 aficionados of beautiful paper products follow Every Little Something on social media. Ferguson's handmade, one-of-a-kind creations have been featured in Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Style Me Pretty, and Every Little Something has been recognized as the Best Wedding Invitation Designer in the greater Washington, D.C., area.

To accomplish her high-level artistic work,

and metallic foil for razor-sharp calligraphy and designs. Embossing, usually multitiered, produces a sculpted effect. Most of the papers are imported from places like Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and India, though Nebraska is a favorite source for handmade paper.

Ferguson works closely with her clients to craft invitations and stationery which reflect

Hand-Crafted | Page 20

and

Left: Pink and green are a classic wedding color scheme. Middle: Sweet custom gift boxes guests are sure to appreciate. Right: Custom botanicals

butterflies make a beautiful invitation suite.

Hand-Crafted | From page 19

their taste and vision. When asked about her design aesthetic, she describes it as “very detailed, very ornate, very attentive to detail. … My job is to bring to life the vision you have in your head, collaboratively.” For example, for a couple marrying in Tuscany, invitations to the welcome dinner were dye-cut in the shape of a cluster of grapes. The white cards were embossed so each grape and leaf was sculpted in low-relief, along with a calligraphic message. For another client, Ferguson used collage to make a delicate floral border for their bespoke invitation. Tiny vintage flower images, multicolored and dainty, were combined in a delicate, intertwined garland which surrounded the invitation’s printed message.

No detail is too small. Ferguson’s vision encompasses even the postage stamps on her custom invitations. From unused, vintage stamps out of circulation, she puts together a set for each en-

velope which underscores the invitation’s artistic theme.

Her work is “hands-on” in the truest sense of the term. It is Ferguson’s fingers tying the slender gold cords on wedding invitations. Even more, she knows guests and the wedding party will hold it in their hands and likely tuck it away as a treasure from a memorable day. Something tangible, lovely, and just for them.

As she prepares to open in Middleburg, Ferguson says, “I’m your neighborhood stationer and I want to sit with you and design something beautiful together.” ML

Every Little Something

109 W. Washington Street Middleburg, VA 20117 everylittlesomething.com

This couple opted for a “something blue” theme.

The Plains – The epitome of an exquisite Horse Country Estate with meticulously manicured gardens, grounds and hundreds of acres with protected view-sheds. Oakendale is in a class of its own. John Coles | 540-270-0094 Marshall – Magnificent country

The Plains – The classic colonial is sited high on the farm’s 93+/acres for one to enjoy

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Upperville – Premier estate includes 2 horse barns with a total of 29 stalls, 3 feed rooms, tack rooms, riding ring with competition footing, beautiful ride-out. Agent is related to Owner. Cricket Bedford 540-229-3201 | Julia O’Regan 202-468-0751

Since 1967 Thomas & Talbot has managed the purchase or sale of almost every property in Horse Country. We attribute much of our success to the specialization and expertise of our agents, who have life long relationships in the community. Today, in spite of challenging times, we continue to open doors to this marvelous way of life, which has never been more desirable.

Photo Credit Gomer Pyles

Warrenton, Historic District

Stunning, 3 level, Greek Revival style brick home amidst mature trees and spectacular perennial gardens. Walkout level studio apt. and renovated

maSTer Weaver keepS CenTurieS-olD TraDiTion alive

Written by Laticia Headings | Photos by Michael Butcher

“In here, I let everything go. It’s a very powerful place,” says Dustin Aliff of his shop, David’s Oriental Rugs & Care-full Carpets in The Plains.

Aliff and his father, David, have operated the businesses together since 1999. They specialize in selling new and antique Persian-style rugs and carpets, as well as cleaning and restoration. The younger Aliff does the carpet washing and repair while his father focuses on the dying, fringe work, and fine details. “I’m a doctor in restoration,” he says. “I work with handmade, one-of-a-kind rugs from around the world. I’m their caretaker.”

With inventory from Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Caucasia region, as well as rugs

“We have the best tribal, nomadic carpets from all the premium countries, but we also sometimes find them in peoples’ attics.” – Aliff

from the 1940s or older from India and China, Aliff says, “We have the best tribal, nomadic carpets from all the premium countries, but we also sometimes find them in peoples’ attics.”

In 1994, Aliff was introduced to the craft that he now calls a career. He and his father worked at Aliloo & Son Rug Gallery in Middleburg for four years. David was the store manager and 14-yearold Aliff was a young apprentice to owner Paul

Tradition | Page 25

Dustin Aliff with his dog, Sirius, sleeping above him.

Tradition | From page 24

Aliloo. “He’s the reason I’m doing what I’m doing,” says Aliff. “He taught me about Persian rugs. I was drawn to these rugs, and my dad was also. I really listened and very intently took everything I learned and put it into memory.”

The Aliffs then went into business for themselves. For 10 years, they operated in a 2,500-square-foot space in Marshall that had no bathroom, heat, or running water. “We sold coffee, books, furniture, orchids, rugs, silverware, furniture, and gold and silver bars,” recalls Aliff. “In the winter, we would wrap these amazing Navajo rugs around people when they came inside. It’s humbling to think about now.”

Like many dealers, David’s Rugs first carried many types of expensive “city” rugs but discovered a demand for more affordable rugs, so the businessmen shifted their focus to “village” and tribal rugs. City rugs often have more sophisticated dying techniques and materials, and the weavers follow a blueprint. With tribal rugs, on the other hand, the designer and the weaver are the same person, and no two rugs are alike. “I’m a village guy,” says Aliff. “Every rug is named after the city or village where it’s made, and each one is unique.”

Regardless of the type, the Aliffs regard all rugs as both functional and works of art. “My dad is an artist and has always said the most important thing to pass on is creativity, because it’s the brick that will build your house,” says the now 44-year-old.

“I was mad at first but, in the end, I'm glad he pushed me. I became who I am because of that.” – Aliff

Throughout his life, Aliff has turned to creative outlets, including poetry, painting, theater, and music, to navigate hardships and channel grief and anger. “I was terribly bullied as a child. I’ve had so much trauma in my life,” says Aliff, who at 16 suffered severe migraines, blackouts, and constant nausea. He was eventually diagnosed with a condition called Chiari malformation, a structural defect in the cerebellum, resulting in a complicated 10-hour brain surgery, after which he was on bed rest for over six months and had to learn to walk again.

In 2007, Aliff lost his mom to pancreatic cancer, a loss that devastated him. “That was the sad part of my life; it’s so visceral. It was an intense time for me, but with great pain, you get great power,” says Aliff.

After high school, he attended Chowan University for nursing in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, but dropped out after a fortuitous introduction forever changed the course of his life.

In the summer of 2002, a prominent rug expert named Ismet Odabasio stopped by the shop and was impressed with the Aliffs’ knowledge of rugs. “We only had 100 rugs or so for sale, but he saw my passion and something in my personality and said, ‘Do you have a passport?’ I said, ‘No,’” Aliff laughs. Odabasio told him to apply for one and invited him to his carpet restoration workshop in Turkey.

Thinking it was a joke, Aliff didn’t apply for a passport. Two weeks later when Odabasio came back to the shop and told him his ticket was already purchased, Aliff knew he was being offered a golden opportunity.

In September of 2002, at 22 years

Tradition | Page 26

Top: Aliff assesses a recent project from Slater Run Vineyards. Second: Sirius is always nearby. Third: Aliff’s handmade sign. Bottom: Aliff repairs a tribal rug containing the hair of the maker.

“Once you learn my craft, you can go anywhere in the world.” – Aliff

| From page 25

old, Aliff boarded a plane to Istanbul, a 14-hour trip and his first time traveling overseas. He recalls the experience as exciting and overwhelming. During the first week, he suffered illness, badly sprained his ankle, and had to navigate a foreign city without speaking or knowing any Turkish.

“I had a really hard time adjusting and was homesick,” says Aliff, who found himself communicating with his teachers by drawing stick figures because of the language barrier. He relied on writing poetry and playing his mandolin for solace. “Ismet wanted me to be very independent. I was mad at first but, in the end, I’m glad he pushed me. I became who I am because of that.”

Aliff lived with Odabasio in the village of Erenkoy and would take a ferry each day to the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul near the Grand Bazaar. For three months, he took classes and acquired hands-on experience with the industry’s top weavers, learning both new and centuries-old weaving, cleaning, and repair techniques in the workshop above Odabasio’s carpet store.

“I was still working on my warp and weft construction. I hadn’t graduated but I could fix almost anything,” Aliff says. The specialty skill set he acquired is why he is in demand today. “I get 200-year-old rugs with holes in them that have been stretched and I have to perfectly patch or

reweave the rug.”

For this, Aliff uses matching remnants from old rugs or reweaves brand new pieces on his loom that exactly match the previous weaver’s work. He then “antiques” the cotton, silk, or wool by soaking it in his own vegetable powder dyes and, finally, putting it in the sun. “There are several techniques that I use to speed up the oxidation process but it’s something you can’t rush,” he says. “I’ll be long gone in 100 years, but this rug will still be here because of me.”

Cleaning rugs is also tedious and labor intensive. “Turkish washing is what I do the best. I don’t buy it if I can’t clean it, and I can’t clean it unless I can put it under water.” Aliff continues, “It’s a dirty job. Imagine what I see: I see people’s lives. These treasures could have been thrown in the dump, but I get to clean them. It’s an honor to take care of them.”

In 2014, Aliff officially became a Master Weaver during his third trip to Turkey after completing more than 1,200 hours of rug and carpet restoration. “Once you learn my craft, you can go anywhere in the world,” says Aliff, who grew up in Sumerduck in Fauquier County and chose to plant roots in the area he’s always called home.

To stay focused and centered, Aliff practices a daily mantra he’s been using for years and loves to share. “KIP stands for kindness, intelligence, and patience. It’s something that really helps me. In its

simplest form, I try to show kindness to everyone I meet,” he says. “The intelligence is educating myself each day, and patience is something I’m always working on.”

Sirius, the shop dog, helps too. Of the Jack Russel-Dalmatian mix, Aliff says, “He’s the gatekeeper, my best friend.”

His reverence for the work he does is something Aliff is passionate about sharing, especially as the handmade weaving traditions are slowly being replaced by mass production. “I love when people leave my shop with a different perspective. I want to educate them about these rugs,” he says. “Someone sat for hours and hours of blood, sweat, and tears, and probably got paid very little to create this piece of art.”

After all these years, the Aliffs continue to enjoy a robust business doing what they love. “Maybe after 24 years, the word [has] gotten out,” he laughs. “I tell people, you’re not buying a rug; you’re buying an experience. The rug’s a bonus.”

ML

For more information, visit davidsrugs.com.

Left: Little details add to the charm of the shop. Right: Aliff and Sirius greet passersby. Tradition

Middleburg CoMMunity Center WelCoMes

lynn Wiley as board President

Written by Dulcy B. Hooper |

Over 75 years ago, a group of civic-minded individuals came together to establish the Middleburg Community Center. When it opened its doors in January 1948, it was replete with a grand ballroom, bowling alley, and swimming pool as the main attractions. In that first full year of operation, the Community Center hosted nearly 500 events ranging from picnics, balls, and bowling to swimming, movies, and tractor shows.

Earlier this year, on March 5, Lynn Wiley was named president of the Middleburg Community Center’s Board of Directors, a committed group of individuals whose efforts help steer the organization for the benefit of the community. “I was already involved,” Wiley shares, adding that she was originally asked to help with various functions and had used the Middleburg Community Center herself for events with other people.

As one of Loudoun County’s oldest nonprofits, Middleburg Community Center relies on private donations to keep the center’s doors open.

“We work with over 70 local nonprofits and businesses to make all of our community events and programs possible,” Wiley notes. In her role as board president, Wiley has an important mission ahead of her: the rollout of a capital campaign.

“We want to be prepared financially to better serve this community,” she explains. “There are things that may or may not have to be replaced, and I want us to be prepared.”

While Wiley and other members of the board and staff are at the beginning stages of organizing the campaign, they know what they want to accomplish. “Our goal is to raise $7.7 million,” she says. “That signifies 77 years of serving Middleburg and the surrounding community.” Wiley hopes the campaign will pave the way to even

more events, and to expand and improve events that are free to the community.

Wiley is an enthusiastic advocate of Middleburg Community Center’s efforts. “You have to come to the Halloween event!” she says. “After a parade sponsored by Middleburg’s business association, the Community Center opens its doors for hot dogs, baked beans, and various other things. We probably served 500-plus children and parents!”

And then there is the Newcomers Club. “We had so many moving into the community, we did some digging and research and sent out invitations.” Wiley explains that around 75 individuals attended the first event, and plans are to continue the Newcomers Club once or twice a year.

An upcoming event — DocWeek — will take place May 14 through 18, offering five nights of

Welcome | Page 29

Photos by Michael Butcher

Lynn Wiley.

Welcome | From page 28

documentaries. “DocWeek, a nonprofit, puts it on,” says Wiley, “and local restaurants offer dinner to go with the movies that are shown outside on a blow-up movie screen.”

With more than 2 million people participating in the events over the years, the Middleburg Community Center remains the community-supported social hub it was intended to be, hosting a myriad of special private events, educational classes, meetings, fundraisers, and community functions.

“Our mission is to be a gathering place for cultural, educational, and social activities and programs to enrich the lives of the people within the community,” Wiley notes. “I think of my involvement as just giving back. You live in a community, and you get so much out of a community — you must give back.” ML

Middleburg Community Center 300 W. Washington Street Middleburg, VA 20117 (540) 687-6373 middleburgcommunitycenter.com

The Middleburg Community Center.

Spring Trunk Shows

MYSTIQUE MIDDLEBURG Sunday, May 5th

MYSTIQUE ALEXANDRIA Saturday, May 11th

• mystique@mystiquejewelers.com

The Middleburg Farmers Market will

kick off on at Town Hall –

10 W. Marshall Street

Saturday mornings between May 4th to October 26th, 2024 from 9:00 am-12:00 noon.

This year we're excited to welcome food trucks, live entertainment, weekly contests and more!

The Children's Entrepreneur Market will be back again this season on the following dates: May 11th • June 8th • September 21st • October 26th

The Middleburg Farmers Market is sponsored by the Town of Middleburg to provide local agriculturalists with a retail outlet for their products. The market provides the citizens of the area with an opportunity to purchase fresh quality products from the people who produce them.

Here are some vendors you can expect!

• Dark Hollow Farms

• The Preppy Pretzel

• Hidden Creek

• Double Creek Ranch

• Willoughby Farms & Flowers

• Hess Orchards

• JNRG Healing Co.

• Cobbler View Farm

• Tummy Yumyum Candy Apples

• MM Coffee Farm

• Middleburg Crafts ...and more!!

Photo Credit: The Preppy Pretzel

engliSH garDenS Take rooT in HunT CounTry

Written by Bill Kent | Photos by Gracie Savage

“English gardens are about going somewhere,” says Middleburg florist and garden designer Bridget Wilson. “You’re taken on a journey.”

The path can be cobblestone, pea gravel, or closely trimmed grass. It passes orderly, angular, precisely pruned walls of green boxwood or yew hedge, some so low that they frame the flowers, others high enough to become a maze. A few are trimmed into strange shapes, animals, and imaginary creatures. Roses soar from symmetrical pots beside a mossy freshwater spring, whose waters trickle into ponds filled with fish, frogs, and other aquatic life. Just ahead, a wildflower meadow ripples in the breeze.

“The journey brings you to a focal point,” Wilson continues. “That could be a statue, a temple, a sculpture, [or] a bench where you can sit down and take in a view.”

In the same way that Hunt Country has taken to English hunting and equestrian traditions, so do its gardens, large and small, contain elements of the English landscaping style. They are found in the exemplary gardens of Oak Spring Garden Foundation, the Oatlands Plantation, Leesburg’s Morven Park, Middleburg’s Glenstone Gardens, and at George Mason’s home of Gunston Hall in Warrenton.

When asked about what makes a garden English, Montagu “Monty” Denis Wyatt Don, host of the BBC’s “Gardeners’ World” — the most-watched gardening TV show in the EnGardens | Page 33

The Serpentine Garden at Oak Spring in Upperville.

Gardens | From page 32

glish-speaking world — lists several qualities, including “a softness and prettiness that comes, I believe, partly from our climate, partly from our early industrialization which has created a cultural longing for an idealized countryside, and partly our years of colonization which flooded us with plants from all over the world.”

Don, who has visited Hunt Country and filmed a documentary about American gardens at Oak Spring, adds one more characteristic that distinguishes English gardens, in Hunt Country and throughout the world: “a carefully curated careless abandon.”

Anders Vidstrand, associate professor of horticulture at Northern Virginia Community College, agrees. “There is a whiff of eccentricity in English gardening that goes all the way back to the Tudors. The English came up with a looser, more naturalistic approach that often was anything but natural. They would move hills, redirect rivers, transplant forests, and come up with square miles of landscape that looked natural but were completely man-made. The English evolved away from that, but they never lost their taste for messing around and coming up with beautiful results.”

Colonial Williamsburg contains the earliest

example in Virginia, an Anglo-Dutch hybrid that reflected the union of the English Queen Mary and the Dutch William of Orange. Joanne Chapman, Colonial Williamsburg’s landscape director, has visited many of the United Kingdom’s famous gardens, but finds the Governor’s Palace Ballroom Garden, with its 12 “apostle” topiary bushes, sharply angular planting beds, and hornbeam arbor, to be her absolute favorite. “Our 37 gardens are good examples of the geometric symmetry found in the English garden style.”

The most obvious Dutch influence are the tulips. “Tulips are much more important than their Gardens | Page 34

Neatly trimmed hedges encircle blossoming flowers.

Gardens | From page 33

beauty,” Chapman adds. The plant was at the very center of the Dutch agricultural economy, and, because it blooms early in the spring, symbolizes new beginnings, prosperity, and love.

A garden can also have political meanings, according to British cultural historian and author Andrea Wulf. In “Founding Gardeners: the Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation,” Wulf writes, “the founding fathers’ passion for nature, plants, gardens, and agriculture is woven deeply into the fabric of America and aligned with their political thought. It is impossible to understand the making of America without looking at the founding fathers as farmers and gardeners.”

Among her examples are the gardens of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, James Madison’s Montpelier, and George Mason’s Gunston Hall. Where the English surrounded their gardens with walls of brick and stone, much of the founding gardeners’ plantings are in the open. The kitchen garden, which the English used to isolate from the flower and woodland gardens, is part of the overall planting scheme, as if to say that sustenance, liberty, and beauty are intertwined.

Another gift English gardeners gave to America is the suburban lawn, once trimmed by sheep and cattle or with scythes, before the Englishman Edwin Beard Budding invented the lawn mower in 1830. About twenty years later, the English Arts & Crafts movement promoted the small, intimate cottage garden, whose featured plant was the rose, billowing in bushes and climbing up and over walls as its most vivid feature. Garden journalists such as Vita Sackville-West, Gertrude Jekyll, and William Robinson decreed that a garden was a work of art.

“I do not envy the owners of very

large gardens,” Jekyll once said. “The garden should fit its owner or his or her tastes, just as one’s clothes do; it should be neither too large nor too small, but just comfortable.”

Instead of moving mountains, gardeners should let their plants follow the slope of the terrain, arranging them as a painter would combine pigments on a canvas, and create areas or “rooms” for specific varieties, effects, and growing conditions.

Hunt Country’s most astonishing example of the cottage garden style endures in the plantings Bunny Mellon created at Oak Spring. “She wasn’t afraid to try anything,” says Wilson, who restored and added to some of Mellon’s original gardens at the Brick House. “Her plantings are wild and eccentric. Whenever I go there, it’s like a revelation.”

Though gardens have existed in the British Isles since prehistoric times, what people do in them has changed remarkably.

In the 17th century, King Charles I decreed the construction of an 8-mile wall around London’s Richmond Park so he could hunt any of his 2,000 red and fallow deer whenever he chose. When commoners complained that they could not walk through the park, he ordered the placement of a single ladder. The ladder, the deer, and the park remain today, though deer hunting now happens elsewhere.

His successor, Charles II, would go for afternoon walks accompanied by his dogs in the Hampton Court gardens, a portion of which he planted with his own hands. When ministers tried to offer contrary advice, he would claim the dogs barked too loudly for him to hear.

Charles II is also famous for welcoming the first pineapple brought to British shores. This inspired the creation of an enormous, 46-foot-tall stone pineapple in the garden in Scotland’s Dunmore

Gardens | Page 35

Top: A natural archway draws the eyes to a fountain just beyond. Bottom: Wilson’s careful curation of flowers results in stunning shades of pink.

Gardens | From page 34

Park. Constructed by John Murray, the Fourth Earl of Dunmore, the sculpture commemorated the earl’s pineapple-growing hot house. The statue remains intact today, and the earl is remembered as Virginia’s last Colonial governor.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the current King Charles III used his country house garden at Highgrove to promote environmental biodiversity, landscape sustainability, wildflower meadows, and now resilience, planting so that gardens and natural habitats can withstand the vicissitudes of climate change.

Jenn Pineau of Middleburg’s Nature Composed shares, “I have always had gardens of my own. It’s a practice that keeps me grounded to Mother Nature. My favorite thing to do in it is to lose myself in the meditation of the practice. I notice more the longer I'm out there, working with my body and digging into the natural world

around me, getting curious about what I find, and honoring all that the garden produces.”

Joanne Chapman in Williamsburg, Bridget Wilson in Middleburg, and Monty Don at his garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire all walk through their gardens in the morning. Chapman and Wilson are usually enthralled. Don finds it frustrating.

“I always see something to do. But I do walk every inch two or three times a day trying to notice everything, trying to see everything with fresh eyes even though I know this garden as intimately as anyone ever has known a garden.

“The key to any garden and the joy of any garden,” he concludes, “is that it changes. Always. All the time. It is not the still point of the turning world I seek but the eternal flow and fluidity of life. And that comes from embracing the million tiny daily changes.” ML

A topiary sits proudly, surrounded by flowers and statues at Stone Echo in Bluemont.

SeeDling STuDenTS FlouriSH in mounTainSiDe monTeSSori anD FielD & main CollaboraTion

Written by Beth Rasin | Photos by Gracie Savage

All winter, students at Mountainside Montessori School in Marshall break ice in water troughs and carry bags of feed through the frost. When spring arrives, they fill the pasture’s mud holes with water and check on the growth of their pigs. They care for the animals rain or shine, including on holidays and weekends, knowing one will be

his second Seedlings dinner this year. “The whole time you’re working, you’ve got something to do,” he says about the experience. “There’s a lot of energy, and you’re going to whatever needs to be done next. But it’s super rewarding to step back at the end of the day and say, ‘I just served 90 people.’”

“When you’re a kid, you never really think [about] how hard it is to make the food or work in the kitchen, but you’ve been working on these pigs the whole year, and we’ve had a lot of conversations about how to make them better, what to feed them.” – Hutt

the centerpiece of a special dinner they prepare and serve at the award-winning Field & Main restaurant in Marshall.

The annual “Seedlings” dinner, hosted by Field & Main, offers students direct insight into the hospitality business, the farm-to-table experience, and the importance of community as they work with top chefs to develop, prepare, and serve a themed meal. The Field & Main staff, led by owner Neal Wavra, teaches the students everything from butchering cuts of meat to creating desserts, setting tables, and serving guests.

Eighth grader Sawyer Lowery participated in

Micheal Hutt, a seventh grader who has been at Mountainside since 2017, notes that he eagerly anticipated this event as a younger student. “Nobody gets this opportunity; it’s incredibly rare,” he shares. “When you’re a kid, you never really think [about] how hard it is to make the food or work in the kitchen, but you’ve been working on these pigs the whole year, and we’ve had a lot of conversations about how to make them better, what to feed them.”

Lowery says that the yearlong work makes the

Seedling | Page

Top: Mountainside Montessori School in Marshall. Bottom: Pigs from American Heritage Family Farm in Warrenton.

37

night of the dinner even more rewarding. “When the moment comes, it’s cool,” he explains. “It gives you a lens into the industry at an age when not many people know much about it.”

“Worksheets and things that don’t feel relevant to your life don’t feel rewarding — but meaningful, purposeful work, the experience and everything that goes into it, working in a restaurant with professionals themselves, it’s an incredible and rare opportunity,” says Mountainside Adolescent Program Director Theo Grayson of the Seedlings program.

This year’s Greek-themed dinner was held on March 27, and tickets sold out within 48 hours.

Seedlings — named by Wavra to reflect his hope that it will plant seeds benefiting the community and students — embodies Wavra’s philosophy about food and beverage bringing a community together.

Grayson also believes communities would be stronger if everyone could experience working on a farm for a month, traveling to a country that won’t be the same in your lifetime, and working in the service industry.

“I think if that happened, our world would be in a very different place,” she notes. “I am always amazed that these students … have done all three by the time they’re 15, when most people haven’t done them in their whole lifetime. That’s something I really value, and I think it speaks to the power of the program.”

Supporting local farmers is another mission at Field & Main, and the pig used for the dinner comes to Mountainside from American Heritage Family Farm in Warrenton and is processed outside Winchester.

“Its entire life radius is less than 30 miles, which is pretty remarkable,” Grayson shares, adding that the students also learn about the carbon footprint of their food choices. “Knowing where the pigs came from and how they lived is really valuable.”

Students track expenses for the pigs in Quickbooks, and the money raised by the Seedlings dinner (as well as individual pork sales) goes toward educational programs and trips.

Although the work is unusual for seventh through ninth graders, Grayson believes that trusting in students’ abilities encourages them

to rise to the occasion, teaches perspective, and brings the students closer together.

“As an adolescent group they have this common goal of working very intensely toward a final product that they’re very proud of,” Grayson explains. “The power of shared experience is amazing. It doesn’t matter who you are, your walk of life, or what your story is — having those joint meaningful experiences are incredibly powerful and bring us together.”

She hopes that the program might become a model for other restaurants and other experiences that nurture students’ interest and

“They get the opportunity to figure out who they are and what they want to be, which is really the big question at this age.” – Grayson

offer opportunities.

“You create that space, and they really rise up in ways that our educational system and society don’t always allow them to do.” Grayson finishes, “They get the opportunity to figure out who they are and what they want to be, which is really the big question at this age.” ML

Top: Seedling students Maggie Metcalf, Sawyer Lowery, and Charlie Ruggiero. Bottom left: Ruggiero fills a trough with water. Bottom right: A pig gets camera curious. Seedling

Benefitting Loudoun Therapeutic Riding

Live Music (Similar Creatures), Silent & Live Auction, Mission BBQ, Denim & Diamonds Sponsorships available Call (703) 771-2689 for more info

Table of 8/$1,000, Tickets $150

May 18, 2024 5:00 pm 14490 Berlin Turnpike, Lovettsville, VA 20180

“The Lincoln Strawberry Festival is something we have been thinking about for many years,” share Harriet and Tyler Wegmeyer.

It's a dream that's come to fruition for the husband and wife owners of Wegmeyer Farms, where thousands descend every season for the freshest

THe STraWberry FeSTival ComeS To linColn

Family Fun, Sweet Treats, & Community Support

Written by Lia Hobel | Images courtesy of Wegmeyer Farms

strawberries from their pickyour-own fields in Hamilton and Oatlands. The kickoff celebration for strawberry season, running May through June, will be held May 18 and 19 at their 50-acre farm in Lincoln.

Through the Wegmeyer Farms Foundation, they've planned for an old-fashioned festival celebrating strawberries with the goal of raising money for local community organizations and nonprofits.

“We are so excited to celebrate the strawberries and our wonderful community through this festival. We believe it is important to be community contributors, and this festival will support our community and their nonprofits each year.”

The foundation supports Lincoln Community League, Lincoln Preservation Foundation, Lincoln Elementary School, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum, and Loudoun 4-H. “All the proceeds from the festival will be divided amongst our partner nonprofits and for high school scholarships for students at Loudoun Valley and

Woodgrove. After many years of thinking about the art of the possible, 2024 is the year we are making it happen.” This follows their 2023 “Virginia is for Strawberry Lovers” campaign, highlighting local agriculture in collaboration with the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

A small planning committee has been working for a year to bring this to fruition. The festival will have various strawberry-themed events, as well as live music, hayrides, and fun food options such as strawberry pancakes.

Loudoun Valley High School junior Thomas Mazeika submitted the award-winning artwork promoting the inaugural festival, earning a $1,000 scholarship. He'll be at the festival signing posters over the weekend.

“In collaboration with the Wegmeyer Farms Foundation, we're thrilled to turn our love for strawberries into a powerful tool for positive change. Our festival is more than just a celebration; it's a fundraiser aimed at supporting local causes and providing scholarships for high school students.”

Tickets are now available online. Don't miss out on this delightful celebration of strawberries, spring, and community spirit. ML

Lincoln Strawberry Festival 18451 Taylor Road Hamilton, VA 20158 lincolnstrawberryfestival.com

Top: Thomas Mazeika’s award-winning promotional design. Bottom: The Wegmeyer family.

Our Favorite Local Gifts for Mother’s Day

French Necklace, $197, and Bracelet, $98, Available at Les Jardins

Freya Gardenia Hat, handmade by women artisans in Ecuador, $255, Available at Tully Rector

Handmade Leather and Textile Clutch, $100, Available at David's Rugs

Batwing Sweater, $90, and Chain and Pearl Earrings, $113, Available at Zest

Moss Birdhouse, $30, Available at Nature Composed

Nora Sandals, $98, Available at J. McLaughlin

Lavender & Chamomile Bath Salt Soak, $28, Available at Federal & Black

Baobab Collection Pearls Sapphire MAX 35 Candle, $740, Available at Crème de la Crème

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MOTHER’S DAY FLOWER

ARRANGEMENT WORKSHOP AT MCC

May 9 | 5 to 7 p.m. | middleburgcommunitycenter.com

Make a stunning Mother’s Day flower arrangement with guidance from florist Bridget Wilson. Tickets are $125 per person and include flower arrangement materials, cheese, and wine. Seats are limited, so reserve your space today through Eventbrite.

SALAMANDER RESORT & SPA AUTHOR

SERIES: DAVID BALDACCI

May 10 | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. | salamanderresort.com

Join New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci for a conversation about his new book, “A Calamity of Souls,” at Salamander Resort & Spa. The book talk will be followed by a reception featuring hors d’oeuvres, wine, Champagne, and a book signing. Tickets are $95 per person and can be purchased at salamanderresort.com.

ART IN THE BURG

May 11 | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | artintheburgva.com

Middleburg’s annual celebration of the arts is back. Stop by Art in the Burg to shop locally-made paintings, jewelry, woodworking, leather goods, candles, soaps, photography, and more. Participants will also enjoy live music, dance, improv, culinary arts, and craft beverages. This event is free and open to the public.

OLD BUST HEAD SPRING MARKET

May 11 | 12 to 5 p.m. | oldbusthead.com

Spend Mother’s Day weekend shopping for gorgeous gifts and handmade goods at Old Bust Head’s annual Spring Market. The market will feature live music, baby goats, and plenty of vendors to choose from. On-site you’ll find Beads by Becka, Creekside Silver, Erin’s Elderberries, and so many more. Jackleg Pizza Company and Old VA Smoke BBQ will be serving delicious food, too.

LIVE MUSIC BY CALEB NEI AT CHRYSALIS VINEYARDS

May 11 | 3 to 6 p.m. | chrysaliswine.com

Don’t miss jazz pianist Caleb Nei at Chrysalis Vineyards. Nei’s music is elegant and engaging, and the perfect concert for Mother’s Day weekend. A local favorite, he was the house pianist at V2 in Winchester for 10 years and worked at Sono Luminus, a Grammy-winning studio and record label in Boyce, for years. His solo piano set lists often includes classics like “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” and “It Had to be You.” For more information, visit: chrysaliswine.com.

MOTHER’S DAY SUPPER IN THE TAVERN AT RED FOX INN

May 12 | 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. | redfox.com

The Red Fox Inn & Tavern is hosting a special

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supper in celebration of Mother’s Day. The fourcourse dinner will feature unique preparations of game and seafood with seasonal sides and wine pairings. Reservations are required and can be booked through redfox.com

LUCKETTS SPRING MARKET

May 17 - 19 | 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | luckettsmarkets.com

Browse over 200 of the East Coast’s best vintage vendors at the 24th annual Lucketts Spring Market. Participants will find everything from architectural salvage items to painted furniture. The three-day event also boasts live music, beer gardens, food trucks, and local artisans for a weekend of fun shopping and entertainment. Weekend passes and tickets are available through luckettsmarkets.com

VINTAGE MARKET AT LOST BARREL BREWING

May 18 | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | lostbarrel.com

Enjoy a day of vintage shopping, music, food, and drinks at Lost Barrel Brewing. The market not only offers participants the opportunity to find vintage treasures, but each purchase supports small local businesses and sustainable shopping practices. A variety of vendors will provide something for everyone from vintage clothes to vinyl records.

CHARDONNAY SOMMINAR AT STONE TOWER WINERY

May 18 - 19 | 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | stonetowerwinery.com

May’s SOMMinar at Stone Tower Winery will dive deep into Chardonnay. Enjoy various styles and winemaking methods of Chardonnay alongside delicious bites prepared by the culinary team. Tickets to this tasting event can be reserved

through Tock.

FULL MOON WALK AT BLANDY EXPERIMENTAL FARM

May 24 | 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. | blandy.virginia.edu

Experience the beauty of a full moon at Blandy Experimental Farm with an after-hours walk. All ages are welcome to join the mile-long walk. Tickets are $12 for nonmembers and can be reserved through Eventbrite.

HISTORIC MAIN STREET WALKING TOUR

May 25 | 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | fauquierhistory.org

Explore Warrenton’s Main Street with the Fauquier History Society. The one-hour walk starts at the Fauquier History Museum at the Old Jail. Tickets are $10 for nonmembers and available through Eventbrite.

For more Hunt Country events, visit MiddleburgLife.com or scan here:

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