The Kuhns: Moving Toward Leaving a Proud Legacy

Stacy and Chuck Kuhn

Photo by Middleburg Photo

The list of good works involving conservation, preservation and charitable giving that benefit the area courtesy of Chuck and Stacy Kuhn could fill volumes. Chuck Kuhn is the founder and CEO of JK Moving based in Loudoun, the largest independent moving company in North America. They recently answered a series of questions posed by Country ZEST.

ZEST: Giving back is clearly in your and Stacy’s DNA. Where did that come from and why is it so important to you both. In recent years, what has prompted you to become such a dedicated and generous steward of the land in Loudoun and Fauquier counties?

K: Giving back has always been important to Stacy and me. We’ve supported many nonprofits and efforts over the years through our company and family. However, we’ve always wanted to contribute in a way that was sustainable, targeted and long-term. Now that we are in a position to do more, we’ve decided to be very intentional in our philanthropic investments.

We’re an outdoorsy family and passionate about protecting the environment. As Loudoun residents, we are awed by the beauty, history, and wildlife in the county and the surrounding communities and are committed to protecting more of it. It’s important that we leave a legacy for future generations. Using land that we protect to feed and educate is another way we’re investing into the community and its future.

Photo by Middleburg Photo

Stacy and Chuck Kuhn

ZEST: The Middleburg Training Track has been transformed since you took it over a few years ago. Is the facility now where you want it, or are more changes on the way?

K: It’s a 149-acre horse training venue located in Loudoun. Built in 1956 by philanthropist Paul Mellon, we purchased Crowell Hadden Photo the training center White’s Ferry after it fell into disrepair. Today, under the direction of our son and partner in the training center, Steve Kuhn, it’s complete with 11 barns, 220 stalls, 22 paddocks, and a 7/8-mile race track fitted with a brand new Duralock race rail.

It’s always going to be a work in progress since maintaining the center is an ongoing process. Right now though, Steve and his team are focused on leasing the stables and we’ve completed placing the land into conservation easement to protect it from future development.

ZEST: Talk about your plans for the JK Community farm.

K: We started JK Community Farm in 2018 to help address the growing food insecurity in our region and the need for fresh, healthy food. The non-profit farm is located on a 150 acres in Purcellville that we bought and placed into conservation easement. Last year, the farm grew and donated nearly 147,000 pounds of protein and chemical free produce to local food banks, exceeding our goal by 11,000 pounds in response to—and in spite of—the pandemic. Now the nation’s largest chemical-free community farm, the donated yield translated to 117,258 healthy meals and was produced with the help of nearly 3,000 volunteers. Our daughter Samantha is the executive director and is putting her interests in farming, relieving poverty and health to work for people in our community. Her leadership was pivotal in helping the farm adapt to COVID limitations while addressing exponential growth in demand last year. The pandemic challenged us to grow more while keeping our volunteer workforce safe. Samantha ensured that we could continue to serve by spreading out volunteer shifts and pushing to increase yield to make sure more families had healthy meals on their plates. To continue the focus on food and health education, the farm supplemented distance learning by creating a field trip program, enabling more than 1,000 students to take self-guided tours with tailored programming tied to Virginia Standards of Learning to teach about farming and nutrition. In 2021, the farm plans to produce 230,000 pounds of healthy food, increasing its donations to nonprofit partners—Loudoun Hunger Relief, Food for Others, and Arlington Food Assistance Center—as well as expanding distribution into DC. In addition, educational programming will incorporate a bee hotel, beneficial insect habitat, pollinator habitat, flowers, blue bird trail, and a sensory footpath.

ZEST: Saving White’s Ferry has been your latest major project. How and why did you get involved in trying to preserve such a historic landmark?

K: The 240-year-old White’s Ferry represents a piece of our region’s past as an early commerce route that built and sustained local economies and remains so today. This fits with my family’s interest in conserving land and history as well as supporting business and local communities. White’s Ferry has provided an important and scenic transportation alternative to the swelling demands on our local roads. We’re working with nearby landowners and local jurisdictions to make this viable for the region. Bringing a fresh perspective to the ferry will enhance the experience for riders. We’re also planning on making a number of upgrades to the store.

ZEST: Without giving away too many secrets, what’s next?

K: We remain open to exploring new opportunities. Our goal is to add another 5,000 acres into easement in the Loudoun/Fauquier area over the next two years. Currently, we’re placing over 12,000 acres in the county into conservation easement. On the business front, we’ve been working with my son, Scott Kuhn, who has started Kuhn Aviation at Leesburg Executive Airport. In 2020, Kuhn Aviation opened a state-of-the-art 25,000 square-foot hangar at Leesburg Executive Airport to support its growing aircraft management and sales, charter service and hangar/refuel business.

ZEST: Developing all those acres with new homes or commercial ventures would be far more financially beneficial. Surely there are tax benefits for what you’re doing, but it’s pretty obvious that’s not your or Tracy’s motivation.

K: I started JK Moving in my parents’ basement when I was 16. I built the company around two main values: care and respect. I wanted to treat our customers and community the way each of us deserves to be treated. Even as we’ve grown to be the nation’s largest independently owned moving and storage company, we haven’t lost sight of these values or the importance of giving back to the community. Increasingly we do this through the land…by protecting it for future generations.

White's Ferry

Crowell Hadden photo