EditBreaking News- Town of Purcelville wants to run a road through the middle of the community's PYO farm
There is a small 250-year old farm in Loudoun County of VA, Crooked Run Orchard. Some of you may be already familiar with it if you have ever picked their fresh pears, apples, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, cherries or pumpkins. This farm grows an amazing diversity of fresh produce and at the same time has preserved a large portion of their land in its wild state. The owners of Crooked Run Orchard, Uta and Sam Brown, are very environmentally responsible farmers. Most farm chores are done using manual labor rather than heavy machinery. They use sustainable practices to maintain soil fertility (composting, crop rotation) and support biological diversity of the area (many old native trees, grasses and wildflowers flourish on the farm providing home for insects who pollinate the crops and birds who control insect populations).
The town of Purcellville wants to build the Southern Collector Road (SCR), a section of which will run through the farm property. This alignment was made possible by annexing 16 acres of the farm land into the town of Purcellville and changing its zoning to mixed-use commercial. This road will destroy the farmers’ barn and many orchard trees. It will make some farm activities more difficult and dangerous because the farmer will have to move back and forth across the road. Moreover, it will be dangerous for pickers (many come to the farm with small children) to move from one parcel to another when the road is built. SCR will also have to cross a local perennial stream and will cause waterway pollution and erosion. The road will negatively affect the quality of local water sources by polluting the wetlands that are a part of the Crooked Run Tributary which goes into the Goose Creek River. In addition, every road brings more air pollution and noise.
The SCR was proposed to relieve traffic congestion on the Main Street in Purcellville. However, VDOT traffic study shows that the portion of the road at stake (South Collector #2) would only take 0.84% of traffic off Main Street. Instead this road will invite commercial development to the area and will endanger the very existence of the Crooked Run Orchard.
Since the project will be funded by tax revenues, the SCR is an unwise use of taxpayer money, especially now when government budgets on all levels face a deficit.
The farmers were not included in the decision making process for this construction project and fully oppose it. However, all attempts to resolve this conflict directly with the town council were futile.
Destroying open space and farm land to build an unnecessary road do not represent progress. These actions push us all further away from self-sufficiency, food security and living healthy lives.
Anyone concerned about the Crooked Run Orchard's future, should contact the town council and tell them that you oppose the Southern Collector Road construction through the farm property.
Please consider making a donation using the secure link at
crookedrunorchard.com (in the top right corner) to help the farmers financially to defend their land. The farm needs your help now!
Links for contacting:
Loudon BoardPurcelville City Council
EditBasic Info
37883 East Main Street
Purcellville, VA 20132
540.338.6642
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Map QuestEditOfferings
PYO.
Fresh picked asparagus, salad mixes, and spinach
Sour cherries
Red raspberries
Gooseberries, summer and seasonal vegetables, flowers, and herbs
Thornless blackberries and peaches
Summer apples - Tydeman Red and Paula Red
September fall apples and Asian pears- Red and Golden Delicious, Mutsu, Law Rome, Gala, Jonagold, Braeburn, York
October Pumpkins and gourds.
Farm Stand
Some various prepicked.
December Christmas wreaths - Scotch and white pine and cedar mix.
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Bluemont
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http://www.loudounfarms.org/default.asp?contentid=74EditClosest Farmers Market
Purcelville, ThursdayLast Updated September 2010