This feature on Farmer Terri T. is part of Loudoun Economic Development’s award-winning Farmer Trading Card series, spotlighting farmers as heroes to our community. For more information on the Farmer Trading Card 2023 starting lineup, please visit Loudoun Farms.
Farmer Terri Teeter has lived in Loudoun County her whole life, first working the land in Unison, Va., at School Hill Garden and Tiny Acre Farm with her great grandfather decades ago. Now, 106 years after the farm’s founding, she has the opportunity to work with her grandchildren and continue the tradition.
“I’ve been farming pretty much all my life here on this farm. The best thing to me about farming is watching things grow and come to life,” she reasoned. “I’d have to say springtime is my favorite season here on the farm because everything starts growing.”
She continued: “You come out of winter, where everything has been resting and having a good sleep. I take a little seed, put it in the ground, give it a little bit of water, make sure that it’s just the right temperature and add sunshine.”
She can’t imagine any better setting to raise a healthy plant, animal or kid.
“Kids need to be out in the sunshine, getting exercise and growing strong muscles and healthy bodies,” she said, gesturing with her pet hen. “It’s the exact same thing with growing here on the farm, whether it’s a beautiful chicken, like Blackie, or a tomato plant or whatever.”
Following Farmer Terri and the School Hill Garden and Tiny Acre Farm on social media offers an inside look at the authentic farm life experience.
“We eat a lot of good food,” she said, noting the regular culinary spotlights in addition to agriculture. “We grow potatoes and sweet potatoes and garlic and onions and okra. We grow vegetables, we grow pigs, chickens, cows, turkeys and ducks and lots of plants and good food.”
Thanks to their expert use of greenhouses, they also cultivate some of the only citrus growing in Loudoun County, specializing in lemons and limes.
“You don’t hear much of that because they’re usually from Florida,” she said. “They grow in Florida, but we also grow them here at School Hill Garden.”
Farmer Terri and her family are regular features on the Loudoun County Spring and Fall Farm Tours, and she hosts visits any time she can accommodate requests.
“You’re welcome to come out and see us in Unison, Va.,” she said with a smile. “We’d love to have you come meet the ducks, chickens, turkeys, pigs, the cows, and all the great vegetables and things.”
At different times of year, you can experience what planting, summer, harvest and the holidays feel like on the farm, or watch the hounds chase foxes across picturesque Hunt Country.
Learn more about Farmer Terri and her work by following School Hill Garden on Facebook.
Thinking of starting or expanding your business in Loudoun County? We are a full-service economic development organization, dedicated to your #LoudounPossible business success. Working with us is like adding a team of no-cost specialists to your team, with expertise in the following areas:
- Site selection and real estate searches;
- Workforce development and pipeline support;
- Process and permit navigation;
- Fast-track and financial incentives;
- Marketing and communications outreach;
- Networking, resource and industry introductions.
Contact John Magistro today to launch your #LoudounPossible journey.
