This feature on Farmers Ronnie and Farrah 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 2024 starting lineup, please visit Loudoun Farms.
Loudoun farmer Ronnie Jewell has a passion for garlic, and as he explains it, the roots of Farrah’s Farm were planted thousands of miles away in northeastern Iran. Ronnie’s wife, Farinoush (Farrah), emigrated with her family to the United States from the middle eastern country, where garlic is a staple in many Persian dishes.
Ronnie credits his wife with seizing an opportunity and helping expand the culinary delights available in the area. “Farinoush quickly realized that there were limited varieties of garlic available in Loudoun County, so we started Farrah’s Farm – which is dedicated to expanding the varieties and flavors available in the area.”
The couple now grows eight distinct varieties of garlic, including one that is native to Iran. In addition to his wife’s heritage, Jewell credits the resiliency of garlic as being a key factor in their decision to grow it.
“Since we do not live at the property, we wanted something that we didn’t need to tend to everyday. Also, deer and other animals don’t eat the garlic crop.”
As a boy, Jewell was raised on a farm in West Virginia and like many farmers, a sense of pride was instilled in him early on watching his father work the soil in their family garden. It taught him the importance of hard work and doing things the right way – a trait that he now relishes.
“At the end of a long day, I like to sit on the tractor and look over the fields and see how our hard work is paying off to harvest a successful crop. At the end of the season, pulling up a garlic stalk and seeing a large bulb at the other end is a great feeling.”
Farrah’s Farm is an example of what is possible in Loudoun County due to the collaborative nature of the community. Jewell explains, “Our farm is special because it is a successful partnership brought together using the Virginia Farm Link database, which is designed to connect farm owners and farm seekers in Virginia.”
Jewell has grown to love Loudoun County and the people it attracts.
“Loudoun County is a wonderful place to farm. Visitors during the farm tours and to the farmer’s markets are super nice and show a genuine interest in our products.”
Farrah’s Farm sells a variety of garlic products, including garlic scape salsa, pesto, pickled garlic, and garlic powder. You can shop Farrah’s Farm fresh products online, at select farmer’s markets, and at the Lovettsville Cooperative Market.
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