Young Farmers of Virginia

2009 State YF Tour Stops

When:
Friday, July 24, 2009

Where:
Culpeper County

Hosts:
Culpeper YFA

Registration
7:45 - 8:15 a.m.

Eastern View High School
16332 Cyclone Way
Culpeper, VA 22701

Directions:
From Harrisonburg-take Route 33 into Stanardsville. Turn left on 230-Wolftown Rd. Follow for about 11 miles to Rte. 29. Follow Rte. 29 North for about 20 miles and take a right at light onto Rte. 666. Go ¼ mile and turn left onto Cyclone Way. Follow to the front of the school. Also check out this website for directions to the school: http://www.culpeperschools.org/EVHS/EVHS_directions.html

8:30 a.m.
Old House Vineyard
www.oldhousevineyards.com

10:00 a.m.
Andora Farm & Stables www.culpeperag.org/farmtour2006/andora.asp

11:15 a.m.
Lunch at Eastern View High School

1:00 p.m.
Belmont Farm & Distillery www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?attrID=36645

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Mystic Hill Farm www.mystichillfarms.com

3:45 - 4:00 p.m.
Return to EVHS for departure

*Please R.S.V.P. a count for meals and transportation by Friday, July 17th*
Call Terry 540-820-4342 or
email yfv5@northriver.coop with total attending.

2009 Young Farmer Tour
Culpeper County
July 24, 2009

To Eastern View High School - 16332 Cyclone Way, Culpeper, VA 22701

From Harrisonburg:
Take 33 East into Stanardsville. Take a left on 230-Wolftown Rd.
Follow for about 11 miles until you reach Rt. 29. Take a right onto 29
north. Follow for approximately 20 miles. Take a right at light onto
Rt. 666. Travel approximately 1/4 mile and take left onto Cyclone Way.
Follow to front of school.

Directions are also available at the following link:
http://www.culpeperschools.org/evhs.php

Below is a more specific schedule of what's set up for the tour. Old
House & Mystic Hill have their own websites but I just included links
related to the other 2 stops. Please let me know if you need any more
information on any of these.

7:45 - 8:15 Registration - Eastern View High School, Culpeper

8:30 Old House Vineyard http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/
Old House Vineyards is a great example of how an impulse and a passion
can create something special. It was a rainy Mother’s Day in 1998 when
the Kearney family discovered 75 acres and an abandoned farmhouse in the
foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. With the help of family, friends,
and a local grape grower, the Kearneys began to transform the property
into Old House Vineyards. Eight years later, the formerly overgrown
alfalfa fields are now lush vineyards, producing several grape varietals
and numerous award-winning wines. The 1890s farmhouse has been restored
to an inviting gathering place for wine tastings which include Merlot,
Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, an Samhradh — a summer red, Clover Hill — a dry
Vidal, Wicked Bottom — a Chambourcin Reserve and Arctica — a dessert
wine reminiscent of the northern climes’ ice wines or rieslings.

10:00 Andora Farm & Stables
http://www.culpeperag.org/FarmTour2006/andora.asp
Originally a dairy farm for many years, Andora Farm is now a unique
horse farm. Not only do they host team penning practices for local
riders, they are also the home of Best of America by Horseback, a
satellite TV series on RFD-TV about trail riding locations all over
America. For more information, visit the website
www.bestofamericabyhoreseback.com.

Seasoned team penners and other riders looking for a different, fun way
to spend time with their horses, can come to Andora Farm’s team penning
practices on Friday nights. The farm also offers overnight stabling to
those traveling through the Culpeper area and occasionally they offer
specialty instructional clinics for horses and their owners. Andora Farm
can arrange for those who love horses but don’t own one to enjoy the
scenic beauty of the area by taking a relaxing trail ride through the
foothills of the Blue Ridge at Graves Mountain.

11:15 Lunch - Eastern View High School

1:00 Belmont Farm & Distillery
http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?attrID=36645
Belmont Farm Distillery is where "legal Moonshine" is made. Master
distiller, Chuck Miller, got this idea from his Grandfather (who made
illegal moonshine, back in his day). In 1987, six miles south of
Culpeper, Virginia, on their 189 acre farm, in their backyard, Chuck and
Jeanette Miller renovated an old workshop into a distillery. Materials
from an old Catholic church (that Chuck Miller had torn down) were added
i.e. the front doors, a window, two pews. Licenses and permits were
obtained from the Federal and State governments, the BATF and the VAABC.
With his unique recipe, Chuck, made his first batch of Virginia
Lightning (moonshine). Today, Virginia Lightning, sells in all the ABC
stores in Virginia and in their gift shop on the farm

2:30 - 3:30 - Mystic Hill Farm http://www.mystichillfarms.com/
Our Commitment
To produce superior seedstock developed under real-world conditions.
To breed quality registered Braunvieh, Angus and Braunvieh x Angus
composite cattle that meet the needs of cattlemen in the beef industry.
To provide high level customer service to both old and new customers,
now and in the future.
Our Cattle
Mystic Hill is currently home to about 900 head of cattle. In 2009,
Mystic Hill will calve 250 Angus, 100 head of Braunvieh cows, along with
more than 80 purebred embryo transplants. Heifers and cows are
synchronized and bred AI, then sorted into breeding groups for natural
service. Cows that have become superior producers are selected as embryo
donors to increase their influence on the herd. Low input, practical
cattlemanagement.

3:45 - 4:00 - return to EVHS for departure