Quarter Branch Farm - Certified Naturally Grown greens, begetables and berries

Quarter Branch Farm - "Certified Naturally Grown Produce"

A four season micro-farm 38 miles from the DC beltway

“Certified Naturally Grown” salad greens, vegetables and melons

Fresh. Local. Natural. Seasonal. Sustainable.

Quarter Branch Farm is a two-acre micro-farm, in Lovettsville, Virginia, 38 miles from the D.C. beltway. We grow salad greens and mixes, microgreens, and specialty vegetables. Using season-extending quick hoops and three 30’ x 48’ greenhouses, we can grow fresh greens and vegetables year round!

While many farms use the more popular high-yielding "shipper" varieties, we prefer to carefully select seed varieties characterized by their outstanding flavor. We never use GMO or chemically treated seeds. In modern agriculture, soil is merely a medium that holds plants upright. Plants are fed directly with water-soluble fertilizers. Then they are sprayed with harsh chemicals that destroy the microorganisms in the soil, effectively killing the soil. These practices are destructive and are not sustainable. At Quarter Branch Farm, our focus is on supporting and building the soil biology. We never spray pesticides, herbicides, or apply chemical fertilizers. We believe that plants grown in fertile, living soil are able to acquire the minerals, phytonutrients, and trace elements they need. Grown in this way, plants have an inherent resistance to disease, pest, and drought; creating a farm that is truly sustainable.

We are careful to harvest at the peak of flavor and use proper handling techniques to insure our produce stays fresh. Hygiene and food safety are taken very seriously. We go the extra mile to make sure our produce is clean and attractive. Our aim is to provide exceptional service to every client. We offer samples of all our produce o you can assess the quality for yourself. If you are not satisfied with anything you bought, we will gladly refund your money. Delighted clients are vital to our farm’s success! You can expect friendly service and fresh, clean, deliciously ripe produce every time!

You can find us at select producer-only farmers markets in the DC Metro Area (see below). We can also sell to local restaurants, bed and breakfasts, caterers, and specialty stores.

Current Farmers Market Locations

Rockville

Rockville Town Center

Route 28 and Monroe Street, Rockville, Maryland

Every Saturday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, May 15 to November 27

http://www.rockvillemd.gov/events/farmers.htm

Washington

Health & Human Services Building

200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

Every Wednesday, 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm, June 2 to October 27

http://www.freshfarmmarkets.org/markets/health_and_human_services.html

Farm Pick-Up

You can also place an order for pick-up at the farm. I send out a weekly email with a list of the produce I have available.

Just reply with the quantities you want to buy and indicate when you’d like to come pick up your order. I take cash or check.

Click here to sign-up for our weekly produce availability list

Produce Availability

Artichoke
Arugula, baby
Arugula, bunch
Basil	Strong flavor
Beans, French (haricot vert)	Very slender
Beans, Tongue of Fire	Attractive red & white pods
Beans, Yard Long	Literally "yard long"
Beans, Royal Burgundy	Burgundy colored pods
Beans, Green	Green beans
Beet, baby, gold
Beet, baby, red
Beet, baby, striped	Bright red, attractive core, sweet and milder
Broccoli
Broccoli raab
Cabbage, baby purple	4" wide
Carrot, orange	Sweet, crunchy
Carrot, baby, purple	Sweet, slender, and colorful
Carrot, baby, white	Tender and sweet
Carrot, baby, yellow	Sweet but a little stronger, more crunchy
Celeriac
Celery
Chard, baby
Chard, bunched, Bright Lights
Chard, bunched, gold
Chard, bunched, white
Cilantro
Claytonia
Collards
Cucumber, Lemon	Size of a tennis ball and very sweet
Cucumber, slicers	Bitter-free, burpless, 1.5" x 6", very good flavor
Cucumber, European seedless	Seedless, bitter-free, burpless, long and skinny
Dill
Eggplant
Fennel	Sweet, anise flavor
Kale, lacinato
Kale, red
Kohlrabi
Leek, baby	1/2" thick
Leek, large
Lettuce, baby romaine
Lettuce, buttercrunch
Lettuce, baby leaves
Lettuce, green romaine heads
Lettuce, red romaine heads
Mache
Melon, honeydew
Melon, muskmelon
Melon, watermelon
Mesclun
Microgreens, arugula
Microgreens, beet
Microgreens, broccoli
Microgreens, chard
Microgreens, kale
Microgreens, pea
Microgreens, radish
Mizuna
Okra
Onion, cipollini, gold
Onion, cipollini, white
Onion, cipollini, red
Onion, baby white, fresh, w/tops
Onion, baby red, fresh, w/tops
Onion, scallion
Onion, shallot, fresh, w/tops
Onion, baby Walla Walla, fresh, w/tops	Sweetest, mildest onion, fresh from the ground
Onion, baby yellow, fresh, w/tops	Fresh from the ground, still have tops
Pac Choi
Parsley
Parsnip
Pea, shelling
Pea, sugar snap
Peanut
Pepper, bell, brown
Pepper, bell, green
Pepper, bell, purple
Pepper, bell, red
Pepper, bell, white
Pepper, bell, yellow
Pepper, lipstick
Pepper, jalapeno
Pepper, serrano
Potato, baby rose gold
Radish, black
Radish, daikon
Radish, French breakfast
Radish, pink
Radish, red	Very hot due to weather, will be mild in fall
Radish, shunkyo
Radish, white
Raspberry	Sweet and BIG!
Salsify
Scorzonera
Spinach
Squash, delicata
Squash, sweet dumpling
Squash, baby yellow crookneck	4-6" long, curved
Squash, baby zephyr	4-6" long, straight, yellow with green tips
Squash, costata romanesco	Especially delicious zucchini, not seedy when large
Tomato, cherry, sungold	My favorite variety
Tomato, cherry, red	Good sweet flavor
Tomato, heirloom, Cherokee Green	Yellow skin/green inside, very nice flavor
Tomato, heirloom, Pruden's Purple	Very large heavy fruits, mild, juicy with a creamy core
Tomato, heirloom, Moskvich	Small fruits, milder
Tomato, heirloom, Big Beef	Large fruits
Tomato, heirloom, Red Pear Piriform	Pear-shaped, unusual taste
Tomato, heirloom, Striped German
Tomato, heirloom, Green Zebra	Small, green/yellow, very good, thicker skin
Turnip, baby	Tender, mild, sweet, juicy, great for fresh eating

Photos of Quarter Branch Farm – Summer 2010

We start our plants in the first greenhouse. It has a propane heater. We are trialing three varieties of raspberries in the second high tunnel (a simplified, unheated greenhouse structure). The third structure is a mobile high tunnel that can be rolled over top of various vegetable crops to extend their growing season.

Mid-July photo from road. Melons of all types growing in foreground.

The market garden looks really big in this picture. And it feels big when we’re working in it, since we farm on our feet. But the actual size is only about one acre.

These have just been tilled with the BCS 9HP 30” tiller. Now they are ready to re-plant. The beds are 30” wide by 50’ long. There is a 12” path between each bed and a 5’ aisle at the ends. The paths are about 4” lower than the top of the beds.

This is how we trellis the tomatoes and cucumbers. It is a lot of work but we’re hoping it will pay off in earlier fruit, less disease, easier picking, and more better use of our limited space. Beans are growing nicely in the foreground. We cultivate them every week or two with the “collinear hoe” to kill the weeds while they are very small. It only takes two minutes to cultivate each 50’ bed.

Swiss chard is looking nice.

Delicious and cute baby romaine.

Red romaine – tender, buttery, and sweet. An heirloom variety.

Green romaine. Still growing.

Green oakleaf lettuce. Ready to harvest.

Second week at the Rockville Farmers Market.

Green and red romaine, red and white radish, baby romaine, green oakleaf lettuce.

Third week at the FRESHFARM Market @ HHS. Red, striped, and golden beets, gold and rainbow Swiss chard, turnip greens, kohlrabi, romaine lettuce, red kale, shell peas, radishes, and turnips.

These super sweet shell peas are a real treat.

Baby carrots in various colors. All are sweet and great for fresh eating. No need to peel. Yellow carrots are little stronger flavor and crunchier.

Spring onions, fennel, and purple radishes.

Various types of beets, chard, carrots, very sweet and tender sugar snap peas, yellow crookneck squash, Costata Romanesco zucchini (much better than normal zucchini, in my opinion)