Farm Animal Day
Apr
5
10:00 AM10:00

Farm Animal Day

Our popular ‘baby’ animal day is getting a rebrand this year: Farm Animal Day is a chance to peek behind the scenes at a working farm and visit our farm animals up close (including a few baby ones!)

The Barn Store will be open starting at 9am and local food vendors will be on site. Our walking trails will also be open for the season!

Food Vendors BBQ U (homestyle beef, pork, & chicken barbecue) and Om Tacos (vegetarian, vegan, & gluten free options).

Important safety notes about Farm Animal Day:

  • Please leave your dogs and pets at home today! Our guardian dogs will be working closer to the barn due to the event, and it helps us keep things simple.

  • Please be aware all our animal fencing is electrified.

  • Because this is a working farm, we don't allow touching the animals or entering the fenced enclosures. We want to keep all of our babies safe, including yours!

  • We will be taking precautions against avian flu: if you have backyard chickens, we will ask that you remain at a distance from our birds for risk mitigation.

$10/car

($5 for 2025 CSA Members)

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Plant Sales
Apr
19
to May 24

Plant Sales

Plants sales will happen at markets and the Barn Store every Saturday from mid-April to mid/late-May. The Barn Store will have the biggest selection, but we plan to bring plants to our market locations too:

Friday Barn Store, 9am-5pm
Saturday Barn Store, 9am-2pm
Saturday IX Market 8am-12pm
Sunday South of the James 10am-1pm

In April, you can expect herbs and Spring vegetable starts (i.e. brassicas, lettuces, alliums). Then we’ll roll out flowers and Summer vegetable starts (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants) as they become ready.

The Barn Store will also be stocked with compost, potting soil, seeding trays and more.

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Earth Day at Bellair
Apr
26
9:00 AM09:00

Earth Day at Bellair

Let’s gather together to celebrate Earth Day with good company and earth-loving activities!

  • Secretary’s Rd Clean Up Crew in the morning, the head down to the Barn for a snack and other activities

  • Plant Walk, time TBD. A guided walk to identify plants around the farm, learn a little more about the ecology of the land, our conservation efforts, and our farming practices.

  • Plant Sales herbs and Spring vegetables, medicinal and native plants

  • Clothing Swap: contact us if you are interested in bringing clean, gently-used clothing.

  • Garden Supply & Seed Swap: bring us your excess seeds and any gardening tools that you no longer need!

  • Farm Supply Giveaways: extra pallets, greenhouse plastic, row cover, and landscape fabric that you can use for your home garden

  • Collection Stations: bring us clean, gently used paper bags, Bellair plant pots & blue-green pint/quart containers from last year that we can reuse <--- you can bring these to market/barn store staff NOW or on the Earth Day event

The Barn Store will be open as usual with produce, pastured meat & eggs, local food products and our walking trails will be open as well if you feel like doing a self-guided farm tour.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

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Spring Open House
May
3
9:00 AM09:00

Spring Open House

Staff will be on hand to answer all of your questions about the farm and our CSA program. There will also be a tasting table, rolling walking tours, and the Spring plant sale. The Barn Store will be open as usual for grocery shopping.

FREE and open to the public

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Spring Bird Walk
May
10
8:00 AM08:00

Spring Bird Walk

Our second bird walk of the year! Join Will Kurtz on a guided amble around the farm and see some of our avian residents. This is great time of year to catch migrating birds and Bellair has several different types of habitat, both wooded and open grassland.

Bring binoculars if you have them and shoes for walking/potential mud. Be prepared for quite a bit of walking, approx 2 miles total.

FREE and open to the public. No registration required — meet at the Barn Store promptly at 8am.

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Late Winter Bird Walk
Mar
15
8:00 AM08:00

Late Winter Bird Walk

Bellair Farm is a wonderful place to bird! Longtime friend of the farm Will Kurtz will lead a guided amble around the farm and point out some of our late winter avian residents.

This bird walk is beginner-friendly, but it’s a great location for advanced birders. There are several active raptor nests around the farm right now. There is also a group of red-headed woodpeckers near the old dairy barn.

Bring binoculars if you have them and shoes for walking/potential mud. Be prepared for quite a bit of walking, approx 2 miles total.

FREE and open to the public. No registration required — meet at the Barn Store promptly at 8am.

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Workshop: Home Gardening &amp; Seed Starting Tips
Mar
8
10:00 AM10:00

Workshop: Home Gardening & Seed Starting Tips

Led by Bellair farmer Michelle McKenzie. The workshop will start with a greenhouse tour, the middle portion will be an overview of home gardening and seed starting tips. Finally, a long Q and A/discussion session will follow. You can bring questions and concerns from your garden (photos can help) and I can see if I have tips! We can also talk about planning for the upcoming season and what's easy to grow yourself vs what you'd prefer to buy. It should be informative and fun for everyone!

FREE, no registration required.

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Community Seeding Day
Mar
1
10:00 AM10:00

Community Seeding Day

Come help us seed for spring! Drop-in any time between 10 and 2. We will be seeding onions in the warm Bellair Greenhouse. Chat with Bellair crew member Mackenzie and see how we get things started for the season! Attendees will go home with free seeds for their gardens.

FREE, no registration required, just drop in!

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Drop-in Wreath Making
Dec
14
10:00 AM10:00

Drop-in Wreath Making

Drop in between 10 am and 2 pm to make your own wreath with fresh greenery & dried materials from the around farm. Please bring your own gloves and clippers if you have them. Cost is $40 to make a wreath and can be paid on site.  

The barn store will also be open with gifts and farm foods for sale. If you can't make one of our sessions but still want a wreath, we offer take-home wreath kits (below left).

Email us if you would like more information about private wreath-making sessions.

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Drop-in Wreath Making
Dec
7
10:00 AM10:00

Drop-in Wreath Making

Drop in between 10 am and 2 pm to make your own wreath with fresh greenery & dried materials from the around farm. Please bring your own gloves and clippers if you have them. Cost is $40 to make a wreath and can be paid on site.  

The barn store will also be open with gifts and farm foods for sale. If you can't make one of our sessions but still want a wreath, we offer take-home wreath kits (below left).

Email us if you would like more information about private wreath-making sessions.

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Drop-in Wreath Making
Nov
30
10:00 AM10:00

Drop-in Wreath Making

Drop in between 10 am and 2 pm to make your own wreath with fresh greenery & dried materials from the around farm. Please bring your own gloves and clippers if you have them. Cost is $40 to make a wreath and can be paid on site.  

The barn store will also be open with gifts and farm foods for sale. If you can't make one of our sessions but still want a wreath, we offer take-home wreath kits (below left).

Email us if you would like more information about private wreath-making sessions.

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Drop-in Wreath Making
Nov
23
10:00 AM10:00

Drop-in Wreath Making

Drop in between 10 am and 2 pm to make your own wreath with fresh greenery & dried materials from the around farm. Please bring your own gloves and clippers if you have them. Cost is $40 to make a wreath and can be paid on site.  

The barn store will also be open with gifts and farm foods for sale. If you can't make one of our sessions but still want a wreath, we offer take-home wreath kits (below left).

Email us if you would like more information about private wreath-making sessions.

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Fall Fest Weekend
Oct
26
to Oct 27

Fall Fest Weekend

A weekend of fall festivities!
Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 10am-2pm
Barn Store opens at 9am

Join us for a weekend of family-friendly Fall activities at the farm!

Farm Animals - Sorghum Labyrinth
Photo Booths - Tractor Sitting
Local Food, Wine, & Cider Tastings
Local Food, Art & Craft Vendors
Music & Dance
and more!

See the full list of vendors and activities here.

The Barn Store will be open with local, fresh, seasonal produce, meat, and other grocery items.

Entry Fee: $10 per family/carload
($5 for 2024 CSA members)
Pre-order below or pay at the door

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Fall Open House
Sep
28
9:00 AM09:00

Fall Open House

Take a peek behind the scenes here on the farm with rolling walking tours. You’ll have the chance to ask your farmers anything, and even taste some of our current season produce and value-added products.

This event happens just before the start of the 7-week Fall Veggie Share, so you’ll have a chance to “try it before you buy it.”

FREE and open to the public

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Nurture with Nature
Sep
21
2:00 PM14:00

Nurture with Nature

Enjoy an afternoon in Scottsville and experience the physical and mental health benefits of connecting with nature! Bellair Farm will be there with a veggie tasting table.

Activities include:
Watercoloring, Hammocking, Mindfulness, Plants,
Camping demonstrations, Guided walks, Water activities,
and more!

Activity Locations:
Boat Landing, Farmers' Market, Dorrier Park, Canal Basin Square.
Maps will be available on site (preview below).

Hosted by:
Town of Scottsville, Wildrock, Managing Love, Every Kid in a Park,
Find Your Nature, Reeling and Rafting, HEARR,
SCAN, LOVE: NO EGO, Elk Hill.

The event is free but we encourage registering:
Contact Liz Knotts at nurturewithnature10@gmail.com.
Please provide: Name, Phone, and Number in your party.

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Second Saturdays: Sept
Sep
14
9:00 AM09:00

Second Saturdays: Sept

Ease back into the school year with a relaxing Saturday on the farm.

- Mini portrait sessions with Hayley Sarah Photography, 8am-10am. Advanced booked required. Visit our website for more information

- Farm-to-table lunch from SFG Food, aka "so freaking good" by chef Bud Porter

- Wine Tasting with Dogwood and Thistle: owned by husband and wife team Sandy and Erin Robertson, Dogwood & Thistle is a passion project which allows them to work with small lots of fruit and make the wines that they love to drink and share!

- Music by Pamela Ryder

As usual, our walking trails and the pick-your-own field will be open. Come on out to the farm for good food, good tunes, and good company!

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CSA Hiatus Week #2
Aug
26
to Sep 1

CSA Hiatus Week #2

Each season, we take two “hiatus weeks.” These are a chance for us to take a small rest and re-focus our energy on the farm. We work on non-CSA related farm work, take a tiny bit of time off, and experience peace-of-mind as we break from huge harvests. HOWEVER, we will still be doing a LOT of things!

Hiatus Week FAQs:

  • We will not be distributing normal Veggie Half or Full Shares

  • We WILL be distributing ALL ADD-ONS (Egg, berry, mushroom, dairy, fruit)

  • We WILL be at ALL CSA pickup locations for normal hours selling veggies, meat, and eggs

  • We WILL be offering pre-order of all of the above plus more at our online store

  • We WILL offer CSA pickup to folks on vacation right before or after the hiatus week, according to our normal vacation double-up policy of 2 per member per year

  • PYO is STILL OPEN for all CSA members! Picking is good!

CSA members, remember that you can use your 20% off retail veggies this week!

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Second Saturdays: Aug
Aug
10
9:00 AM09:00

Second Saturdays: Aug

August “Second Saturday” features Farmstead Ferments, music from the Blincoe Boyz, mini portrait sessions & more. Come on out to the farm for good food, good tunes, and good company!

- 8-10am Mini portrait sessions with Hayley Sarah Photography, 8am-10am. Advanced booked required — register here.

- 10-11am Fermentation Demo with Bellair kitchen manager Mackenzie

- Special Guest Farmstead Ferments! Try their water kefir soda, unique ferments, and sandwiches. Save room for dessert by Ballerina Baker

- Self-described dad band The Blincoe Boyz will be playing a couple of sets

As usual, our walking trails and the pick-your-own field will be open. Come on out to the farm for good food, good tunes, and good company!

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CSA Hiatus Week #1
Jul
22
to Jul 28

CSA Hiatus Week #1

  • Google Calendar ICS

Each season, we take two “hiatus weeks.” These are a chance for us to take a small rest and re-focus our energy on the farm. We work on non-CSA related farm work, take a tiny bit of time off, and experience peace-of-mind as we break from huge harvests. HOWEVER, we will still be doing a LOT of things!

Hiatus Week FAQs:

  • We will not be distributing normal Veggie Half or Full Shares

  • We WILL be distributing ALL ADD-ONS (Egg, berry, mushroom, dairy, fruit)

  • We WILL be at ALL CSA pickup locations for normal hours selling veggies, meat, and eggs

  • We WILL be offering pre-order of all of the above plus more at our online store

  • We WILL offer CSA pickup to folks on vacation right before or after the hiatus week, according to our normal vacation double-up policy of 2 per member per year

  • PYO is STILL OPEN for all CSA members! Picking is good!

CSA members, remember that you can use your 20% off retail veggies this week!

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Workshop: Waterbath Canning for the Home Kitchen
Jul
15
6:00 PM18:00

Workshop: Waterbath Canning for the Home Kitchen

Bellair farmer Michelle is teaching this workshop at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville. More details here.

Dive into the basics of canning methods including a brief overview of small business regulations. During the session we’ll make one type of pickle (such as okra or beets) and one jam with in-season fruits. Each participant will have the opportunity to take home a jar of either the pickle or jam. Additionally, enjoy sampling previously made pickles and freshly made jam. This workshop is. a delightful way to start preserving at hem or to consider a small business.

This workshop is FREE, but registration requested:

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Flower Arranging Workshop
Jul
13
10:00 AM10:00

Flower Arranging Workshop

Join crew member Mackenzie for a short flower arranging workshop in the Bellair pick-your-own field. Our cutting flowers are starting to peak and Mackenzie will share tips for selecting and harvesting the best flowers for long-lasting bouquets.

She can also answer questions about other pick-your-own fields generally, and non-members who attend the workshop are welcome to pick herbs and specialty veggies as well.

Bring your scissor/clippers, garden gloves, and jar/vase if you have them. We'll have scissor and jars as well. It will also be hot! Please wear hats, sunscreen -- we recommend closed toe shoes in the pick-your-own.

$20 per person ($10 for CSA members)

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Second Saturdays: July
Jul
13
9:00 AM09:00

Second Saturdays: July

Relaxed outdoor fun with Bellair Farm and friends! Featured in July: flower arranging, wine tasting, picnic bundles, and knife-sharpening:

  • Wine Tasting with Dogwood and Thistle. Owned by husband and wife team Sandy and Erin Robertson, Dogwood & Thistle is a passion project which allows them to work with small lots of fruit and make the wines that they love to drink and share! This month, they are sharing their 2022 Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Manseng.

  • We’ll have local food Picnic Bundles for sale in the Barn Store that you can enjoy on it’s own, OR to go with your wine tasting. We’ll also have Blue Ridge Bucha in the Barn Store if you are looking for an alcohol-free option. Bundles include an Althea baguette, Caromont chevre, Bellair veggie crudite, and a local fruit sampler.

  • Knife Sharpening by Jake of Honey Honed. Bring your knives, scissors, or other tools from home in a bag/wrapped in a towel and get them honed while you shop/hang out. $1.25 per blade inch, unless very damaged.

  • Flower Arranging Workshop with Bellair crew member Mackenzie. $20/person ($10 for CSA members) Sign up here.

Other farm activities include our walking trails and the pick-your-own field.

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Pick-Your-Own Elderflower
Jun
15
9:00 AM09:00

Pick-Your-Own Elderflower

Fresh elderflower is a special, but ephemeral treat. Now is the time to harvest! Join Nat and Amanda for a guided pick-your-own tour. Nat will take us down to his American Elder patch where we’ll harvest elderflower to take home. Amanda will demonstrate how to prepare and make your own elderflower simple syrup with fresh flowers. (You can also dry your flowers for tea). Participants will get approx. 1 lb of elderflower and a recipe card to take home.

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Workshop: Dehydration for the Home Kitchen or Small Business
Jun
3
6:00 PM18:00

Workshop: Dehydration for the Home Kitchen or Small Business

Farmer Michelle is teaching this workshop through Bread and Roses at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville. Workshop will cover:

  • Guidelines for dehydration

  • Methods for dehydration. (dehydrator or air dry)

  • Regulations for dehydration -- ok for home based businesses!

  • Ideas for dehydrating: culinary herbs, herbal teas, skin products, shelf-stable vegetables (for soups, camp meals, emergencies, etc). 

  • Storing dehydrated goods

  • Sampling dried herbal teas

Stay tuned for information about how to sign up.

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Diversified Farming Field Day
May
30
12:00 PM12:00

Diversified Farming Field Day

Join the Thomas Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, VA Cooperative Extension and the Small Farm Outreach Program

  • Learn about technical services and financial incentive programs available through local partner agencies

  • Farm tour with Michelle McKenzie, farm manager at Bellair Farm, discussing high tunnel production, adaptive grazing principles, vegetable crop rotation, and best management practices installed on the farm

FREE TO ATTEND | LUNCH PROVIDED | RAFFLES

MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE SPACE IS LIMITED

QUESTIONS? EMAIL: AGRICULTURE@TJSWCD.ORG

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Spring Open House
May
4
9:00 AM09:00

Spring Open House

Staff will be on hand to answer all of your questions about the farm and our CSA program. Michelle will also give short farm tours on a rolling basis.

Little Bluestem will be leading a plant walk from 11am-12pm. The walk will include education regarding native plants, their benefits for non-humans and humans alike, identification tools, succession ecology, seed collection protocols, and more

They will also have native plants for sale, in particular, native plants that are essential to our bioregional ecosystem. All their plants are grown from responsibly and lovingly gathered local genotype seeds.

FREE and open to the public

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Plant Walk with Little Bluestem &amp; Mush Luv
Apr
27
11:00 AM11:00

Plant Walk with Little Bluestem & Mush Luv

The Bellair Spring Plant Sale continues, and this time with special guests Little Bluestem and Mush Luv.

Little Bluestem cultivates a resilient and harmonious future for Central Virginia's land and people, human and otherwise. We seed, tend, and distribute native plants that are essential to our bioregional ecosystem. All our plants are grown from responsibly and lovingly gathered local genotype seeds.

Join members of Little Bluestem & Mush Luv for a plant walk around the Bellair lands. The walk will include education regarding native plants, their benefits for non-humans and humans alike, identification tools, succession ecology, seed collection protocols, and more from Little Bluestem and mycology topics with Charlie Aller of Mush Luv

They will also have native plants for sale!

 
 
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Earth Day at Bellair
Apr
20
9:00 AM09:00

Earth Day at Bellair

Let’s gather together to celebrate Earth Day with good company and earth-loving activities!

9-10 am Secretary’s Road Trash Clean Up: join a small group of volunteers in the morning before the event to clean up the road leading to the Bellair Farm driveway. For volunteers age 16+. Sign up here.

11am-12pm Plant Walk with Little Bluestem: Little Bluestem cultivates a resilient and harmonious future for Central Virginia's land and people, human and otherwise. We seed, tend, and distribute native plants that are essential to our bioregional ecosystem. All our plants are grown from responsibly and lovingly gathered local genotype seeds. Plant Walks with members of Little Bluestem around the Bellair lands will include education regarding native plants, their benefits for non-humans and humans alike, identification tools, succession ecology, seed collection protocols, and more.

Ongoing Activities throughout the day:

  • Plant Sales herbs and Spring vegetables from Bellair Farm, medicinals from Gathered Threads, and native plants from Little Bluestem

  • The Elderberry - Community Herbs & Healing herbalist Meg Madden will be on site to share herbal tea and chat about tending medicinal plants responsibly.

  • Clothing Swap: contact us if you are interested in bringing clean, gently-used clothing.

  • Garden Supply & Seed Swap: bring us your excess seeds and any gardening tools that you no longer need!

  • Farm Supply Giveaways: extra pallets, greenhouse plastic, row cover, and landscape fabric that you can use for your home garden

  • Collection Stations: bring us clean, gently used paper bags, Bellair plant pots & blue-green pint/quart containers from last year that we can reuse <--- you can bring these to market/barn store staff NOW or on Earth Day

Taiga Coffee will be on site and we’ll have Farm-to-Table plates by SFG Food, featuring Bellair meat & veggies. The Barn Store will be open as usual with produce, pastured meat & eggs, local food products and Spring plants for sale.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

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Spring Plant Sales
Apr
13
to May 18

Spring Plant Sales

Plants sales will happen at markets and the Barn Store every Saturday from mid-April to mid-May. The Barn Store will have the biggest selection.

In April, you can expect herbs and Spring vegetable starts (i.e. brassicas, lettuces, alliums). Then we’ll roll out flowers and Summer vegetable starts (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants) as they become ready.

We’ll also have plants for sale from two local partners: Gathered Threads (herbs, medicinal plants, & shrubs) and Little Bluestem (native plants, April 20, 27 & May 4 only).

The Barn Store will also be stocked with compost, potting soil, seeding trays and more.

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Baby Animal Day
Apr
6
10:00 AM10:00

Baby Animal Day

One of our most popular events is back - come meet our baby farm animals and say 'hello' to our mature animals, too! Expect chicks and chickens, piglets, cattle, lambs, and more. The animals are all located within walking distance of the Barn. We recommend boots or shoes appropriate for mud just in case.

The Barn Store will be open starting at 9am and local food vendors will be on site. Our walking trails will also be open for the season!

Food Vendors: BBQ U, Khadija’s Kitchen, & Taiga Coffee

Important safety notes about Baby Animal Day:

  • Please leave your dogs and pets at home today! Our guardian dogs will be working closer to the barn due to the event, and it helps us keep things simple.

  • Please be aware all our animal fencing is electrified.

  • Because this is a working farm, we don't allow touching the animals or entering the fenced enclosures. We want to keep all of our babies safe, including yours!

  • We will be taking precautions against avian flu: if you have backyard chickens, we will ask that you remain at a distance from our birds for risk mitigation.

order tickets or pick up at the door:

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