Farm tour looks beyond the gates

 The sweat of generations has anointed the soil of many farms in the Charlottesville area.

Properties like Castalia, Clover Hill, Edgeworth, East Belmont, Eldon Farm and Round Hill Farm in the Keswick area are particularly rich in history. Usually, only glimpses of these special places can be seen as one drives by.

This won’t be the case from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, as each of the aforementioned farms will welcome visitors during the second annual Beyond the Gates historic farm tour. The tours are sponsored by Grace Episcopal Church in Keswick, which also will conduct tours of the church and grounds.

The church also will host an old-fashioned country fair. It will feature food and craft vendors, pony rides and a chance for everyone to check out the Rivanna Fire Department’s new fire engine.

The day in the country includes tours of the Keswick Hunt Club’s kennels, which house about 70 American foxhounds. The club, founded in 1896, has put on at least one horse show every year since 1904.

All proceeds will be used to support the church’s community ministries. These include support for organizations such as Hospice of the Piedmont, Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity.

“The idea for the tours came out of a meeting we had a couple years ago, when the economy was in the tank,” said William T. Anda, co-chairman of the event. “There was a reduction of money coming in, and that in turn limits what we can do for the different local charities and ministries we support.

“We were trying to come up with ideas for fundraisers, and this was one of them. As I was selling the concept to the people in the parish, I talked about driving by these farms and how beautiful they are.

“One of the guys on my committee suggested we name it Beyond the Gates. That really fit, because often as you drive by these places, your mind will wander and you wonder what is beyond those gates.”

Visitors will find beautifully tended working farms, some of which date back to the early 1700s.

Castalia once was owned by relatives of Meriwether Lewis, and for the past 25 years it has produced Paso Fino horses, including national champions Lisanna and El Vicario Ltd.

The name Paso Fino means “fine step” and refers to the horses’ smooth gait. Guests at Castalia will have an opportunity to see these beautiful horses in action.

Clover Hill farm was once a part of Cloverfields plantation, which in 1730 was granted to Nicholas Meriwether II. One of its barns, built around 1790, may be the oldest barn in Albemarle County.

John Harvie, a friend of Thomas Jefferson, once owned East Belmont farm. It will have several vintage carriages on display.

Edgeworth is a 1,200-acre farm where sheep and Angus cattle are raised. This property was once owned by the Rev. James Maury, who ran a school that was attended by Jefferson and James Madison.

Visitors to Edgeworth will have a chance to see sheep dogs doing what they do best. Watching the highly intelligent dogs working with the sheep will demonstrate why they’re practically indispensible to sheepherders.

Eldon Farm dates back to 1735, and is now owned by Ken Luke. Since purchasing the farm in 1999, he has transformed it from a cattle operation to a home for mares, foals, layups and yearlings.

Round Hill Farm features a large organic vegetable garden, an orchard, horse paddocks and acres of native landscaping.

“For me the thing that’s so wonderful is how the Keswick community opens its arms and properties to share what they have,” Anda said. “And the reason the farm owners do this is because they know the money is going to be used in a good way.

“On a regular monthly basis Grace Church feeds 50 families through our own food cupboard. During big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, that number goes up to more than 100.

“Last year we started to help fund scholarships for the local Boys and Girls Club. This year, kids from the club will be at the farms and fair selling water. All those proceeds will benefit the club.”

The country fair being held at the church is designed to be similar to those held generations ago. Now that it looks as if there isn’t going to be an Albemarle County Fair this year, the Grace Church Country Fair is trying to pick up a bit of the slack.

“Last year, we had a dozen or so kids from local 4-H clubs show their animals,” Anda said. “This year, we’re going to have many more.

“We’re going to have a podium set up where they can talk about their animals. Another good thing about this event is that it brings kids out of the city and gives them the opportunity to be around horses, sheep, cattle, alpacas, llamas, ducks and chickens.”

Before Grace Church took on such an ambitious fundraiser, organizers sought advice from members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville. That church has been doing something similar for more than 50 years.

“The people at Trinity Church were very gracious to us and they let us see what they did, and it gave us good insight,” Anda said.

“Last year’s event was an over-the-top success, and not just in terms of money raised.

“It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and support it got from the community. I’d be in the grocery store and people would come up and say, ‘Thanks, that was a great time.’ ”

The Beyond the Gates historic farm tours and fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Tickets purchased through today are $15 and $20 per individual on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased at Grace Church, and on Saturday at any of the sites. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free. Tickets and further information are available at www.gracefarmtour.org.