Farm-to-table dinners are by definition designed to showcase food that’s locally produced. Yet it’s less common for the dinner hosts to also be the farmers who grew your meal, and especially rare to see exactly where and how those provisions were sourced.

So when Long Stone Farm owners Justin & Casey Wisch took my group on a ride through their farm, right before enjoying one of their culinary experiences, it really took the ‘farm-to-table’ idea to new heights.

I discovered Long Stone when visiting the Wischs’ new tasting room, Blue Wall Cider & Wine, located just outside Leesburg. Blue Wall doubles as a storefront for their trio of CSAs, which specialize in meat, oysters, and cider.

Long Stone is all about sustainable agriculture, producing all of their own meat and cider with an emphasis on farming organically and integrating livestock into their operation. The Wischs also partner with those who share their values, so they serve wine made by Nate Walsh of nearby Walsh Family Wine, while the CSA oysters come from Chesapeake Bay-based Rouge Oysters.

After my visit I found out about their culinary tour, which combines an educational farm ride followed by a meal initially described as ‘southern comfort food’. I later learned this dinner was far more high-end than this descriptor implies, and the tour greatly complimented the meal.

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

We kicked off the event with a quick meet-and-greet with cider, wine, and cathead chicken biscuits as our hors d’oeuvres. Then we hopped into the hay wagon for the educational part of the visit.

In describing the Sunday Supper, Casey explained, “The meals here are usually gluten free and highly nutritious. You won’t find a more local meal even if you go to a farm-to-fork dinner, since a lot of time you’re missing the farmer in that relationship.”

The Wischs also discussed how the farm got started, their CSAs, and the overall philosophy that guides their business.

The book definition of sustainable farming is “farming in such a way that it protects, if not aids, the natural environment”. That’s true at Long Stone Farm, but only covers part of what goes on.

The Wischs described sustainable agricultural in very practical terms. The short version: sustainable farming is not just good for the land, it provides healthy and delicious food. Their customers seem to think so as well, which is why their CSAs have a 90% renewal rate.

As we passed chicken coops and cow pastures, Casey gave us the full story of what makes their farm truly sustainable. “The integration is mutually beneficial. Our chickens drop nitrates, which fertilizes the grass for the cows. Those areas are the first places our cows want to graze. The cows also provide a great ecosystem benefit by eating unwanted underbrush, which manages a lot of land in a regenerative way.

Our livestock also provides pest prevention by grazing dropped fruits, and reduces costs associated with mowing under the trees. We have the ability to run our poultry, hogs, and cattle to assist with understory management and additional fertilizer applications during various times of the year.

All of this leads to healthier food and better fruit.”

We also learned about their cider operation, which they named “Blue Wall” due to the farm’s western view of Short Hill Mountain. They manage the farm to organic standards, and their cider is only made from this estate orchard. As with the rest of the farm, it benefits from being integrated with their livestock.

“We have four varieties of apples right now, with a focus on Winesap. We pick new varieties based on their disease-resistance and performance. Because we are integrating the orchard into our operations instead of selecting a farm and planting an orchard, we select varieties that grow best on this particular site.

We have beautiful north to south runs for the trees and have been rehabilitating our soil in this field via our livestock and cover crops for the last 5 years. We feel soil preparation is vital to our tree health and it has taken a few years to prepare for trees to be planted.”

Time for “Sunday Supper”

After our tour was complete it was time for our 3-course meal (plus dessert), with live music in the background.

Justin & Casey picked Leesburg-based Buford’s Biscuits as our chefs for two reasons. First of all, Long Stone always uses local businesses as their chef partner. Just as importantly, Buford’s Biscuits is amazing.

Co-owner Lauren Barret explained to the audience what ingredients she used and where they came from, while Casey told us about the hogs that gave ‘their last full measure’ for this meal.

The first course consisted of an Appalachian Panzanella, a crouton-based salad using Buford’s dried biscuits rehydrated in vinaigrette, with cheese and heirloom tomatoes.

Our second course was a sweet tea-brined chicken served with Nashville sweet & spicy sauce, alongside a fresh squash & corn salad.

The third course consisted of seared herb & garlic pork chop, with nectarine jam, roasted bacon, and collards.

Topping it all off was a strawberry short cake with chocolate gravy. Lauren emphasized the Appalachian roots of all of Buford’s dishes, laughing how “down South we love chocolate gravy”.

Every meal was paired with cider or wine. We started with their Ashmead’s semi-sweet cider, but our hosts provided samples from a wide variety of other beverages from Blue Wall.

Most cideries focus on what I call ‘beer cider’; carbonated, often flavored, usually served in a can. The cider from Blue Wall is what I think of as ‘wine cider’; lighter, elegant, and more representative of the fruit they came from. Most are dry, although the off-dry Ashmead’s hit the spot on a warm evening.

After our meal I picked up some duck eggs at the local farm store.

I loved my entire visit! You’ll appreciate farm-to-table food even more once you visit the farm. Their next event is September 22, this time with The Wine Kitchen and Wined & Dined. Check it out and tell me what you think.