VIRGINIA BEACH — With a passion for agriculture, farmer John Wilson said his vision for opening New Earth Farm in 1995 “started with a little seed.”
As a kid growing up in Indiana, he enjoyed learning gardening from his grandfather.
“I had no idea, then, I would eventually start a farm,” Wilson said. “I did not grow up on a farm, but it started there, and it just kind of grew.”
His interests flourished as he attended conferences in sustainable agriculture and took classes in composting and soil biology — nurturing his passion.
“It just made me think that I wanted to do this,” Wilson said. “Seeing all the great benefits and problem-solving solutions embedded within sustainable agriculture, I finally jumped over that bridge and started the farm, just to see if I could do it.”
Wilson ran the New Earth Farm in Virginia Beach, where he grew natural, chemical-free produce and educated people about sustainable agriculture.
In the midst of running his farm, Wilson said his passion continued to evolve as the landscape of agriculture did. Realizing the different issues that stemmed from poor nutrition and the use of chemicals, Wilson sought to make his farm a place of learning as well.
Throughout the years, New Earth Farm hosted a series of educational programs to teach people techniques like food preservation, farming methods, and cooking classes where chefs taught guests how to use local produce in the kitchen.
“I just thought the solution to that is not to try and convince people to buy more good food but it’s to start educating people,” Wilson said.
Wilson continued to evolve his farm for around 22 years before passing the torch.
Continuing with Wilson’s vision for the 21-acre land, Kevin Jamison, owner of Commune in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, and his partners, Eric Cardon and Paul and Marion Schultz, took over ownership in the spring.
With experience working on the farm in the past, Jamison and Marion Schultz returned intent on evolving the operation while maintaining the essence of what they learned under Wilson.
The next step comes Friday as the team announced the opening of an on-site market where patrons can purchase products grown by area farmers.
Jamison said he and his partners are excited to bring a new aspect to the farm that will bolster the community around naturally grown goods.
“It’s going to take our whole area into another level in which Commune kind of was the beginning of,” Jamison said. “All the people who were eating at Commune locations really had nowhere to buy the products that we use inside our restaurants.
According to Jamison, the market will carry items grown on-site and from small farms in Virginia, opening up the opportunity for residents to purchase items that are otherwise unavailable in stores.
Along with vegetables, herbs, fruit and eggs, the New Earth Farm Market is expected to carry honey, bee pollen, cheeses, milk, yogurt, various meats, jams and jelly, grains, flour, canned items, and more.
“There’s no other stores in the area that do what we do,” he said. “There are no stores or markets that operate the way we do where we are just focusing on high-quality local products. We’re not bringing in stuff from Georgia, and if something is not in season then we are not carrying.”
Construction and the design of the market was led by Marion Shultz and her husband, Paul, who previously worked on constructing sets for television and film.
The project began following the demolition of an old farmhouse on the property that dated back to the 1800s. According to a press release, parts from the farmhouse were salvaged and incorporated into the market design.
“It’s a simple design and it’s kind of inspired by some of the older buildings that you would see around this part of the world,” Marion Schultz said. “It’s got a big wrap-around porch and a hip roof. We actually have old windows and we used a lot of reclaimed material, so I hope it has a nice inviting and cozy feel.”
Even after selling New Earth Farm, Wilson still finds himself working to educate people on sustainable farming on his own time.
The introduction of the market, Wilson says, is a step in the right direction for the farm as well as the area, sticking to the goal he set out to accomplish in ’95.
While he has stepped away from running New Earth Farm, Wilson said he is looking forward to returning to pick up goods when the Market is open.
“They’ve got the right ideas, and it makes me feel really good to see something I started carrying on,” Wilson said. “You know some people pass a business to a family member, or a son or daughter. For me, this is just as good seeing them carry it on.”
The New Earth Farm Market will operate Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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