ABOUT US

Meet Sherry and Rick, owners and operators of Belle Rock Farm in Kents Store, VA. Rick spent his high school years farming tobacco and helping his grandparents on their small hobby farm. Being a farmer was always his dream, but that dream was cut short when a sleepy driver clipped the back of his car while driving home on the interstate. The good news is that Rick survived the crash. However, at the age of 18, and only 6 months after his high school graduation, Rick was immediately and permanently paralyzed with limited use of his arms and no use of his legs. His dream of being a farmer was instantly crushed.

Sherry grew up in suburban Pennsylvania but always had a yearning for the outdoors. She spent her summers as a camp counselor, and her college job was leading groups of college students out into nature for camping, hiking, and other nature-oriented activities.

Sherry and Rick met while Sherry was working as a rehabilitation nurse on a spinal cord injury unit. Rick, 2 years post injury, was a peer counselor for newly injured spinal cord patients. It didn’t take long for them to fall in love, get married, and focus the next 20+ years raising their two active children. When the nest became empty, they dreamed about what their next adventure might be. Through divine intervention, they found their dream property and moved “back home” to Fluvanna County, Virginia.

Wanting to do something with their land and the blessings of nature, they decided to explore farming. It took about a year and a lot of ingenuity, but Rick and his friends were able to figure out how to make a hoist to lift him onto a tractor and a mower, and how to modify the tractor so he could drive it. His dreams of being a farmer began to return.

Rick and Sherry now run a small lavender, Christmas tree and honeybee farm. They specialize in lavender, lavender products, and fresh greenery wreaths at Christmas time. The Christmas trees are growing but it will still be a few years before they are ready to be harvested.

• Why Christmas Trees? Because they are the center of many Christmas celebrations. A family outing to choose the perfect tree becomes a cherished tradition and creates many years of happy memories which last long after the gifts are forgotten. We want to help families and friends make new life-long holiday memories, and add a bit of joy and fun into their lives.

• Why lavender? Because lavender is amazing! It brings about a sense of calm and peace, and we could all use a bit more of that! It has medicinal properties, you can cook and bake with it, it’s lovely to add to bath and body products, it helps you relax and get to sleep. It’s also beautiful to look at and smells really nice!

You may see Rick and Sherry at local Artisan markets, recognize their products at a variety of local shops, or even visit their farm in one of their summertime you-pick lavender events (the farm is not otherwise open to the public). You can also check out their website BelleRockFarmva.com, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @BelleRockFarm.