Missy Stanley, owner of White Oak Dairy in Ashland
Virginia’s farmhouses, fields and barns all have stories, as well as mementos of previous generations. But while many of these agricultural capsules have succumbed to age, the elements or development, some live on and are celebrated by the Virginia Century Farm program.
The program recognizes farms owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years. The commonwealth has 1,576 century farms, with about 70 in the greater Richmond area. Hanover County has 38, the most in the region, including White Oak Dairy.
The Ashland farm was founded in the early 1900s as Gilman Dairy and was overseen by Thomas E. Stanley Sr.’s widowed aunt before he bought it from her in 1941. The farm became Thomas E. Stanley & Sons Inc. in 1969. Now, it’s primarily overseen by Joel Stanley, the fourth generation, and his father, alongside Joel’s wife, Missy, and his daughter and nephew.
The 264-acre property includes about 300 Holstein cattle. “We’re a small dairy, but there’s a big impact in the community — not only the food side but economically,” Missy Stanley says. “We all need to eat, and we take a lot of pride in raising a wholesome food product for the community.”
As the last operating dairy farm in Hanover, White Oak faces challenges, but it’s thriving. Last year, Joel and Missy created Farmview Creamery — an ice cream truck that travels locally. Its sweet treats are made in one of the property’s original structures.
“We renovated the buildings where they used to milk back in the 1930s,” Missy Stanley says. “There were two sections: one section where they’d tie the cow and milk her into a can and the other side [filled] with cold water until the milk truck came to pick [the milk] up.” The milk would later be put on a train headed for Richmond.
Cottage Hill Farm in Goochland County has also received century farm designation. Owned by Daniel Allen, the property has been in his family since his great-grandparents moved there from Pennsylvania in the late 1800s.
Daniel Allen, owner of Cottage Hill Farm in Goochland
“They purchased about 90 acres, and the original farmhouse is actually still standing,” Allen says. He now lives in a farmhouse built in 1918 that is perched atop the hill that gave the farm its name.
Cottage Hill was originally a tobacco farm that also grew tomatoes and cucumbers for a local cannery. Cattle roamed there for many years, and it was often hayed — the latter still occurs today.
The family sold about 60 acres in the late 1960s to help pay for health care for Allen’s grandfather. The remaining land was split among his father’s siblings. In 2008, Allen and his wife bought the property from his aunt, and it was designated a century farm in 2018. The original farmhouse, a tobacco barn and equipment barn are on Allen’s property. A smokehouse and some other original structures still stand on the sold parcel.
Two of Cottage Hill Farm’s original barns still stand on Allen’s property.
Allen at one point wanted to raise cattle, but after much deliberation, he opted to grow fruits and vegetables. “When we purchased the property, we started getting into truck farming and growing tomatoes, sweet corn, watermelons, cantaloupe, cucumbers and squash,” he says. “We started doing that for two years.” The farm continues to grow produce, though Allen is taking a sabbatical this year and plans to restart commercial production in 2025.
The Virginia Century Farm Program was established in 1997. Aside from being in the same family for a century, a farm must also be lived on or farmed by an original owner descendent and gross more than $2,500 annually from farm product sales. Once approved, a property receives a certificate signed by the governor and an outdoor sign display.
As the largest private industry in the commonwealth, agriculture generates more than $82 million annually and over 381,000 jobs. Despite this, farms face numerous battles as development increases in rural areas. “It’s family heritage in an area surrounded by suburban growth,” Missy Stanley says.
There also tends to be a lack of interest in farming among younger generations. “As the population increases, we’ve got to continue to find a way to feed the population,” says Allen, who also teaches agriculture at Goochland High School. “It’s becoming harder and harder to encourage young people to get into the industry. It does cost a lot and is hard work.”
But these families are dedicated to preserving their heritage alongside a somewhat threatened yet critical part of Virginia’s economy and culture. “It’s just something, when it’s in your blood, you can’t get it out,” Allen says.
