Photo courtesy Old Tavern Farm
History: Built in 1693, Old Tavern Farm in Quinton was one of the original taverns of Colonial Virginia, housing travelers going between Richmond and Williamsburg. The land has been farmed since the tavern’s founding, and the current owner, John Bryant, says there are records showing that Indigenous people cultivated the area centuries before Europeans arrived. In the early 1900s, Bryant’s great-grandfather purchased the land and established it as Old Tavern Farm. Over the past century, the Bryant family has grown wheat, barley, soybeans, corn and other vegetables and fruits. They have also raised hogs, hens, honeybees and cows. After retiring from corporate life, Bryant decided to establish what he calls “the most current iteration” of Old Tavern Farm, a family venture dedicated to providing locally sourced produce and livestock products.
Specialties: Sweet corn, cantaloupe and heirloom tomatoes are customer favorites.
Production: Bryant grows on 35 acres, focusing on crop rotation following sustainable and regenerative practices. He recently repurposed stables from the 1800s, turning them into a space for farm-to-table dinners and events.
Buy: Old Tavern Farm produce is sold at Ellwood Thompson’s, Stella’s Grocery, Dorey Park Farmers Market and Birdhouse Farmers Market. Old Tavern also operates a year-round farmstand on its property and supplies Richmond-area restaurants such as Grisette and Amuse at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
