1 of 3
Jean Price
“[Jean Price is] a saint for small farmers,” says Becky Latane from Blenheim, a USDA-certified organic farm. “She buys our products and she promotes us.”
2 of 3
Old Farm Truck Store
The Old Farm Truck store in White Stone is located at 572 Rappahannock Drive. Look for the “old farm truck” at area festivals and holiday parades.
3 of 3
The Old Farm Truck
Six years later, Old Farm Truck has gone from traveling farmer’s market to produce market, with a shop in Lively, and a newly opened shop in White Stone. It offers produce—95 percent sourced from the Northern Neck—sustainably raised meat, milk, cheese, and homemade breads.
It was the summer of 2008 and Jean Price was chatting with a neighbor. They got to talking about all the amazing gardens in the county, all with surplus produce. She and her husband, Paul, had a huge garden at Wood’s Edge, their farm in Ottoman. Russ Talcott at Gum-Ball Farm had organic vegetables and berries. Just down the road at Bee Tree Farm, Dave Fridley had produce, berries, fruit trees, and a hoop house for winter produce. Albert and Mariah Pollard had eggs and pork. That’s when it came to her: the idea of an ultralocal market, reminiscent of a time when Americans ate local produce—neighbors feeding neighbors—and knew the farmers on a first-name basis.
People started coming out of the woodwork to help. Mariah introduced her to the Latanes at Blenheim Organic Gardens and Dana Boyle at Garner’s Produce, both in Westmoreland. “I could see her passion about her idea, so I knew she’d be successful, and I was determined to help,” said Dana. She visited the local farms and got to know how they grew their food. Mary Louise Pollard offered a space on the lawn of the Village Needlepoint of Irvington and Jean also rented a space next to Stevie’s Ice Cream in Kilmarnock. A date was set. They’d open in May 2009.
Then, on Christmas morning, Jean was washing dishes when she looked out the window and down her driveway to see a green 1940 Chevy truck coming up. “Paul had it shipped across the country. He told me, ‘If you’re gonna start this business, drive this—call it Old Farm Truck—and sell your vegetables out of the back of it.’”
Six years later, Old Farm Truck has gone from traveling farmer’s market to produce market, with a shop in Lively, and a newly opened shop in White Stone. It offers produce—95 percent sourced from the Northern Neck—sustainably raised meat, milk, cheese, and homemade breads. What’s more, the White Stone shop will stay open all winter long, providing locally grown foods and farm-to-table takeout specialties such as Old Farm Truck veggie pies and soups.
“She’s a saint for small farmers,” says Becky Latane from Blenheim, a USDA-certified organic farm. “She buys our products and she promotes us.” “We do our best to buy all the smaller growers can produce and pay them up front so they can continue growing,” explains Jean.” Then we partner with larger sustainable growers, like Garners. Dana at Garner’s mentored us in all facets of local vegetable marketing. Without her, we couldn’t provide the variety we do.”
Like most inspired ideas, her latest venture has impeccable timing as the farm-to-table movement has consumers flocking to farmers’ markets across the country, asking where their food comes from, and headlines warn of the impact of California’s drought on food production.
“A staggering amount of produce comes from California, a majority of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts in the US,” says Pat Neill, who grows tomatoes in Northumberland County and sells to Old Farm Truck and DC restaurants. “It doesn’t make sense when you could grow and distribute regionally. Jean is distributing locally produced products to a local market. It’s really the polar opposite of the California national distribution system.”
But they’ve had their challenges along the way. “In January, when Jean planned to open in the spring, she injured her back,” explains Jean’s sister, Nan Larson. “I was living in California and didn’t plan to retire till 2013, but Paul works at Fort Belvoir during the week, so I moved here to be her back.” Then, Dick Patteson, Jean’s brother, also stepped in. “And the night before the very first market,” explains Jean, “we set up the tarp. As we drove up in the morning, a wind came up, picked up the tarp and it landed on the hood—put a big dent in it,” said Jean, with a laugh.
Then there’s the head-spinning process of gathering the goods for the Friday and Saturday markets in Lively and White Stone. Emily Simpson, the only full-time employee, who along with her husband provides prime beef, produce, and herbs, explains. “On Wednesdays, I drive to Agriberry in Hanover for berries and whatever else is available, and Old Church Creamery in Manquin for dairy products. I may get a few things from Garner’s like zucchini and eggplant—things that aren’t time sensitive. The rest we get on Thursday, so everything is absolutely fresh. Then I go back to my house, split up everything between White Stone and Lively, and deliver it. On Thursday, I’m up at 5 a.m., picking vegetables and washing and bagging. Friday and Saturday, I’m at the store by six.”
Thursday morning Jean and the team pick up produce from outlying farms, and growers and bakers file into Lively to drop off their goods. Then the team congregates at Wood’s Edge to sort and clean produce, spin it dry in an old washing machine, and take off to pick up whatever else is needed. At noon, everyone meets at Lively to divide the produce and drive to White Stone to tuck it in the cooler. Meanwhile, in Richmond, Dick picks up the homemade breads at Lucille’s’ Bakery and Montana Gold. On Friday morning the team is up before dawn. Baked goods start arriving—quiches and all manner of sweet treats. Catherine Emery brings her flower arrangements from Warsaw and Dick arrives from Richmond to drop off the bread and head off to White Stone to work till closing.
But it’s a labor of love, says Jean. “We definitely get whirling, but it’s fun! When the growers and bakers bring in beautiful healthy produce and foods and customers know the growers by their first names and everyone gets to sharing their stories and recipes, there is an unspeakable camaraderie.”
Meanwhile, says Emily, she can text Jean any night at 3 a.m. and she’ll probably be up, thinking about things, coming up with new ways to help the growers that that honor the land and create a space for people to share their love of real food.
This article appeared in the Fall 2015 issue of The Local Scoop Magazine, pgs. 8-11.
