Homeowner Account | Willowsford Conservancy & Farm

Jun 25

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It is the 7th week of CSAs and it is an A week! ☀️ Come out to the Boat House tonight from 4-7pm for Community Night. We will have Willowsford Honey and cherry tomatoes at the Farm Stand. See you there!

Jun 24

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Have you ever wondered how scientists learn where birds travel, how long they live, or how populations change over time? Bird banding helps answer those questions. Recently, one of our Rangers volunteered with the Clifton Institute to learn more about this important research technique and assist with bird monitoring efforts. #BirdBanding #CedarWaxwing

Jun 23

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Jun 17

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Wait... that's a Red-winged Blackbird?

While the males steal the spotlight with their black feathers and bright red shoulder patches, female Red-winged Blackbirds look completely different. Their streaked brown plumage helps them disappear into meadow grasses and wetland vegetation, where they spend much of their time nesting and foraging.

The contrast between males and females is a great example of sexual dimorphism in birds. This female was photographed beside Willow Lake in The Greens.

Jun 5

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A duckling at Willow Lake was recently found with a fishing hook lodged in his neck. It received care and was safely released back to its family.

Fishing line and hooks don’t disappear once they’re left behind. Monofilament line can persist in waterways for years, where it can entangle wildlife and cause lasting harm.

To help reduce these risks, fishing line and tackle disposal stations are available at Cedar Pond Pavilion, with additional stations coming soon to Willow Lake and Poplar Pond.

Please help us keep our waterways safe:
🎣 Use fishing line disposal stations when available
🎣 Retrieve snagged line and hooks from vegetation when it is safe to do so
🎣 Recycle old line through bait shops or designated drop-offs
🎣 Cut discarded line into smaller pieces if disposal is necessary
🎣 Keep disposal stations free of trash so they remain usable for fishing gear.

Read the full story in our latest field note

Jun 4

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18534196138072427

Thank you for your patience! We are super excited to have our Farmer's Choice boxes starting this week. It's week 4 for the 2026 Summer CSA! Farmer Paul goes through to show what will be in the box and Farmer Charlotte tells us what she would cook using these different foods. We hope to see you at the Boat House tonight from 4pm-6pm or the Farm Stand on Saturday from 9am-1pm.

#agriculture #shoplocal #loudouncounty

May 22

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Current local celebrity: the Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) 🦎

Fast? Yes. Tiny dinosaur energy? Absolutely. These native lizards spend their days hunting insects and other small critters, making them a pretty helpful neighbor to have around.

May 19

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18081503480317694

Farm stand season is officially back!

We kicked things off with two opening celebrations last week, and it felt great to welcome everyone back to the farm stands.

Thursday evening at the Boathouse was lively despite the chilly weather, and Saturday was a gorgeous day to be outdoors. Both days were filled with live music, great food and drinks, kids’ activities, and time for neighbors to connect with volunteers, farmers, and local partners.

We saw kids learning about termites at the activity table, meeting a few of our chickens with Farmer Paul, and plenty of great conversations throughout the stands.

Thank you to everyone who came out and helped make the start of the season feel special.

Farm stand season is now in full swing:

Thursdays at the Boathouse Farm Stand | 4–6 PM
Saturdays at the Grange Farm Stand | 9 AM–1 PM

We hope to see you this season.

May 6

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A red-bellied Woodpecker emerging from its nest at Cedar Pond.

Woodpeckers don’t build nests with twigs. They carve cavities directly into trees, creating a protected chamber for eggs and young.

Once abandoned, these holes can often become homes for other wildlife.

May 5

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We’re kicking off the farm stand season with two chances to celebrate fresh flavors, local goods, and time well spent outdoors.

Join us at the Boat House Farm Stand for our Season Kickoff Celebration, then help us welcome back the Grange Farm Stand for its Summer Reopening.

Both events will feature live music, food trucks (@lamativa_ on Thursday and @mangomamamango on Saturday), and lawn games, with a special happy hour on Thursday, including beer and wine generously donated by Honor Brewing.

Come shop, explore, and ease into the season with us. We can’t wait to see you out there.

Check out the events on our calendar as we continue to add more of the amazing friends and partners joining us.

Apr 30

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We’ve been adding some new finds, local snacks, spreads, and pantry staples that pair perfectly with what’s coming out of the fields.

Build your own farm picnic with crisp apples, carrots, hummus, and a few extras you might not expect.

Need dinner too? @killertpizza will be joining us with delicious wood-fired pizza 🍕

Willowsford Boathouse Farm Stand
Today, 4–6pm

Apr 23

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18086985581040066

Looking for a volunteer opportunity that’s easy, flexible, and fun? Join our Bluebird Monitoring program!

Help us keep an eye on our bluebird trail by checking nests, tracking hatchlings, and recording observations on your own schedule. No experience needed. Training is provided by Willowsford staff.

This is a hands-on way to support local wildlife and contribute to real citizen science right here in the community.

Apr 20

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18400279903149322

Willow the River Otter, first spotted in Willow Lake on April 9, has since moved on to new waters. For a brief visit, they brought a lot of excitement to the lake and plenty of sightings to talk about.

Did you catch a glimpse of Willow during their stay?

Apr 17

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🌎 Earth Day is best spent outside! Join us April 24th for an evening of live music, good food, and hands-on ways to connect with nature.

Settle in with a blanket , enjoy the music, and visit the activities that bring the farm, forest, and wildlife a little closer.

Apr 16

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18114495070782306

Willow Lake just got some new residents!

This past weekend, we restocked the lake with 50 Largemouth Bass, 350 Bluegill Sunfish, and hundreds of minnows to support a healthy, balanced fish population.

A big thank you to our volunteers who came out to assist the Land Stewardship team. We appreciate your help!

Restocking like this is based on ongoing monitoring of the lake and helps maintain a strong mix of species and a thriving ecosystem for years to come.

Apr 14

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Things are growing at the farm 🌱

Our seedlings have been thriving, and this week they made their way into the ground.

It’s exciting to see the fields starting to fill as the season gets underway.

Apr 14

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Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday for Scrape for the Grape at Willowsford. The Conservancy and @willowsfordlife hosted just over 40 volunteers of all ages at our obstacle course and Bull Run trailhead. We scraped 1,487 egg masses totaling about 52,000 spotted lanterns eggs. We appreciated participating in this community-wide service effort where over 1,000 volunteers scraped over 10 million eggs in total! @virginia_cooperative_extension @loudounwildlife @loudouncountygov @loudounwine and the amazing Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance

Apr 12

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These Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are classic spring ephemerals, meaning they take full advantage of the short window before the forest canopy leafs out. For just a few fleeting weeks, they soak up sunlight, bloom in brilliant color, and support early pollinators before retreating underground until next year.

These photos were taken along Bull Run in The Greens during our Spring Wildflower Walk this morning. Bluebells thrive in rich, floodplain soils and often appear in sweeping patches along stream banks. If you want to see them yourself, be sure to go soon before they disappear!

Apr 9

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We have an unexpected visitor at Willow Lake…an otter!

A North American river otter was first spotted by staff about an hour ago enjoying the waters of Willow Lake. These playful mammals are excellent swimmers, capable of holding their breath for up to 8 minutes and diving to depths of around 60 feet in search of fish, frogs, and crayfish.

River otters are also known travelers, with home ranges that can stretch for miles along connected waterways. In other words, this curious visitor may just be passing through. Keep an eye out for our new friend on your next walk around the lake!

Mar 12

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