Recipes

RecipesBrandi Delancey2024-11-19T10:19:01-05:00

Farmer Andrew’s Kale Salad

Sarah Uhrig2023-12-15T13:14:43-05:00From the Farmer, Kale, Recipes, Recipes By Ingredient|

Shakshuka, Potato Galette, & Seared Summer Vegetables

Gabriel Concordia2022-08-26T12:33:34-04:00From the Farmer, Potato, Recipes, Simmered, Summer, Tomato|

Swiss Chard Dolmas

Gabriel Concordia2022-06-09T12:28:09-04:00Chard, Recipes, Recipes By Ingredient, Simmered|

Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds

Gabriel Concordia2022-05-11T17:03:51-04:00Recipes By Ingredient, Spinach|

willowsfordconservancyandfarm

willowsfordconservancyandfarm

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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18159319975452990

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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 17885160771538771

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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18394038298155041

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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18071199989283756

🌎 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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18091906691521288

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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18100079089810499

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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18096725815853898

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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18118578493648991

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

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 17952538044094428

Warm weather made for an amphibian-packed vernal pool walk last week! 🐸 Our group was treated to an impressive show from wood frogs and spring peepers, filling the evening with their unmistakable calls. In the water not only were there plenty of frogs, but also lots of eggs. The gelatinous masses of wood frog eggs were abundant along the southern edge of the pond. Next month, these eggs will hatch into thousands of tadpoles.

One unexpected (but very exciting) highlight was a spotted salamander! As the walk wrapped up, a few lingering explorers noticed tiny spermatophores scattered in the leaf litter which are little DNA packets left behind by male spotted salamanders. And sure enough, just a few feet away… there it was! These elusive salamanders are fossorial and live underground most of the year, only emerging during a short period for mating in vernal pools.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for an evening of springtime magic in the vernal pools! We plan to continue monitoring amphibian activity throughout Conservancy land, particularly breeding activity in vernal pools. If you see egg masses or salamanders while exploring Conservancy property, please let us know.

Please note: This salamander was handled carefully with clean, damp hands, gently lifted from the water for a quick look, and immediately released.

Feb 28

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 17899701954400289

Our trail cams had a little surprise for us in the early hours of Wednesday morning, a bobcat prowling through The Grant! Under the cover of darkness, this sleek, spotted neighbor made a rare appearance. Bobcats are not endangered and have wide territorial ranges, but they are still uncommon in our immediate area, so spotting one on camera is definitely an exciting find.

As opportunistic hunters, bobcats will feed on small game and, if available, small livestock. Like with bears, our approach to coexistence is simple: Give them space. We encourage residents not to feed wildlife, avoid leaving pet food outdoors, and monitor bird feeders. While bobcats rarely cause conflict with people, they have been known to prey on domestic cats, so keeping pets indoors, especially at night, is the safest choice.

This sighting is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. As a top-level predator, they play an important role in maintaining ecological balance and we are happy to have them here in Willowsford.

Feb 24

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 17877383304498735

If you’ve been out at dusk lately and heard a sudden “peent!”….congratulations, you’ve been serenaded by the American Woodcock! Also known as a “timberdoodle” this plump little creature is a one of a kind forest dwelling shorebird. The woodcock probes for earthworms with its long bill and its set back eyes help it keep an eye out for predators.

The buzzy “peent” call you hear in the video are part of the male’s mating calls heard in the spring around dusk. After several calls, the male will often perform a “sky dance”, flying into the air and spiraling down.

Feb 20

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18555760714031067

When the snow melts, the salt on our driveways and roads doesn’t disappear, It flows straight into our streams. ❄️💧

After the recent snow melt, we measured chloride levels in Lenah Run in the Grange village that were nearly double compared to the levels we were measuring before January’s snowstorm.

While concentrations remain far below chronically toxic thresholds that harm aquatic wildlife, this spike is a clear reminder that everything we put on our roads, lawns, and driveways eventually makes its way into our waterways. Whether it’s salt during the winter or fertilizer in the summer, nothing stays put and it all ends up downstream eventually.

Feb 19

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 17886055569442770

It's Week 8, the LAST week for the 2025 Winter Farmer's Choice CSA! Farmer Andy shares cooking tips about black spanish rasdish as we take a trip around the pack line. Are you an Winter Egg CSA member? Your share continues through the end of April and you can still order a la carte veggies and more!

#Agriculture #shoplocal #eatlocal #loudouncounty

Feb 14

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18182404981368909

Love is in the air… and echoing through the trees. 💘

Pileated Woodpeckers form strong pair bonds and often stay with the same mate for life, teaming up to defend territory, and raise their young. This Valentine’s Day weekend (February 13–16), show your love for birds by joining the Great Backyard Bird Count, a global community science event where anyone, anywhere can help track bird populations.

Just spend at least 15 minutes counting the birds you see and submit your observations online, it's that easy. Click the link in our bio to learn how to participate.

Feb 5

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18180788740371496

It's week 7 for the 2025 Winter CSA! Farmer Andy takes us around the micro room (packing in a warm space today) for this week's Farmer's Choice.

#agriculture #shoplocal #EatLocal #loudouncounty

Feb 2

Open post by willowsfordconservancyandfarm with ID 18559981435024129

On World Wetlands Day, we’re celebrating the wetlands on our land and the wildlife they support all year long. 💧The clips here showcase just a small portion of the wildlife we captured on trail cams during our wildlife survey last year that utilize and depend on the wetlands and waterways in our community. 🦫

Clip 1: A beaver enjoying a moment by the water’s edge
Clip 2 &3: A hawk having a bath and then having a good shake to dry off
Clip 4: A family of otters passing through
Clip 5: A great blue heron strolling along