"If you don't know where you're from, you'll have a hard time saying where you're going."
— Wendell Berry
Garlic hanging in the barn
Dayspring Farm was originally started by the Jackson family, comprising of a woman and her mother. The farm house that still is on the property today was built in 1896. At this time the farm consisted of about 100 acres. The farm was then bought by the Trevillions who also farmed the land. George Trevillion also was the county tax collector so people would come to the farm to pay their taxes. When the Maloney's first moved into the farm, it was still commonly referred to as "George's Place" by other locals.
In the 1920s one of the large 40 acre fields was sold to a neighbor. This occurred again in the 1930s, leaving the 18 acres that the Maloney family owns today. Another local had purchased the farm as a second home after moving to Florida to pursue a furniture business. The farm was rented out for about 20 years and was used to farm mainly the commodity crops of corn, soy beans, and wheat.
The Maloneys purchased the farm in 1987. They immediately transitioned into organic farming practices when they moved onto it. In the beginning they farmed only a few acres while renting some land out to others. Gradually, they were able to manage all 18 acres on their own. The current farm uses 14 of the 18 acres for production with 15 different patches.
Charlie is conscious to keep the farm on a family scale and integrates that concept into all the decisions he makes, from the equipment used to the extent of outside work brought in. Over the years, Charlie decreased his pastoral counselling practice to spend more time on the farm, where he started full-time in 2000.
Today, the farm continues to be family centered, with several of the Maloney children still helping. Miriam has moved to working full time on the farm as well. Interns are employed each summer, many of them students or alumni of William and Mary. The farm sells to restaurants in addition to the CSA.
In the 1920s one of the large 40 acre fields was sold to a neighbor. This occurred again in the 1930s, leaving the 18 acres that the Maloney family owns today. Another local had purchased the farm as a second home after moving to Florida to pursue a furniture business. The farm was rented out for about 20 years and was used to farm mainly the commodity crops of corn, soy beans, and wheat.
The Maloneys purchased the farm in 1987. They immediately transitioned into organic farming practices when they moved onto it. In the beginning they farmed only a few acres while renting some land out to others. Gradually, they were able to manage all 18 acres on their own. The current farm uses 14 of the 18 acres for production with 15 different patches.
Charlie is conscious to keep the farm on a family scale and integrates that concept into all the decisions he makes, from the equipment used to the extent of outside work brought in. Over the years, Charlie decreased his pastoral counselling practice to spend more time on the farm, where he started full-time in 2000.
Today, the farm continues to be family centered, with several of the Maloney children still helping. Miriam has moved to working full time on the farm as well. Interns are employed each summer, many of them students or alumni of William and Mary. The farm sells to restaurants in addition to the CSA.
