About Ashby Hill Farm
Ashby Hill Farm is a small regenerative farm in Patrick County, Virginia, growing meat, eggs, vegetables, and fruit for local customers who care about good food, ethical animal treatment, and resilient local agriculture.
The farm uses permaculture principles, diverse perennial and annual crops, and integrated animals to produce food in a way that is practical, ecological, and resilient. We are building a farm that is premium, honest, local, and rooted in long-term land stewardship.
We collaborate with our animals to improve the quality of our land and our crops. Currently hens, broilers, ducks, and guineas help cycle nutrients, manage vegetation and pests, create rich compost, build soil, and add diversity to the farm.
Growing Without Synthetic Chemicals
We grow vegetables, fruit, herbs, and perennial crops without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilizers. Our goal is to build diversity, fertility, and resilience over time.
Animals Moved Regularly
Our animals get moved frequently, whether they are on deep bedding, out on pasture, or in the orchard. This allows us to spread their nutrient rich manure to different parts of the farm without accumulating so much that the land can’t metabolize the nitrogen. It gives the land time to rest and recover and keeps our animals healthy with new clean ground and fresh forage.
Rooted in Patrick County
Ashby Hill Farm is being built for the people who live here. We want to make good local food easier to find, strengthen relationships between farms and customers, and contribute to a more resilient regional food system that is not dependent on long supply chains.
Ashby Hill Farm is still growing. We are developing the land, expanding our production systems, and adding new crops and livestock carefully over time. The goal is not rapid expansion, but a durable farm built on stacking functions, anti-fragile systems, healthy soil, and useful relationships with the local community.
The People Behind the Farm
Hunter and Anna Stabler moved to the beautiful hills of Stuart Virginia in 2024 seeking a simpler life. We wanted to have more control over what was in our food and how it was raised and grown. We are both visual artists and introspective seekers of meaning. Anna’s art can be seen here, and Hunter’s can be seen here. We see this opportunity to serve our community with nutrient dense and ethically managed food as great honor and responsibility. Together we are working toward a durable local farm that respects the lives of our animals and leaves the land better than how we found it. We aim to be good stewards of the land and integral contributors to the health and wellbeing of our local community.