About Agriberry Farm

AGRIBERRY'S MISSION is to establish community supported summer berry fields and be a premier training facility for motivated first time workers.

In 2008, Anne Geyer was awarded a USDA Specialty Crop Grant to start a business to inspire a new generation of specialty crop farmers. Anne, with the assistance of New Visions, New Ventures, wrote the Agriberry business plan and with support of Sprout Advisory of Richmond, launched a nine week pilot CSA. As this pilot quickly demonstrated Richmond’s eager demand for an assortment of fresh, local, seasonal berries and fruits, Agriberry premiered as one of the nation’s first berry and fruit CSAs.  Agriberry has now acquired land and infrastructure of its own, and supportive relationships with other trustworthy farmers have allowed Agriberry to supply fruits and knowledgeable service to our CSA community.

In 2009, Agriberry leased 10 acres of Hanover farm land along the historic Pamunkey River for the production of raspberries and blackberries. In 2011 the Geyers bought 25 acres of their own about four miles west along Hanover's scenic River Road. This newly planted Agriberry acreage currently hosts red raspberries, black raspberries, purple raspberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, and cherries.  They hope to begin construction of a family home in 2013.

Farming fruits involves multi-year investments for sustainability. While site selection and infrastructure for strawberries and blueberries continues, partnerships with other family farms allow us to provide this year’s fruit. Additional berry, fruit, and CSA items are sourced directly from other family farms, on geographic sites known to have better growing conditions for the best quality production.

The Geyer family has been involved in berry and fruit farming since 1980.  Anne and Chuck Geyer met at the University of Maryland Horticultural research farm while working on a USDA berry production study.  In 1982, as newly weds, they moved to Virginia and established a berry farm for partners of Westmoreland Land Company, where they gained over 25 years of experience growing and marketing 60 acres of assorted berries and tree fruits. Now, farming independently and on their own land, the Geyers maintain leadership involvement locally, regionally and nationally in the fruit industry to stay up to date in sustainable production practices, allowing Anne and Chuck to have key relationships with other farmers that grow the best of a wide variety of fruits.

Extended family participation has always been instrumental in Geyer farming history.  Agriberry now has satellite CSAs in Annapolis and Williamsburg, run by Anne’s sister Susan and niece Ellen, respectively. Now in their 20s, the Geyer children, Pierson, Colleen and Mary Claire, grew up with the joys and demands of family farming. All three still contribute to Agriberry with valuable leadership, abilities and interests in the field, working with CSA members and staffing the area’s farmers markets.