All in the Geyer Family

She wants the world to “Eat More Berries,” due to their high nutritional value and health benefits. Furthermore, Anne deeply believes that every young person benefits from the chance to work on a farm. Those ideas converged with the founding of Agriberry Farm in Hanover County in 2008, and they still guide the farm today.

While picking berries requires dexterity, stamina and a tolerance for outdoor conditions, it is a job that can be performed safely by relatively inexperienced workers, and Anne closed the loop by launching Agriberry Farm in Hanover county, which now offers the area’s only fruit-oriented CSA, thereby connecting local food fans with nutritious, healthy fruit and providing young workers in the area with early employment skills and a glimpse into the possibilities of agriculture as a career. (Click to learn more about in the farm’s Young Worker Program.)

Anne is a graduate of Wells College in Aurora, New York. She grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and her summer adventures picking and eating wild black raspberries with her siblings helped shape Anne’s desire to grow cane berries on Agriberry Farm.

Chuck grew up on a dairy farm in Upstate New York, and has a bachelors degree in Agriculture from Delaware Valley College in Doyleston, Pennsylvania, and he also is an active member of many regional and national fruit and berry-growing organizations.

They say apples don’t fall far from their trees, and that is surely true of Pierson Geyer, because he has inherited such a love of farming from Anne and Chuck. Being the farm’s General Manager gives him an active role in all aspects of the farm, including the markets and CSA. In addition, he oversees the harvest, including the hiring and training of seasonal workers each season. Further, he is responsible for maintaining the farm’s GAP certification and compliance (Good Agriculture Practices, as established by the USDA.) 

Pierson’s exceptional talents are recognized on and off the farm, as is evidenced by his recent selection by the peer-nominated “40 Under 40” Class of 2018 list of national leaders in agriculture. This recognition is due in part to his role as the youngest-ever president of the North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association (NARBA.) Pierson also participates in many local and regional programs, including support for emerging farmers in conjunction with the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University.

Pierson has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University, and he uses his skills daily in the office and in the fields to help grow the Geyer Family farm.

Colleen is Kitchen Manager for Agriberry Farm. She and her twin sister Mary Claire grew up helping out in the fields, in the kitchen and at markets, so she was steeped in the joy of fresh food, extended family gatherings, and hard work. In her newly defined role overseeing the farm’s busy certified commercial kitchen, Colleen is responsible for overseeing the recipes, procedures and production of the farm’s jams and other jarred items, baked goods, frozen fruit and other pantry staples.

With her passion for cooking obvious from an early age, Colleen earned a Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I., and she pursued advanced internships in the U.S. and France in Pastry and Baking. She has launched her own business, River City Bakery, and is participating weekly at the Tuesday afternoon Birdhouse Market in downtown Richmond. Colleen is an avid wellness fan, with a compelling “backstory” regarding weight loss through good nutrition and exercise. Colleen is also a certified “BodyPump” instructor, and she loves distance cycling and running, and playing with her dog Aurora.

Susan and her husband Robert visit the farm often and help with planting and other projects and special events.

Ellen teaches reading at a Williamsburg area elementary school, and Will works for the College of William and Mary, while they raise their two sons, Johnny and James.