Virginia’s rural oasis: keeping the small town’s rural roots

One Virginia county is considered a “rural oasis” by its community members.

The growth that Louisa County, Virginia has experienced in the last few years has come with a cost. There has been a push to develop open land for other uses, particularly for residential development near Lake Anna.

This has also led to increased traffic on two-lane, rural roads.

Steve Hopkins with Riverview Farms Cattle says: “The people that come in, a lot of times, have less tolerance for farmers. People are in a hurry to go anywhere, it seems these days. That makes it tough to move large equipment around.”

However, local farmers are finding ways to make farm life work with a growing county-- through education. Educating the public, especially the younger generations, on the importance of farming and having local producers helps build a stronger appreciation for the rural way of life.

“Nothing excites me more than trying to educate somebody, and really explain to them where their food does come from and how we do what we do,” Carlton Lloyd, co-owner of Double L Farms, notes.

Safety tips for when tractors hit the two-lane roadways.