Reach the Roots Festival Returns to Kinloch Farm
Written by Bill Kent | Photo by Hugh Kenny
The Malik family is visiting Hunt Country in October, driving five hours north from Virginia Beach to visit a farm.
“Kinloch Farm is just so beautiful,” Leigh Malik says. “It truly gives off the vibe, ‘This is what it’s all about.’ If you’re looking for food trucks and bounce houses, this isn’t it. If your kids want great food, to learn a bunch, and dance to some fun music, this is it.”
Located on Hopewell Road less than a mile east of The Plains, the two-century-old, 3,000-acre farm is one of a dozen Hunt Country cattle producers. Its humanely raised beef is served locally at Middleburg’s Red Fox Inn, Berryville’s Homespun Shakes & Burgers, Marshall’s Field & Main, and Sperryville’s Black Twig restaurants, and can be purchased at the Kinloch Farm Store on Old Tavern Road in The Plains and at the Roots 657 Market and Café in Lovettsville. Kinloch’s beef sticks, a kind of jerky, are also sold throughout Hunt Country.
Though the farm is normally closed to the public, last October Kinloch welcomed more than 500 visitors — some coming from as far as southern Pennsylvania and western Maryland — for a three-hour open house. Called Reach the Roots, the event’s purpose, according to Kinloch Conservation Director Mike Peterson, was to “show the greater community what we’re doing here, feed them, give them a chance to take home some educational experiences, and have some family fun.”
After raising $1,700 for The Plains’ Grace Episcopal Church Peas & Grace food bank, last year’s Reach the Roots was so successful that Kinloch Farm owner Andrea Currier has decided to do it again, opening the doors on Saturday, October 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition to giving visitors guided tours of the grazing areas, with a chance to get up close with cattle and calves, this year’s event will feature demonstrations by Warrenton’s Chef Ryan Ross, music by Jiamie Pyles and the Ribbon Rail Ramblers, and catering by Leesburg’s Open Fire, which will offer roasted root vegetables, roast beef sandwiches, and beef butifarra sausage.
Kinloch’s staff and volunteers will also show guests examples of regenerative agriculture, a style of farming defined by the Noble Research Institute, an educational land management nonprofit based in Oklahoma, as working “with nature rather than against it. It is more than just being sustainable. It is about reversing degradation and building up the soil to make it healthier than its current state.”
Karissa Epley, who has worked for the Piedmont Environmental Council and blogs about conservation from her home in Marshall, finds Kinloch to be an exemplar of regenerative agriculture. “They are blending land management best practices and ecosystem restoration,” she explains. “I’ve really come to view Kinloch as a demonstration site for how all who own land in the region can be better stewards of the land, whether or not you manage livestock.”
The event is not to be missed for those who have never visited a working farm or don’t know what humane farming is. Todd Meade, Kinloch’s farm manager and Reach the Roots grazing area tour guide, finds visitors are “kind of amazed at how much we care about our livestock. They’re surprised how close they can get to the cattle, and how peaceful and docile they can be when they’re treated properly.” ML
Reach the Roots is open to families with children of all ages and will be held rain or shine. Admission and parking are free. Tour tickets can be reserved through Eventbrite.
Published in the September 2025 issue of Middleburg Life.