What We Grow
Hickory Hill is a 60 acre farm consisting of our blueberry patch, vineyard, and high tunnels for growing grapes and vegetables situated among the surrounding hills and woodlands. The farm hosts a three acre wildflower pollinator habitat, an apiary, pastures and forage grounds, and a seasonal stream lined with towering sycamore and walnut trees.
SEASONAL VEGETABLES
We grow a variety of heirloom tomatoes, chiles, and sweet peppers, which are typically available July through September at the Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market. These are grown in a high tunnel, a covered structure similar to a green house where we plant in the soil and have cover from rainfall. Growing this way helps to lessen diseases and allows us to grow vegetables in times of the year where it is too cold to grow plants outdoors.
CONCORD GRAPES
We currently grow Concord and Fredonia grapes in a 2 acre vineyard. In 2025, we started a new vineyard in a high tunnel structure measuring 200 x 24 feet. These grape varieties include heirloom concord types as well as modern seedless varieties of table grapes.
Our first grapes, planted in 1979, were vine cuttings from Margaret’s parents Chester and Sara Jane Wenger from their vineyard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Grapes are a Wenger family tradition — Margaret’s grandfather, A.D. Wenger had vineyards in Fentress, Virginia and Afton mountain in the early 1900’s. Margaret’s uncle Paul Wenger, son David and his daughter Wendy sustain the tradition as Wenger Grapes in Augusta County, Virginia.
RAW HONEY
Our raw honey is harvested from our apiary located on the farm. The honeybees collect nectar and pollen from our various market crops, in turn providing improved pollination. They also forage in the abundant wildflowers and woodlands on the farm and beyond. We manage our hives without the use of any synthetic treatments or inputs. We harvest and bottle all of our honey right here on the farm. You can get our honey on the farm when we are open for blueberry you-pick or at the Harrisonburg Farmers' Market July through September.
SWEET SORGHUM
Sweet Sorghum syrup is a natural sweetener made from a plant in the grass family called sorghum, grown for the juicy stalks of the plant. The syrup is made by harvesting and pressing the stalks to extract the sweet juice, which is then boiled down into a syrup. The flavor is similar to molasses but without the bitterness.
BLUEBERRIES
We tend year round to the nine varieties of our blueberries without sprays and manage the farm overall with growing practices that are considered natural and regenerative. The perennial blueberry plants contribute to soil health by keeping it covered and undisturbed, helping to increase biodiversity and supporting continuous living roots.
