by Catherine Fisher, Community Farm Specialist, The Piedmont Environmental Council
For Stacey Carlberg and Casey Gustowarow, good food is more than just a meal. It’s a gateway to building community, experimenting in the kitchen and creating healthy soil that nurtures fresh produce. This ethos is what first connected the couple when they met in 2009 and guided them as they managed Potomac Vegetable Farms and The Farm at Sunnyside over the course of a decade. In 2021, that shared passion became the heart of Fireside Farm on land they lease in Purcellville and Lovettsville, where they grow organic vegetables and wheat to make wood-fired, seasonally inspired pizzas.
Good soil health is a top priority at Fireside, and it’s through methods such as cover cropping, minimizing tillage and using locally made compost that they can grow the highest quality crops and steward Loudoun county’s rich farmlands. However, it’s Casey’s lifelong love of cooking that inspires the vibrant colors and unique vegetable varieties quintessential to Fireside’s farmers market displays.
“We love to share unique vegetables with our customer base and tell people how we cook it,” says Casey. “It’s fun to experiment in the kitchen and deal with new flavors people aren’t necessarily accustomed to.” While selling at farmers markets, Fireside staff are eager to share tips for preparing vegetables, and customers often come back the next week having enjoyed something new.
Enriching cooking and eating experiences also drives the couple to top pizzas with radicchio, sweet potato, winter squash, beets and other toppings that people might be hesitant to try. “Our customers have to gain trust in us that we’ll come up with a fun flavor combination,” says Casey. That trust is easily won after a first bite.
In 2024, Stacey and Casey purchased 42 acres in Waterford, where they just broke ground that will become Fireside’s main growing property and gathering space for both customers and local farmers.
“People can come to have a pizza, understanding that we grew all the veggies and grain and then got cheese and meat from other local farms in Loudoun,” says Stacey. “There is all this wonderful food being grown right here, and we want to support farmland preservation by showing that there are viable farms right here. And we’re one of them.”
Like a summer bonfire or a wood-burning stove in winter, a fireside is somewhere you return to throughout the seasons, somewhere you visit to nourish your body and mind and fill you with the warmth of community. Fireside Farm stays true to its name as a place where you can come with an open mind and leave with a full belly.
You can find Fireside produce year-round at the Leesburg Farmer’s Market and George’s Mill Farm Store, and seasonally at the Gateway Farmers Market in Maryland. For a full list of local stores and restaurants that feature Fireside products, visit: farmfireside.com. To enjoy a Fireside pizza, follow their social media or visit their website for upcoming events and pop-ups.
Photo credit: Sarah Holway
