Forrest Green Farm: Cultivating Healthy Food, Land and People

by Douglas Stewart, Grants Manager, The Piedmont Environmental Council

Krista and Rob Rahm have owned and operated Forrest Green Farm since 1992. The 423-acre farm in Louisa County is a marvel to visit, with its spectacular views of the Blue Ridge and diverse offerings of farm-raised meat, poultry, dairy, herbs and produce, as well as other locally grown products. It also offers visitors the opportunity to see a model for regenerative farming practices that have restored soils while enhancing the land’s beauty.

“People tell us all the time, ‘When I come down your driveway and visit the farm, I forget about everything else,” says Rob. “It’s not just the herbs, not just the animals, not just the store. It’s everything.”

The farm reflects holistic land management practices that the Rahms have been evolving for over 30 years. Krista heads up the farm’s nursery, which features a wide variety of culinary and medicinal herbs, native plants, and heirloom vegetables and flowers. Rob manages the livestock operations, which produce 100% grass-fed and finished beef and pasture-raised chicken and eggs.

At the farm’s demonstration herb garden, a vast array of plants greets the visitor, serving as a living laboratory and testament to Krista’s passion for the restorative power of herbs. Krista teaches a course at the farm that offers a hands-on experience in both gardening and herbal medicine, with the next class starting this summer. 

Fully complementing this “Whole Living” approach, Rob’s passion is to work with and mimic the natural cycles to help the farm thrive. The Rahms rotate their Hereford cows, laying hens, chickens, and turkeys throughout the pastures whenever the grasses are ready to be grazed and after they have had time to rest. They use adaptive grazing practices that are good both for the soils and for the animals. 

The farm’s well-kept, green pastures and healthy animals are a testament to more than 30 years of the Rahms’ work restoring its pastures and evolving their adaptive grazing practices. “There’s no prescribed method, but we are always monitoring and making sure all the land gets enough rest,” explains Rob. “The animals are healthier and we’ve constantly seen improvements” in the land and soils. 

The Rahms use no synthetic fertilizers anywhere on their farm — a fact that often astonishes visitors to their green pastures and virtually weed-free gardens. “We put a lot of energy into keeping the farm in order,” Rob says. “We just work with the soil. If you pay attention to the foundation in the soil, everything will take care of itself.”

The Rahms’ Market on the Farm and Gift Shop has all the farm’s products, including pasture-raised chicken, grass-fed beef, eggs, and the farm’s diverse array of herbs, as well as value-added items such as herbal teas, seasonings, infused salts, sprays, salves, tallow body butter, skin care, and flower essences. The Market is also chock full of local food and artisan products, including milk, yogurt and butter from nearby dairies, and kraut, miso, pasta, rice, honey, maple syrup and much more. You’ll also find copies of Krista’s Wellness Simplified books, including a guide to herbal gardening and an everyday seasonal cookbook. 

Forrest Green Farm and the Market are open year-round from Thursday through Monday, and the Rahms welcome visitors to come see the workings of their farm and its healthy, holistic practices for the land, animals, and people. 

Photo credit: Forrest Green Farm