Falls Church Farmers Market: Spotlight on 5 Vendors
By Annabel Taylor
It’s a rainy Saturday in Falls Church, but not even a downpour can deter the popularity of the farmers market here in the Little City. Families, shoppers and vendors alike are busy and bustling.
Jennifer Brady, market manager, believes in the importance of supporting the local economy by keeping proceeds circulating within the neighborhood. “I think farmers markets are excellent places for feeding communities and bringing people together through food. It’s a place where you can meet your neighbors, where you can support local businesses and small farms.”
Brady tries to give priority to returning vendors, as many rely on the steady income of selling at the market. “As new spaces or opportunities open up, then we bring in new businesses,” Brady said. “If it's something that's a very different product from what we currently have on offer, we try to make space.”
The farmers market offers a space for local businesses and small farms to thrive, simultaneously serving as an epicenter for cuisine and conversation in Falls Church every Saturday morning. Here are some of the standout vendors at the market.
Pho from Home is sure to catch your eye at the market — it offers the unique product of frozen take-home pho with various broths and meats, as well as Vietnamese turkey curry, scallion pancakes, spring rolls and bottled Vietnamese coffee. Khai Nguyen, owner of Pho from Home, started the business because he felt there was a need for a convenient and affordable product that doesn’t compromise the quality of homemade pho, according to an interview with LoCo Living. Furthermore, Nguyen wants to combat food insecurity in the area by serving healthy food sourced from farms that raise animals humanely and sustainably. Van Ngo, an employee of Pho from Home, said the most popular items are the beef brisket and meatball pho, while he considers the vegan option to be underrated.
Ngo spoke about the importance of the farmers market in helping local businesses. He cites “the variety, and the options people have and then connecting with the vendors” as reasons Pho from Home has returned to the market each Saturday for the past three years.
Shenandoah Seasonal is an organic vegetable farm in Clear Brook, Virginia, started by owners Ali and Dan Haney in 2012. Following years of non-profit work managing a center for impoverished families in Cambodia, the Haneys were inspired to cultivate their own fresh and local produce after being moved by people’s struggle to feed their families.
Initially interested in livestock, they transitioned to vegetables. The farm is one of the only organic vendors at the market and sells at multiple locations including Falls Church, Reston, Leesburg, and Dupont Circle. They are committed to using farming practices and technology that are efficient and earth-friendly such as high tunnel greenhouses to protect plants throughout the winter.
Shenandoah Seasonal offers a diverse range of sprout vegetables in the spring and fall, such as bok choy and broccoli. They also offer niche varieties of peppers and tomatoes that range in color and type, among over 100 varieties of specialty vegetables that oftentimes can’t be found at grocery stores.
Manager Ben Paulson highlights the importance of small farms in the community, especially considering how fragile agriculture became during the pandemic. “We're a really important part of the tapestry of our food system. And that being said, we don't benefit from any of the economy of scale. It's really difficult to get started to acquire land. There's a lot of challenges that farmers face. A lot of mental health issues, as well.”
The farm has seen steady growth and networking opportunities at the farmers market, with many customers joining their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) to receive regular produce deliveries. Shenandoah Seasonal hopes to continue to serve the greater D.C. area by providing customers with fresh and organic produce they can depend on.
After moving from Manhattan, Jeff Skalka struggled to find quality bagels locally in Falls Church so he began baking them at home. “One day, a friend was asking me, are these bagels for sale? And I said, yeah, they are,” said Skalka. Little City Bagels has been selling exclusively at the farmers market every Saturday since January.
As for a potential retail shop, Skalka says people won’t stop asking him about it. “Right now, we're just kind of using the farmers market to understand what the bagel demand is like in Falls Church,” said Skalka. “It's been really strong. We've sold out every week.”
With a delicious variety of bagels ranging from poppy seed to onion, Skalka said the most popular bagel is the everything and the most underrated is the salt. The stand also sells cream cheeses such as cinnamon raisin and hot honey.
Skalka said the market is a great extension of Falls Church as a community. “People care about each other on both sides of the aisle. As the vendor, I can definitely feel that. People are interested in supporting me, and I want to be able to provide something that the community really wants.”
“It's just been a fun ride so far,” Skalka said with a smile, surrounded by his community and of course, his bagels.
Bees Wings Farm, located in White Post, Virginia, is adamant about gentle farming and environmentally friendly practices. The owners, Chelsea Belle and Chris Griffin, recently moved to a new farm in order to accommodate the demand for flowers, enabled by the steady customer base of Falls Church. Additonally, the duo sells at the DuPont market and operates a wedding flowers business.
Employee Anna Osowski, is involved in business operations. She believes supporting local businesses is integral to maintaining the availability of sustainable and healthy products. “This is a family that has grown up in the area, lived in the area their whole lives, and so being able to treat the land here with that care and compassion, and then be able to support this community is so wonderful.”
Osowski is thankful for both regular customers and newcomers alike. “Some folks come every week just to spend $10 and that's amazing,” she said. “And then there's some that come and they get armfuls of flowers. Every customer, especially the ones that are loyal to our business, mean so much to us.”
Dick Doyle Furniture
Dick Doyle, known affectionately as “Dick the Mick” courtesy of his Irish background, operates a stand at the market every weekend where he sells wooden tables and benches made from storm-fallen trees—with all proceeds going to the Homestretch charity. Based here in Falls Church, Homestretch helps Virginia families facing homelessness by providing them with safe homes and financial independence. Of the organization, Doyle says, “There's not a better one, not on Earth.”
His business began in a less conventional way. Doyle’s friend living on the Northern Neck of Virginia dedicated his time to “finding things that people toss out, repairing them and getting them to people that need them.” About 15 years ago, this business shifted to be centered around fallen trees that could be repurposed into handmade pieces of furniture.
The market provides a launchpad for local businesses like Doyle’s. Falls Church “becomes alive on Saturdays,” thanks to the market. He added that buying locally enriches where people live. Repeat customers also contribute to a sense of connection within the local community. Even if he doesn’t sell a thing, Doyle walks away from the market knowing it was a great day. “We met this couple or we met these children, we met these people, and we laughed and talked with them.”
Above all, Doyle is motivated by the mission behind his woodworking venture. “[My friend] tricked me into agreeing that since nature gave us this abundance, I would never take a penny for it. That's why the money all goes to the Homestretch charity.”
Find these vendors and many more at the Falls Church Farmers Market every Saturday at the City Hall parking lot, 300 Park Ave. Hours are 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. from April to December, and 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. from January to March.
Annabel Taylor is excited to be starting this summer as an intern for The Falls Church Independent. She's a rising junior at Walt Whitman High School, and an opinion writer for the student-run newspaper. In her free time, she loves to read and write, crochet, and play basketball. This summer, Annabel looks forward to covering a wide variety of topics, from personal blogs to features on the arts, cuisine and culture.
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