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| About Us
Batten Bay Farm is a produce and cut-flower farm that is totally committed to all natural and sustainable agricultural methods for growing our crops. This provides our customers and family with fresh, safe, healthy, and tasty vegetables throughout the season. We utilize, almost exclusively, compost for fertilizer, and use no chemical herbicides or pesticides. The organic standards we use protects and builds our soil, without damaging the environment and water.
Our goal is to provide local, healthy, fresh food, that tastes better because it is chemical free and has not been transported and stored for days and sometimes weeks. However, eating fresh and local also means eating seasonally. We are always looking for new recipes and ways to preserve foods for the winter, such as canning, freezing, and drying are highly desirable. We do attempt to extend the seasons as much as possible by succession planting, the use of hoop houses and through the warming effects of the farm being located next to the river.
Products are distributed to the local area using a variety of different methods. We sell at several local restaurants and farmers markets, including Portsmouth Farmer's Market, Norfolk Five Points Community Market, Governors Point Farm Market, and beginning in 2010, through the use of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The harvest from Batten Bay Farm is beneficial to everyone. The consumer is provided with good, fresh food and flowers, it supports the livelihood of our farm and family, building strong community ties and wonderful relationships!
 
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Company History
Batten Bay Farm is a farm in Carrollton, VA that was born out of love - a love for the land, love for the family and the love for the family's health and well-being. Danny and Romayne Byrum purchased the farm after receiving their master gardener certificates from Virginia Tech. Danny grew up working on his family's farm in Hertford, NC where his family had been farming for 4 generations. Romayne is a Portsmouth native whose family spent summer vacations visiting relatives on their farm in Isle of Wight County. Danny retired after 35 years of civil service with the Department of the Navy and Romayne retired after 27 years in the telecommunications industry. Farm work is very different from their previous careers, but they find much joy in providing all natural, earth-friendly produce to the public.
Danny and Romayne's children Reggie, Kevin, Allison, Eric and Kevin's wife, Amanda are involved in various aspects of the farm operation. They have 8 grandchildren ranging in age from infant to 20 who can frequently be seen playing, learning and sometimes working around the farm.
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| Customer testimonials
"Eating produce from Batten Bay Farm is an enjoyable experience because I can trust that it is grown with care and without the use of chemicals that harm my health and the health of the environment. Produce from Batten Bay Farm is also grown sustainably and therefore is fresher, has higher nutritional value, and tastes better than produce that travels hundreds of miles to reach supermarkets. Many thanks to Danny, Romayne and their family!" -Lauren R.
"I have taught school for more than thirty years and this was the best field trip ever! Everything was age appropriate, interesting, fun and educational. The itinerary was well thought out and followed. We couldn't have asked for more. The parents and grandparents who went with us loved it and wanted to take their children back for a visit on the weekend. I highly recommend this field trip." -A. O'Brien
"The Portsmouth Farmers Market just gets better every time! Danny Byrum's watermelons are the best I have ever tasted. Sunflowers, okra, tomatoes, squash, everything you could ever want fresh from local gardens. Yum!" -Barbara B.
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