About us & our values
Quartzwood is a small farmstead co-owned by Sarah Searle and Ben Sedlins in the Potomac Highlands of western Loudoun County, Virginia. Our property is an old farm that has slowly been parceled out and sold over the years, leaving us a small tract with the original farmhouse and some outbuildings, just outside of town. The outcroppings of white quartz all over the property and our small stand of overgrown woods at the top of our hill give the land a unique, private feel, so: Quartzwood.
Both Sarah and Ben grew up in the town that Quartzwood is located in and have watched as suburban sprawl has slowly made its way from the more populated eastern part of our county to us. Prime farming soils have been sold to developers, and the rich agricultural heritage of this area is threatened. We are actively involved in community efforts to ensure the viability of a rural western Loudoun in the future.
Farming and landowning is political. We care deeply about labor issues, food justice, and climate change. We are navigating what it means to be white folks who own land when that has been denied to so many throughout the history of this country: indeed, it’s what our country is built on. We don’t think small farms or white-owned farm businesses solve these problems.
Quartzwood is located on unceded traditional land of the Manahoac people.
Frequently Asked Questions
ARE THE GRAPES FOR THE WINE GROWN ON-SITE AT QUARTZWOOD?
Nope - and thank goodness they’re not, because our property is not a good site for growing grapes. Ben is a vineyard manager/winegrower by trade, and we source the grapes for our wine from vineyards largely within a 10-mile radius of Quartzwood. Most of those sites Ben has planted or manages himself. In many parts of the world, it’s a common model for winegrowing and winemaking to happen in separate places, to allow for the best growing sites (which are frequently out of the way, in places that aren’t very accessible for wine tasting and visiting) to be utilized, while still remaining commercially viable. This also allows entreé into winemaking if you don’t have the funds to purchase hundreds of acres of prime grapegrowing land (we don’t). We hope to make this type of model more viable in Virginia/mid-Atlantic winemaking.
IS QUARTZWOOD WINE NATURAL/SULFITE-FREE/ORGANIC?
Pull up a chair and listen to Sarah rant for awhile! Just kidding. This is a great question. The short answer is “sort of, sometimes”. The longer answer is more complex. “Natural” wine is an unregulated term that can be applied to a variety of winegrowing and winemaking styles, but is typically understood to mean wine grown sustainably, with few additives and little intervention during the winemaking process. Many folks count Quartzwood wines in this category of “natural wines” as we tend to minimize use of added sulfur, do not use any additives, and aim to use ambient yeast (uninoculated ferments) whenever possible. Our wine is not certified organic. Organic certification is costly and most of the small vineyards we work with do not pursue that certification. Additionally, in Virginia’s climate, farming organically per certification standards is incredibly input-intensive. We aim for intentional farming practices that are sustainable given the site, climate, and labor involved to produce grapes. In vineyards that Ben manages, we work a lot to minimize monocropping and improve soil health, encouraging “good weeds” and interplanting native wildflowers, etc. We would love to chat more with you about these topics if you have more questions,
HOW CAN I BUY YOUR MUSHROOMS?
We sell fresh and dehydrated mushrooms locally to individuals, as well as at several local farm market outlets and to restaurants. If you’re interested in updates during the growing season on where to pick up ‘shrooms, sign up for our mailing list here. We try to send emails very intentionally and work hard to not spam you.
IS QUARTZWOOD YOUR FULL-TIME JOB?
Nope, both Ben and Sarah are employed elsewhere and have day jobs. Quartzwood is a labor of love.
What’s all this about sliding scale fees and access?
We think food, wine, and spending time in peaceful green spaces should be accessible to everyone, particularly folks who might not usually have that access based on income or being part of a historically marginalized community. We are currently in the process of developing a sliding scale fee structure and/or alternate pay-what-you-can methods for the cabin and for other products. This is a tricky process and we are taking our time to make sure we do it correctly.
In the meantime, if you would like to access Quartzwood products but are unable to pay for them, please contact us. If you would like a cabinstay but are unable to afford it, please contact us. If you are an artist who is interested in a residency but for whom income is a barrier to traditional artist residencies, please contact us. Your inquiry will be kept confidential.
