CS - Sustainable Agriculture: Conservation Through Production

Introduction: River Ridge Land and Cattle Company is located in the Blue Ridge mountain range in the South West Virginia. Many of the farms in this area have been in the same family for more than generations and the farming heritage is a source of pride for local residents. This heritage has contributed to hesitancy in changing farming practices.

Charlotte and Philip Hanes have owned River Ridge Land and Cattle Company (RRLCC) for the past twenty-three years. They are philanthropists who have devoted their time, effort and resources to created sustainable communities. Philip’s projects include revitalizing downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Charlotte has worked to create economic sustainability in rural Grayson County and to develop RRLCC as a model of conservation and a sustainable agricultural enterprise. The current farm manager was hired in 2007 and has begun implementing managerial practices and establishing enterprises to achieve the vision of a sustainable agricultural enterprise. Sustainable agriculture is defined as that farm business that sustains the environment, the farm operator and family, the community and is capable of being transitioned to another generation.