Sustainability – a word at the top of most people’s vocabulary these days – comes in many forms. There’s the practice of sustaining the environment by not taking more from nature than you give back. There’s sustaining traditions, in particular when it comes to handmade, artisan foods. And there’s sustaining your connection to other people, across distance, cultures, backgrounds and viewpoints. One family who contributes to the weekly EatLoco Farmers’ Market every Sunday morning in Brambleton embodies all of these definitions of sustainability.
The Smith family of South Hill, Virginia have been hard-working farmers for generations. Today, they’ve turned their appreciation for old-fashioned, quality products in a gourmet direction, by producing a wide array of handcrafted sausages and barbecue for regional farmers’ markets throughout Virginia. Lucky for Brambleton residents and members of other nearby communities, our Sunday EatLoco market is one of their weekly stops.
Ed Smith is the patriarch of the operation, and he and his wife Ellen travel to Brambleton and other locales in Northern Virginia every week to sell their artisan foods. These days, though, it’s his son Martin who is in charge of making their signature, family-recipe sausage products – all at least 72% lean and bursting (pun intended) with flavor. Bulk sausage, links, spiral rope sausages, bratwurst, chorizo, you name it, plus Carolina-style barbecue dishes and a spectrum of pickled vegetables, sauces, and even classic Southern-style pimento cheese spreads and other appetizer dips. For anyone who grew up in the South, or has simply come to love classic Southern fare, it doesn’t get more authentic than this. You can taste the care that the Smiths put into sustaining time-honored recipes and artisan traditions.
Not only are they here at the EatLoco market every Sunday morning, they also sell their handmade products on their website, www.SmithsofMecklenburg.com. And if that weren’t enough, there’s the fact that their generosity extends to making their family recipes accessible to the public, as shown in the Recipes section of their website that features soups, vegetable side dishes, dips and much more. It’s proof that part of sustaining tradition means sharing those traditions with others.
We encourage you to visit the Smiths on Sundays from 9 AM to 1 PM at Brambleton’s EatLoco Farmers’ Market. Not only will you satisfy your appetite for savory homemade delicacies, you’ll sustain your appreciation for Southern charm and proud craftsmanship. You can also pre-order their seasonal offerings by calling or texting 434-917-3838. OR, you can purchase many of Ed’s products delivered right to your door by ordering here: www.LoudounGo.com
