Artist’s Alliance at Jarrett Thor Fine Arts

FARM!

Barbara Brennan - Farming in Virgina’s Northern Neck, 2025

The paintings in my most recent series are created from photographs of farms and crops grown in Virginia’s Northen Neck, with deep appreciation for their beauty and the farmers that produce them. Soy and poultry are the Northern Neck’s biggest earners with cattle, corn and lumber close behind. Sorghum is rotated in occasionally, and local farmers grow or raise nearly everything needed for human consumption. Eighty-five percent of the Neck’s farms are owned by families or individuals.

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Virginia’s temperate climate and rich soil yield three harvests per year, with “winter wheat” allowing the land to rest and recuperate between rotated crops of corn and soy in the spring, summer, and fall. Vinyards are growing in number and quality, adding to the Northern Neck’s reputation as a wine producer and tourist destination.

The solar farm near Montross, Virginia, was installed by the Northern Neck Electric Co-operative on property leased from the owner, whose children did not want to carry on the local farming tradition. Rotating crops of corn, soy, and wheat can be a labor-intensive and risky endeavor. The solar farm produces a steady income for the entire family and allowed the owner to retire early, a win-win for everyone.

 

Carl and Joyce Thor continue to sell their art in the adjoining galleries.  The opening is Friday, October 10th from 6pm-9pm.   The gallery is located at 100 Taylor St., Suite 101, in Colonial Beach.  The public is invited free of charge.  The gallery is open Friday – Sunday, 11-5.  For information call 804 224 7200, 804 224 6007, or 301 452 1333, artgallerycolonialbeach.com.