2025 Farm of the Year
The sixth-generation keeps Linden Hall Farm moving along
By Rebecca Chaney
The Forsythes proudly hold their awards after being recognized as the Washington County Farm of the Year.
Quality products, customer service, and hard work all describe the owners of the 2024-2025 Washington County Farm of the Year. The Forsythe family works tirelessly on their 166-acre farm year-round doing what they love most—farming.
Owned and operated by Brian and Nicole Forsythe, the farm was purchased in 1875 by Brian’s ancestors.
“Around that time, six Linden trees were dug up from the woods on the farm and transplanted around the house,” Nicole Forsythe says. “In 1918, Brian’s great-great grandparents took over the farm, deciding to change from grain to dairy and orchard, and officially named it Linden Hall, after the trees that had been planted years before.”
The honor, sponsored by the Washington County Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, is presented to a county farm that showcases excellence in agriculture and recognizes efforts in production, conservation, preservation, community involvement, and dedication to farming.
Brian Forsythe checks the peach trees in his orchard to see if they are ready to pick.
“It feels good to know that all our hard work and dedication is appreciated,” Brian Forsythe says. “We raise dairy cows and sell our milk through the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, which produces Maola milk products. We grow field crops of corn, alfalfa, soybeans, triticale, barley, and orchard grass to produce feed for our cows. We have about five acres of orchard and grow peaches, apples, tomatoes, and other garden produce, all of which we sell from our on-farm store July through November. We have chickens and sell their eggs year-round.”
Brian and Nicole represent the sixth generation to operate the farm along with help from their parents and an aunt when needed.
“It’s truly a family effort,” Nicole points out. “Brian is owner and operator and can be found doing just about everything from tending the crops, to the orchard, to the dairy operation. I am co-owner and operator, assisting him when I can outside. I also assist with the bookwork, and manage the marketing, such as social media, website, email blasts, and event and tour coordination.”
The couple agrees that farming has its struggles, but they both enjoy working outdoors, raising livestock, and facing challenges together. According to Brian, some of those challenges include increased input costs and overregulation. Nicole believes consumer awareness is a challenge.
Brian and Nicole Forsythe (center) receiving their award at the Board of County Comissioners meeting.
Brian Forsythe checks out the dairy house that contains the milk tank. The Forsythes’ milk is processed into Maola Milk Products.
“It’s difficult to get the awareness out to the local community that our farm has been here for generations with fresh produce and local products,” she says. “We do our best to make connections, participate in what community outreach we can, and personally advertise, but a local farm isn’t usually the first source of food that comes to a consumer’s mind in comparison to large retail grocery stores.”
Diversification has also made a difference at Linden Hall Farm. The Forsythes offer in-person and virtual tours, photography sessions, and seasonal farm events.
“All niche things we offer have a focus of agriculture education,” Nicole says. “The events we have been working on since taking over in 2023 include a late-summer agriculture education farm day, a fall fest, and new this year was a Christmas market that included local craft vendors. I hope to be able to build a bigger space on the farm in the future that can hold more hands-on learning opportunities and agriculture-based workshops.”
Brian Forsythe shows off one their apples in their produce storage area and market store.
Selling produce off the farm started in the 1960s when Brian’s grandmother sold produce from the porch of the house. Their produce stand evolved into building an apple storage facility in the 1980s. It consists of cold storage and the store that is still used today.
The Forsythe family is grateful and humbled by this prestigious award. “It’s an honor to be recognized by our local community for all our hard work and efforts,” Nicole says. “Often, farming feels like a thankless job, so it’s a nice way to be appreciated and have consumers learn just how much we do around the farm.”
To insure a future for their farm, the Forsythes’ farm is in the agricultural land preservation program. They look forward to many more years of offering fresh, homegrown quality products to the public and plan to continue their efforts in agricultural education and diversity.