Level Green's Produce, Service Earns Its Following

Based in Montross, Va. and owned by Gary and Carolyn Sisson, Level Green Farm is a produce farm with a long history, a lot of character, some amazing soil and a loyal fan base.

According to James “Chris” Christopher, Carolyn Sisson’s father, the farm and its name has been with the Sisson family for centuries. “Level Green is what the Sisson family called the land back in the 1600s. It was two or three thousand acres back then, but now it’s about 400 acres, and we raise a lot of sweet crops,” Christopher said.

Christopher has been selling Level Green produce in Northern Virginia for about 18 years. Although the trip up I-95 is sometimes trying, his  customer base at the Wakefield Farmers Market makes up for it.

“I love the people here. ... I don’t like the trip up I-95, but I absolutely love the people,” Christopher said.

Level Green offers a wide variety of produce, including but not limited to tomatoes, corn, melons, okra, and beans. Christopher gives both the land and the farmer credit for their success in growing such a variety of products.

“The farm is between the Tappahannock and Potomac rivers. The soil is light, but real good. The weather has also been wonderful to us this year,” he said. “And, my son in law has been farming all of his life. He actually paid for his college education selling vegetables, so he’s really good.”

The customers at Level Green Farm are as big of fans of Christopher as they are of the produce. Chuck Jones said, “Shopping at Level Green has been a diet strategy for me. The food here is very good, and very consistent. It’s simple. Talk to Chris for a while, and that’s about all you need. If I could get up early enough on Saturday mornings, I’d see them at Burke, too.” Customer Beth Phillips said, “The food is always fresh, and the people are very friendly. It’s nice to know where your food comes from.”

Another regular, Vonnie Lavender, who is a retired registered dietician, has been shopping at Level Green since they came to Northern Virginia. “I’ve been buying produce from Level Green for about 20 years – since August 1990,” Lavender said, “I don’t care how much more expensive this produce might be than the produce in stores, it’s at least twice as good. It’s the only place you can get fresh butterbeans, and the corn is to die for. And the sweet potatoes—you can never find a sweet potato at the grocery store that tastes like these.”

According to Christopher, Level Green is happy with the size of their business. “We sell wholesale to some restaurants,” Christopher said, “I think we want to keep with what we’ve got.”

If you would like to try Level Green produce for yourself, stop by Annandale Market on Thursday mornings, Burke Market on Saturdays, Fairfax Market at Van Dyck park, Kingstown on Friday afternoons, or Dale City.