“I always wanted to be in a farming environment. It’s what I wanted to do for a career.”

That’s what Leigh Smith said during the few minutes she could talk between getting two of her three young children off to their first day back in school, and getting back to her responsibilities on the Smith Family Farm.

She got her dream when she married Brad Smith eight years ago, and moved with him into the family home in Gainesville. In fact, Smith said, “We’re the only farm in Prince William County that has our Century Farm Award, and what that means is we’ve been farming the same property, the same family, for over 100 years.”

But Smith was not raised on that type of farm. She said she “did a bunch of horse stuff growing up,” including competitive riding for the American Quarter Horse Association, but the rigors of her current life are “definitely different."

The Smiths are responsible for more than 200 acres of farm land – where they raise cattle, sheep, chickens and pigs – plus about 2,000 acres of hay field. And they do it with great attention to health and the environment.

“There’s just such a demand for the type of meats that we raise,” Smith said. “It’s just meat. There’s nothing else been put in it, added to it, and it’s been raised humanely in the way nature intended…. We don’t even put pesticides or fertilizers on the field for the grass to grow. We just rotate fields with animals and different things.”

As a result, customers love the meat, and the Smiths are working to keep up with the demand. “We’re just doing things the way that farming used to be,” Smith said, “the way Brad’s grandfather used to do on the farm.”

In the coming weeks they will open their farm to the public for a special day of tours, and are planning a farm store for the near future. Meanwhile, Smith reaches people through farmers markets. Kingstowne’s is one of her favorites.

“That market is awesome,” Smith said. “The farmers markets are definitely what we need to be doing to outreach to people, and help them get what they need ‘cause not everybody can drive to the farm to get what they need.”

Smith laughed just as easily while talking about the challenges of farming and raising young children as she did when discussing the farmers markets. Why? It could be because her bottom line is simple.

“It’s all great. It was definitely a blessing.”

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Smith Family Farm, 5770 Artemus Rd., Gainesville, VA 20155, 571-220-0017, artemusangus@verizon.net

Kingstowne Farmers Market Hours: Fridays, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.