From a Garden to a Community: The Story of Deer Park Farm

Tucked into the rolling hills just outside Floyd, Virginia, Deer Park Farm has become known for jars of pickles, kraut, salsa, hot sauce, Cowboy Candy and other locally made favorites. But the story of Deer Park Farm did not begin with a commercial kitchen, farmers markets or rows of products on store shelves.

It began with a piece of land and a much different vision.

Donald “Swede” McBroom purchased the property in 2010 with plans to build a home, a meditation hall and eventually a larger retreat center centered around his meditation practice. Shanti, the meditation hall, opened in 2013 and created a space where groups could gather, practice and connect.

Once the home and Shanti were established, Swede retired from a career in custom woodworking and began turning more of his attention toward the land surrounding them.

It Started With a Garden

The first goal was simple: grow good, clean food for the table.

A garden was tilled, fencing went up to discourage a few hungry critters, and eventually a greenhouse and garden shed were added. The harvest wasn't originally intended to become a business. Some of it was simply preserved as pickles and sauerkraut to share in Christmas baskets and give as gifts.

Then, as so many good things do, the idea began to grow.

A garden helper brought new recipes into the mix. An occasional afternoon of canning turned into products that could be taken to local farmers markets. For nearly five years, the team cooked right inside Swede's home kitchen, experimenting with recipes and creating new foods for customers to try.

People wanted more.

And Deer Park Farm began taking on a life of its own.

From the Home Kitchen to Full-Time Production

What started with a garden and a few jars eventually outgrew the home kitchen.

Deer Park Farm expanded its growing space, added more greenhouses and built a dedicated commercial kitchen to support increasing production. Today, the farm and kitchen teams work together to turn fresh ingredients into an ever-growing selection of products while keeping the same philosophy that started it all: make good food with good ingredients.

That philosophy can now be found in everything from sauerkraut, pickles and jams to marinara, hot sauces, salsas and other farm-made specialties. Deer Park Farm products have also moved beyond the farm itself, reaching stores and farmers markets throughout the surrounding region.

But growth has never meant losing sight of where everything started.

More Than a Farm

At its heart, Deer Park Farm has always been about more than growing vegetables or filling jars.

The land was originally envisioned as a place for people to gather, and that sense of community continues to be woven into the farm today. The mission is straightforward: provide healthy food and good jobs to wonderful people dedicated to making the best products with the best ingredients.

It is a mission you can see in the greenhouses, in the kitchen, at the farmers market and in the people who make up the Deer Park Farm team.

From a meditation hall and a backyard garden to a commercial kitchen, expanding greenhouses and shelves full of locally made food, Deer Park Farm's story has been one of steady, thoughtful growth.

And in many ways, we're still growing.

There are always new crops in the ground, new ideas finding their way into the kitchen and new opportunities to share what we're doing with our neighbors.

Because Deer Park Farm isn't just about what we grow. It's about what can grow when good food, good people and a strong community come together.