Our Story

The Virginia Farm Market is known for seasonal fruit, local produce and quality baked goods! This fourth generation business offers up the sweetest summer peaches, tasty vine-ripened tomatoes, local sweet corn and of course apples! We have worked with many area growers, for literally decades, to ensure we have the best local produce possible for customers.

Our “Big Red Barn” is a casual open-air market with easy access from the highway and ample free parking! Plan to stop by, look around and sample our seasonal fruit. We also encourage you to visit the childrens’ playground area or use our picnic pavilion. We also provide clean restrooms and a dog walk area. Tour buses are always welcome.

The Virginia Farm Market began in 1952 as a family orchard & roadside market just up the road in Cross Junction, VA.  A new building was constructed in 1986 and the business was moved to it’s current location. Joe Lizer and son Benjamin continue to own and operate the Virginia Farm Market today!

The Virginia Farm Market believes in giving back to our community and regularly donates to the area’s police, firefighters, scouts and other charitable groups.

Man standing by an old style wood fruit stand

Co-owner Joe Lizer and his son, Ben, are the 3rd and 4th generations to own and operate the landmark Virginia Farm Market. Joe’s parents, Ed and Hilda both teachers and avid gardeners opened the market in 1952, initially offering produce from the family’s large garden, peach, and cherry orchards. They started operations from a roadside truck, but soon opened up their original 8×10 building with stepped shelves in the front for displaying their produce. They were located 12 miles North of Winchester, on Route 522, in Cross Junction, VA.

By 1958, Ed and Hilda had outgrown their small location, and moved into a much larger 20×50 ft. enclosed building. This larger location allowed them to offer produce not only from their own garden, but also items grown by neighboring farms. Local was important, even then!

The old market with produce on the front patio and cars parked out front

All of the kids worked in the family business together throughout the 50’s and 60’s. Ed and Hilda would teach during the school year, and would open the Market during the busy June, July, and August season. Joe Lizer enjoyed working in the market the most of all the kids. After his graduation from James Wood High School in 1968, he attended Virginia Tech, graduating in 1972. After 2 years in the Army, he returned home, taking over the market in 1974 just as it was time to expand again, this time to a 50×100 foot location.

Baby sitting in a large carved pumpkin, in the background are more pumpkins and haybales

In 1986, road building near the market offered some new location opportunities. Joe decided to move the market closer to Winchester. They built the current 80×100 foot location to accommodate customer requests for more produce and more options. The new location also allowed them to expand their operations into home-made baked goods.

one of our owners sorting peaches from a large bin

Over the years, the Market has gone from a mostly-Summer season operation to one that’s open from mid-April through early December, allowing them to offer a variety of seasonal goods, from strawberries in Spring, to pumpkins in the Fall. The produce is still mostly local, with some products coming in from select farms in the South.