The Old Manse
About the Farm
A National Historic property in Orange, Virginia — where saffron, hay, chickens, and honey bees share the land.
Historic property
The Old Manse
The Farm in Orange was established in 2019. We are located in the town of Orange, Virginia on a National Historic property called “The Old Manse”. Old Manse is a landmark house built in the Greek Revival style in 1868 for Reverend Isaac W.K. Handy, pastor of the Orange Presbyterian Church from 1865 to 1870.
Another important association, beginning in 1910, is with Justice George Landon Browning, who resided at Old Manse until his death in 1947. Browning was a justice on the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals from 1930 until 1947. During the early 20th century, Colonial Revival details were added to Old Manse, which was also expanded.
The historic structures on the Old Manse property include a meat house, gas house, barn, corncrib, swimming pool, and pool house. You can visit the listing here: Virginia DHR — Old Manse (275-5007).
Life on the farm
Soil, weather & secrets
The secret is that we have amazing soil and weather. Vineyards are abundant from Culpeper to Charlottesville because of this.
Another secret — deer love saffron bulbs. During the winter of 21–22 the deer ate all but two saffron corms. In the summer of 2024 a new field was planted, this time with a very tall fence.
We have a couple of hives, so the fall bloom provides a final run of pollen for them and produces amazing honey!
Our story
How it all started
McLean & chicken tagine
Rita, an avid cook and gardener, began growing saffron in her yard in McLean in 2007 after spending sixty dollars on spice to make chicken tagine, a Moroccan dish which features a ten-dollar chicken, a handful of olives and some salted lemons. Bulbs were ordered, and in typical Rita fashion, the instructions were ignored for planting and nothing happened that year.
Halloween surprise
On Halloween 2008 an explosion of heavenly fragrant purple crocuses appeared!
Finding the Old Manse
Fast forward to 2018: online exploration of old homes on over forty acres uncovered a National Historic home located within walking distance of downtown Orange.
First harvest
We broke ground in late summer of 2021, planting 15,000 bulbs on a few acres. Our first harvest in November of 2021 resulted in over a pound of saffron. Success!
Saffron produces a calming effect on most life forms, so if you decide to plant don’t be surprised if you start singing or feel very happy when you pick your flowers. The bees will lay on their backs in the open blooms lounging in the sunshine.