48 acres

Jim Bright figures at the end of his days, he may be worn out, but he won’t be rusted out from sitting still. At 67, he and his wife Anne run their 48-acre family farm by themselves, with the help of only one hired hand. Bright is from a long line of men who farmed in Creeds, and can remember a time when this corner of Virginia Beach, then Princess Anne County, was full of small farms that had 40 acres and a mule, the farmers sometimes doubling as fishermen or duck guides in Back Bay. Now on his road it is only him and his cousin, who farms just across the way.

The Brights work from sunup, tending the many vegetables that supply produce stands in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Several years ago they added flowers to their long list of wares, growing sunflowers, zinnias, and gladiolas. Christmas trees also demand their attention; rarely is there time to catch up before the next crop needs to be planted, or fertilized, or harvested. Many a spring he has planned to cut back, to plant less, but it has happened yet. “It’s a good way of life.”

You can find their produce at their stand at their farm in Creeds, just past Monk's on Princess Anne Road, or at FIve Points Farmers Market.

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