legacy family farms
Making Hay While the Sun Shines
by wib middleton
Loudoun County with its long equine tradition is home to some 15,000 horses . Not surprising , the major portion of farm crops in the county is hay . And the farm enterprise producing the most hay in the county is Lutman Hay . The fourth generation Lutman farm family is a study in tenacity , determination , smart moves and unbridled self-reliance . So appreciated are their custom blends of hay — yes hay is not just generic — that some of their customers come up from South Carolina to take home their preferred Lutman bales . Word is that the local horses love it !
Lutman Hay was not birthed from some plan hatched way back when . It is more a story of a tight multi-generational family with different skills that , when combined , makes for a great success story . Tommy Lutman , family patriarch and his two sons Ryan and Chris form the Lutman team that photo : Greg Morgan , path aerials wander I fall • winter 2021 47