Gaver Family Farm is a diversified family farming operation established in 1978 by Michael Gaver at age 17, with the first sales in 1984. Today there are seventy acres of cut your own Christmas trees planted in different stages of growth. The pumpkin business was started as a small self-serve stand in the front yard in 1998 by 8-year-old son Greg.  In 2007 the family expanded the farm stand to include hayrides to the patch for pick your own pumpkins and added an agritourism Fall Fun Festival with corn maze, farm animals and numerous fun and educational activities for families. In 2010 the apple orchard was planted and in 2018 sunflower fields were added. Gaver Farm is a food producer.  In 2007, after 50 years on the same farm the family sold the milking dairy herd and now have cow/calf and feeder beef herd, meat goats, feeder pigs and various flocks of birds. They operate a crop farm and grow corn, soybeans, wheat, rye cover crop and various hays. The Gaver Family was Frederick County Farm Family of the Year in 2005 and was presented the Take Pride in America award in 2008 for outstanding conservation and environmental stewardship practices. In 2011 Gaver Farm was awarded the distinction of being a Certified Agricultural Conservation Steward under the Farm Stewardship Certification and Assessment Program. Mike and Lisa appreciate the community support and are most proud of their children’s return to the farm after college and desire to keep our farm in agriculture! You are invited to come and experience the farm firsthand!

Meet the Farm Family!

Michael and Lisa Gaver were married in 1983 and have been farming together for 40 years. They have two children, Laura and Greg. They were pioneers in agritourism, with on-farm school tours and farm animal petting from the beginning. Mike and Lisa’s hard work, passion for farming & agriculture, forward-thinking and stewardship to the environment led to the success and growth of Gaver Farm. Mike is the General Farm Manager and directs the planting, care and harvesting of all crops on the farm. He builds, fixes and maintains buildings, equipment and attractions. Lisa is the Farm Market Manager and Office Manager and oversees the entire farm operation. Laura Gaver House is the Agritourism Manager and handles marketing, events and tours. Laura is a 2009 graduate of Virginia Tech with degrees in Dairy Science and Accounting & Information Systems. In May 2011, Laura married Brian House and their kids Hailey, Emma, Kathleen and Tyler represent the 3^rd generation on the farm. Brian House is the Food Services Manager and Fall General Manager. He handles farm security and is the farm’s technology expert. He cashiers, is a hayride driver, does school tours, shears trees, manages the beef and goat herd, builds and helps with all aspects of the farm. Brian is a 2006 Virginia Tech graduate with a degree in Dairy Science and a Master’s Degree in Animal Science from Penn State. Greg Gaver is the Production Manager. He works in overall crop production for the farm and manages the picking of produce from the fields for sale in the Farm Market and delivery. He markets all grain, hay and straw, cashiers, is a hayride driver, does school tours, shears trees, manages the swine operation and helps with all aspects of the farm. Greg is a 2012 graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in Agriculture Economics. Greg and Sarah were married in 2021 and have a daughter, Ruby. Kenny Klipp joined the farm team in 2015 as the Facilities Director and Maintenance Supervisor. He is a mechanic, equipment operator, supervises fall attractions, oversees building and maintenance and assists in crop production and harvest.

History of the Farm Property:

The original historic homestead was named ‘Glenmont,’ the ancestral home of the Dorsey family. Part of the same family founded the town of Mt. Airy. Originally, the settlement consisted of 1500 acres taken up as ‘Dorsey Search.’ Samuel Dorsey built the historic home around 1800. Many Dorsey family members are buried in the family cemetery located on our farmstead in the Festival area. You are welcome to visit the cemetery. The brick portion of the house was built in 1823. His son Pottinger (also buried in cemetery) later owned the property until his death in 1905. At that time the Detrick family purchased the property (well, married into the family), hence the name Detrick Road, usually named for the first homeowner when a road is created. In 1927 Dr. Frederick Louis Detrick became owner along with his sister.  Fort Detrick in Frederick was named after Dr. Detrick. In addition, Pottinger Dorsey had a more famous brother, Ignatius who grew up at ‘Glenmont’.  Army Captain Ignatius Dorsey led commands through campaigns during the Civil War. He was present at Antietam, Gettysburg and many other influential battles.