About
Bringing Glenmary Reserve Beef from our family to yours!
Glenmary Reserve Beef is brought to you by the Nixon family who owns an operates Glenmary Farm LLC in Rapidan, Virginia.
OUR HISTORY
Glenmary Farm has been home to the Nixon family since 1980. The farm is located in the historic Rapidan area of Orange County, where it borders the Rapidan River. The property has a rich history that dates back to 1733 when Charles Spoe of Richmond County leased the farm from Governor Alexander Spotswood’s massive land holdings. The lease was typical of Spotswood’s “leases for lives.” The term of the lease was for the lifetime of the tenant and rent was to be one ear of Indian corn per year for the first four years while the land was being cleared and buildings were being constructed. After that the rent was seven hundred and eighty pounds of tobacco per year.
The name Glenmary was given to the farm when Governor Spotswood received the land patent from the King of England. During 1733, a small house was built on the farm and is considered to be one of the oldest structures in Orange County. Over time, two additions were added on to the original structure. In 1983, the Nixon family donated the original portion of the house to the James Madison Museum in Orange, Virginia.
The Civil War brought many battles to the area. During the winter of 1863, the farm served as part of a confederate encampment with over 75,000 troops living on Clarks Mountain. Many Civil War artifacts have been found and in wooded areas on the farm there are still Civil War trenches.
OUR FAMILY
The Nixon family became part of this strong heritage when Tom’s parents Bob and Bettie Nixon purchased the farm. Tom and his father had a small commercial cow herd and backgrounded several hundred head of cattle. In 1992, Tom married Kimberley Horn and with their goal to raise a family on the farm, they decided that diversification would be the key to a successful future. The past 28 years has provided us with many challenges and accomplishments. We have seen our farming operation evolve and grow into a business that we never thought would be possible when we first got married.
One of our main goals has always been to have our children, Elizabeth and Robert, become a part of our successful farming operation. They have both developed a strong passion for working on our farm and for today’s agricultural industry.
Elizabeth, a 2016 OSU Alumna, is back on the farm managing the cowherd. In addition, she has a communications business in which she offers photography, videography and design services. She also works as the Member Services Coordinator of the VA Angus Association. Robert graduated from the University of Northwestern Ohio in 2017 where he majored in Diesel Mechanics and Ag Technologies. His primary focus on the farm is crop work and mechanics.