Horses, riders and families gathered at Liberty Lane Farm in Suffolk on Sunday, Nov. 8, for an event that paired a tribute to veterans with an introduction to the city’s agricultural community. The second annual Salute to Veterans Stall Crawl offered visitors a chance to spend time on a farm just days before Veterans Day.
Sunny Days Farm also took part, providing another place for visitors to explore Suffolk’s rural side. Patriotic horseback performances and resources for veterans were among the event’s offerings, bringing the city’s military and farming communities together. The participating farms gave residents an opportunity to encounter an aspect of Suffolk they might not already know.
Liberty Lane Farm owner Bryan Harris said the timing allowed organizers to recognize veterans while welcoming people unfamiliar with local agriculture. “It's the opportunity to shine the light on veterans just in front of Veterans Day,” he said. Introducing those visitors to farming and rural Suffolk was another purpose of the gathering, Harris said.
Harris, who is also vice chair of the Suffolk Agricultural Advisory Committee, connected that outreach to a broader concern about the value of rural land. He said events that bring people onto farms can help draw attention to those properties as Suffolk grows and development places pressure on agricultural areas.
Some land previously used for farming has already been designated for housing. On Lake Kilby Road, city records show that nearly 89 acres were rezoned from Rural Estate to Residential Medium Density, allowing 204 single-family homes. The property had periodically been used for agriculture, according to the source records.
A Suffolk Planning Commission staff report puts the property’s size at approximately 88.96 acres. City Council approved the rezoning in 2023 by a 5-3 vote. Harris described growth as consuming rural land and reducing opportunities for agricultural production, saying that pressure makes advocacy for the value of those lands necessary.
For Harris, the Stall Crawl offers a way to build support through direct experience. He encouraged people in the surrounding area who want to learn about horses to visit and make connections. Bringing residents onto farms and around horses, he said, can help expand familiarity with Suffolk’s agricultural community and support for its rural land.
