Photo courtesy of Nalls Produce
Nalls Produce has been in business since 1961.
Tucked into the Franconia area of Alexandria is a place that stirs up those feelings of nostalgia when you first pull in and hear the familiar crunch of the gravel parking lot under your tires. You might even catch the sounds of chickens once you step out, a friendly gaggle of hens and roosters keeping the resident Penny the Pig company.
You don’t have to take a long scenic car ride to get to Nalls Produce and Garden Center, it’s just off the main road not far from Springfield Town Center and a relatively short drive from the highway. Its location helps it become a community mainstay for decades for those seeking fresh produce, flowers for their gardens, or even a delicious treat during one of their Whoopie Pie Weekends.
What started out as small farm stand on Beulah Street back in 1961, Nalls is now a bustling, thriving family-owned business that retails mostly locally sourced vegetables and fruits, seasonal plants and shrubs, and a wide variety of specialty food items from other small businesses. They’re also known for crowd-pleasing annual festivals such as their autumn pumpkin patch that’s a tradition in itself.
Despite its old-time charm, Nalls doesn’t hesitate to use new technology to reach customers, who can follow the countdown specials and other springtime events on Instagram (@nalls_produce) and FaceBook (Nalls Produce), according to Valeria Nalls, the general manager and daughter of co-owner Cary Nalls, Sr.
It’s All in the Family
Valerie enjoys telling the story about how her father, Cary, set up a roadside farm stand when he was a young kid, with the help of his grandfather. At that time, they sold excess produce from their own garden. Growing up, her dad wasn’t too fond of school, according to family lore, and he just couldn’t wait to get home and run his business.
By high school, Cary had built a permanent building on the property, which is the front part of the current main wooden structure. And he just kept expanding from there, purchasing more property, including a part of his grandparent’s land.
Cary, who still works nearly seven days a week at Nalls, was just as devoted and determined early on. He bought his first pick-up truck before he had a driver’s license and had others drive him around to get produce until he could drive himself legally.
Even Valerie’s mother, Sharon, came on as bookkeeper once she married Cary, and she still handles that side of the business today as co-owner despite a divorce. Cary, Jr. runs his own landscaping business but will help out at times when needed.
Nalls was a part of Valerie’s life since the day she was born, and when she got older she enjoyed working as a part-time cashier through high school and college. She went to George Mason University to study business management but Nalls was always in the back of her mind. However, she never thought she’d actually get into the family business.
She changed her mind when she realized she could create a role for herself at Nalls and make a career out of it. After graduating college in 2007, she came on full-time, and since then has helped grow and expand the business. She was instrumental in creating many of their now popular events and introduced the crop share subscription program in 2011.
Even the next generation see themselves in the family business. Valerie’s own children, only 11 and 8 years old, are looking to the future and want to open a cafe on the property and run it themselves. She laughs a bit when sharing this but her pride and love for their excitement to keep growing the business are evident.
A Community Staple
During peak season, Nalls will have about 60 staff members, which include long-time employees who work full time and also part-time ones drawn from the surrounding community such as retirees and generations of local teenagers getting their first paying job.
Valerie describes Nalls as a community go-to where customers rally behind them for their onsite events, many of which raise funds for local nonprofits. She’s found that “givers get in return” — not in a financial way but rather in an emotionally supportive way.
“We have built an amazing community around us, with engaging and friendly customers who have shopped here for years,” she describes with affection. “They love doing things with us and even for us.”
Nalls not only raises funds for nonprofits but are willing to give back to the community through donations of pantry goods to schools for door prizes or plants for landscaping, giving talks to groups about native plants, helping with Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts projects, and providing preschool tours.
In return, customers thank them by dropping off homemade cookies for staff and showing up for events such as Pennies for Penny, which has raised thousands of dollars for the Humane Society in honor of their beloved pig’s birthday.
Another event that brings people together is their Community Apple Butter Cook — a fundraiser for Rising Hope Mission, a local organization that provides food support and other services to those in need. The all-day cook is the main event but Nalls turns the grounds into a festival with free apple cider, apple tastings, kids crafts and family-friendly activities.
It takes an entire community to make the batches and batches of apple butter that need to be stirred constantly in a huge copper kettle over an open fire, Valerie explains. Customers can sign up for 10 minute sessions for the fundraiser — arms get tired pretty fast, she says, and having others lined up keeps the stirring going. The end product is jars and jars of apple butter for sale at the store and money raised for a good cause.
Locally-Sourced Produce and Pantry Goods
Walking into Nalls’ small retail building is like stepping into a country store with touches of farmhouse antiques here and there, along with a row of bushel baskets atop of wooden crates, each holding various produce depending on the season and that week’s deliveries from farms. Lining the walls are rustic shelves with a good selection of pantry goods and baked treats all sourced by local vendors or other small businesses.
For customers who are entertaining or looking for a housewarming gift, Nalls is a convenient one-stop shop, Valerie says. The array of olive oils, jams, spreads, dips, honey, peanuts, chips, and baked goods bring many customers back. Plus, long-time fans of the store know it carries certain specialty goods regularly — such as custom cookies from Alexandria’s MB Bakery with farm-themed icing, including, of course, a pink pig; or the whoopie pies in various flavors from the Country Village Bakeshop located in Dayton, Va.
Nalls is one of the retail locations for South Mountain Creamery, known for their classic glass milk bottles and delivery service to customer’s homes. But here at Nalls, you can pick up a bottle of milk any day of the week, or choose from other dairy products from this Maryland farm, such as heavy cream, buttermilk, chocolate milk, ice cream, butter, cheeses, and even eggnog during the holiday season.
Valerie points out that shopping for farm fresh produce and specialty goods at Nalls is like having a farmer’s market down the road during the entire week, and not having to wait for weekends. And they’re more than happy to have this “trickle down” impact on other small businesses by featuring products from several family-run farms and vendors in one place.
Cary has cultivated these “fruitful relationships” with orchards, nurseries, and farms, with some going back 30 years and with locations in Virginia, Maryland, southern Pennsylvania, and even New Jersey and Florida. Daily deliveries keep their supply of produce and other goods well stocked.
“This is where my dad shines,” Valerie describes. “He’s fun to talk to, animated, and knowledgeable. He’s curated the whole network and knows when and where to get the best produce — whether it’s blueberries from a particular farm because they didn’t get a storm to where to get the best corn for the week.”
Crop Share Program
Even though Nalls is not a working farm — it doesn’t have enough land for its own crops — that doesn’t stop them for creating a Crop Share Program for customers. “It’s a great way to eat healthy and try new things,” Valerie explains.
On Fridays and Saturdays, customers who have signed up to participate can pick up a box of pre-selected fruits and vegetables. Members of the program pay a monthly fee, choosing box pickups either two or four times each month depending on their membership.
Staff sort through that week’s produce deliveries to fill the boxes, and Nalls has found that customers like the convenience of getting healthy food along with the corresponding recipes found in each box. Many members join a private Facebook group to share cooking ideas — another way Nalls helps build community with its customers.
As the weather gets warmer and spring fully takes hold, the Crop Share boxes will feature East Coast and locally-sourced produce, including leafy greens, strawberries, squash, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, cantaloupe, and green onions.
Not Your Ordinary Garden Center
From the road, you can’t miss the bright colored flowers in hanging baskets that frame the red barnyard structure. And then there are the rows and rows of plants providing an explosion of colors with bold pinks, yellows, purples, and various shades of green lining the gravel paths.
On any peak spring day, you’ll find customers wandering around the grounds pulling Radio Flyer wagons, looking to fill them with annuals, perennials, herbs, plants, or shrubs for their gardens. The selection, from trees to houseplants, is all sourced from a network of nurseries that partner with Nalls.
This quaint rustic setting — like a slice of country life in suburbia — is not the only thing that sets Nalls apart from the typical big-box garden centers. It’s how they cultivate their collection of plants and when they provide them to customers, according to Valerie. Big-box centers tend to bring out plants too early for the season, she says. Nalls, on the other hand, supplies plants that are well-suited for the area and current conditions, plus they know what is susceptible to cold damage and want to prevent costly mistakes from happening to themselves and their customers.
Nalls also is a big proponent of native plants, which are plants that would naturally grow in this area. “A rule of thumb is that native plants have dormant roots in the winter so the plant is still alive even though its leaves above ground are brown and dead looking,” Valerie describes.
They carry a selection of native plants such as Dogwoods and Virginia Bluebells, and many varieties are now less prone to disease. She encourages customers to try native plants and describes ferns that are perfect for shaded yards and easy to care for, and she speaks highly of the White Hibiscus, with its “big, bold, beautiful flowers” that can handle the heat and humidity even better.
Valerie acknowledges that you might find cheaper prices elsewhere, like at big-box centers, “but you won’t get the emotions and feelings when you shop here, with the most friendly and knowledgeable staff. It’s a charming place that customers fall in love with.”
It’s easy to spot staff in their red Nalls T-shirts, and customers shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help when selecting plants for their space, Valerie says. Customers also can join their active FaceBook group called Budding Gardeners, that’s very supportive with answering questions and giving advice.
Nalls also posts helpful information on social media about featured plants or flowers. It’s a quick resource to learn if a plant needs full sun, how much water, and other care tips. Their posts also highlight what’s in stock, upcoming events, and other plant specials year round — and many beautiful photographs of flowers, produce, and some pig ones too!
Pig Tales and Kid-Friendly Activities
Not many garden centers have animals and lots of kid activities, but that’s what makes Nalls special for families, Valerie says. Roosters, chickens, and two pigs make up their roster of animals.
Penny, a teacup pig with black-and-white coloring, is a well-loved attraction. Now 12 years old, she stays mostly in her pen where children like to visit. She’s a friendly pig who used to wander around the grounds but she’s more content staying put in her enclosed pen. Even the chickens no longer wander freely due to foxes in the area.
More than 400 people showed up for one of Penny’s birthday bashes despite the 100 degree heat and stifling humidity, Valerie recalls. They served strawberry cupcakes, since Penny loves strawberries, and the party featured kids’ activities and the Pennies for Penny fundraiser.
But Penny is no longer the only pig at Nalls since Arnold arrived in 2022 — giant, rambunctious, and full of energy. He’s made his home here since no one came forward after he was running loose around the neighborhood. They kept getting calls that it was Penny even though she was safe in her pen, and then animal control showed up, Valerie explains laughing. Arnold was eventually caught and he ended up staying at Nalls permanently.
Penny’s pig pen is the starting point for kid-friendly activities before heading to the outside Kids Club area. Ms. Laura, a former teacher, holds monthly story and crafting times, and also talks a bit about gardening. Families can sign up for the Kids Club newsletter to be alerted about upcoming activities, get fun recipes, and find links to online story times. Ms. Laura also designs a seasonal take-home craft kit that can be purchased in the store.
If you’re looking to spend a beautiful day outside this spring, stop by Nalls — “an endearing little shop and garden center unlike anything else in the area,” describes Valerie with affection for her family business.
Nalls Produce and Garden Center, 7310 Beulah St., Alexandria, Va.; 703-971-4068; www.nailsproduce.com; @nalls_produce. Hours: Sunday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Summer
- Peach Weekend — peaches by the case
- Tomato Weekend — Bulk sale/10 lb. box
- Summer Series — a week of free kids content
Fall/Halloween
- Pumpkin Hill — free festival with lots of activities, play area, pumpkins, gourds, apple cider donuts, kettle corn, picnic area
- Pumpkin Wall — Instagram-worthy display
- Pumpkin IllumiNight — free post-Halloween weekend event. Carve pumpkins then all Jack-O-Lanterns displayed next night
- Community Apple Butter Cook — stirring the pot, apple cider, apple tasting, crafts, and activities. Donations to Rising Hope Mission.
- Seasonal products — Order Thanksgiving turkeys, pies, pumpkins, gourds
Winter/Christmas
- 12 Days of Christmas — special deals on items each day
- Candlelight Christmas — caroling, ornament making, free apple cider, and more. Donate winter clothing items for Rising Hope Mission.
- Stocking Stuff-a-Thon — select items that fit in stocking are 20% off
- Seasonal products — Christmas trees, wreaths, centerpieces, poinsettias, firewood
Weekend Specials (various times)
- Sour Dough Bread Weekends
- Whoopie Pie Weekends
- Pickle Palooza
