Hayfields Little Washington Va

09/17/2026

Five years ago today, one of the proudest moments at my bakery occurred just after we had announced six national winners of our Shenandoah apple cakes. A plea arrived from a mom who asked us to send her enlisted son a cake as his ship relocated to Portsmouth, Virginia:

“PLEASE send an apple cake to my son; you have no idea how much he would like it. He probably would share with a few of his crew members but I can‘t guarantee it. The Escanaba is a medium endurance Coast Guard cutter whose home port is now Portsmouth, VA as of September 9th. The whole crew moved there from Boston. They have been on a mission near Greenland and I know there have been no freshly baked goods in their lives for quite a while. They are very, very hard working with very little time off. Their schedule normally is two to three months out at sea and then shore duty for two to three months. The crew seems to take all the hard work and inconveniences in stride without complaining. I give them a lot of credit for that. I am trying not to sound too much like a proud mom but I think I am failing.”

Well, with Sen. Tim Kaine’s office helping with logistics, we delivered not one but a shipload of cakes to the son’s entire crew on the Coast Guard cutter Escanaba. Enlisted personnel and officers received our Shenandoah Apple Cakes, Applejack Cakes with local Catoctin Creek Distillery’s apple brandy, and our gluten-free Almond Cakes with local Mt. Defiance amaretto.

A note from the son followed: “I wanted to thank you and Sen. Kaine for your generous delivery to the Escanaba. Those were honestly the best cakes I’ve ever had and for once no one felt sorry for our lone crew member with the gluten intolerance (the almond cake was gone first). We work during all hours and I can assure you there is nothing better than a piece of your cake with a cup of coffee at 2 am to stay awake. Thank you again for your support, it was greatly appreciated.”
—Petty Officer Second Class N. Eaton

09/14/2026

Road trip: For 40 years, I’ve soaked up inspiration at Oakville Grocery in Napa Valley, with one more visit this week ahead of opening Hayfields in the spring.

08/18/2026

There’s good news out today about Hayfields rural kitchen and market. If you’re not receiving updates, sign up in the link below or at hayfieldslittlewashington.com.

Email from Hayfields rural kitchen and market Let’s catch up on our Hayfields progress Hayfields rural kitchen and market, a new project from Brian Noyes, is coming to Rush River Commons in Little Was

08/06/2026

Dwight’s mom, Dot, taught me how to make her quirky yet delicious peach cobbler. The recipe is featured in my “Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook” which salutes our local orchards and farmers markets, and we’re headed into peak season to make some incredibly fresh dishes, desserts, and jams. Signed copies are available at R.H. Ballard Shop & Gallery in Little Washington, and through all the usual sources. Photos by Angie Mosier.

08/03/2026

27 years ago I entered my first peach jam at the Arlington County Fair, knowing it was a stellar batch boosted by chopped crystallized ginger that a friend had given me. I dropped off my entry on my way to the airport for a flight home to California, and I called Dwight from out west that weekend for a judging update. He’s a county fairgoer from way back and had checked on the winners. “Well, you’re not going to believe this, but you won an honorable mention.”

Cool. A ribbon for the kitchen. Dwight went on, relishing an opportunity to slowly drag out the news: “You also won best of theme. And, well, first place. And champion. And there’s more. The judges went nuts over the peach jam and named it the Grand Champion of the fair.” They told Dwight it was the crystallized ginger that put it over the top, and I wrote a story about it for the front page of The Washington Post’s food section. The big win led to me leaving publishing to launch a bakery, write two cookbooks (both have the jam recipe!), and a peach jam-making tradition that continues to this day—I just finished canning a batch an hour ago.

The Washington Post story:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/2000/08/09/my-first-jam-and-its-a-winner/b87eee9c-3843-4f02-80cf-74548306abbb/

08/01/2026

It’s peak Cherokee Purple tomato time at Johnny and Michelle Jenkins’ fruit stand at 11951 Lee Highway in Sperryville, and I’ve been fine-tuning my BLT action for Hayfields. Those tomatoes, and Benton’s smoked bacon from our pals in Madisonville, Tennessee, are the key to my epic sandwiches.

08/01/2026

Your summer feast starts here: The recipes in my “Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook” salute our local orchards and farmers markets, and we’re headed into peak season to make some incredibly fresh dishes, desserts, and jams. Signed copies are available at R.H. Ballard Shop & Gallery in Little Washington, and through all the usual sources. Photos by Angie Mosier.