RICHARD BEAN RAN DOUBLE H FARM in Nelson County with his longtime partner Jean Rinaldi from 1997 until Richard’s passing in November 2013. Richard was a kindred spirit to so many in this community, and with his vibrant personality and can-do attitude, was a driving force in the effort to bring awareness to issues impeding local farmers and to facilitate getting locally-produced farm food into more homes and restaurants.
Richard’s legacy will live on in his mentoring of Armenian immigrants Ara and Gayane Avagyan, who he groomed to take over his farm and helped to navigate the complicated bureaucracy of trying to establish citizenship. A Local Food Hub partner producer since 2009, Ara and Gayane have carried on the Double H tradition of fresh, thoughtfully raised goods, selling at many local markets, retailers, and restaurants out of the original butter-yellow dome-roofed van. During a 16 year struggle to obtain citizenship, Nelson county has supported the Avagyan family and revel in the fact that they represent hard work, commitment, and love for the community. They finally received citizenship in August 2020 and are now a staple for food in Nelson county. Learn more about Ara and Gayane in the magazine article here.
A rambling 32 acres, Double H Farm boasts a little of everything: fresh vegetables, pigs, chickens, and at one time, even sheep. The grounds are beautifully kept, the air sweet, the vegetables picture perfect, the pigs magnificently muddy. In short, it’s everything you hope a local, family farm might be.
