All About Us!
Remington Community Garden (RCG) is made up of a group of community-focused individuals who love celebrating and cultivating garden space, sustainable gardening practices, and creating an overall greater community spirit within Remington, Virginia.
We’ve been working since 2015 to grow a local and healthy green space for community members in the area for all ages to enjoy and benefit from, while also providing space for free family entertainment and a gathering place for all during holiday celebrations.
RCG was established in 2015 by John Waldeck, and funded by the PATH Foundation "Make It Happen" grant. John and a small group of like-minded individuals joined forces as a means of creating a more engaged community and practicing advanced sustainable gardening techniques in order to provide more access to local produce.
RCG is sponsored together with the Remington United Methodist Church, and supported by the Fauquier County Cooperative Extension Service and St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Neither affiliation nor membership with ANY church is required to participate.
Those in need of temporary assistance in acquiring both staples and fresh food will find it here in the Little Free Pantry, the Little Free Fridge, and the Little Free Veggie Wagon. A Little Free Library is also on-site. You are encouraged to join us and contribute towards making a positive difference in the town of Remington. We hope you'll join us soon!
Our Motto
Growing Together
Our Mission
Remington Community Garden is a space to cultivate gardens, celebrate events and seasons, provide fresh food and staples to those in need, and create an overall greater community spirit.
Lorie Andes
Chair
Lorie is a lifetime member of Remington United Methodist Church and has supported the vision of Remington Community Garden from the beginning. She doesn't have a green thumb, so she tries to stay out of the way of those who have that talent. She enjoys meeting those who attend the garden events and working with the fellow Board members. Her passion is baking and cake/cookie decorating. Lorie says, "We would love to encourage anyone who would like to volunteer time with this worthwhile organization, please contact us."
Our Gardening Family:
The Board
Tracey Pearson
Vice Chair
Tracey is a born and raised Virginian. After moving around for a while for work, she made Remington her home in 2012. When she received word of a Community Garden was being established in Remington, she jumped at the chance to participate. That was 10 years ago, and she is so proud to be a part of its growth and the impact it makes in the community! Outside of the Garden, Tracey works in Winchester for a nonprofit, fosters for a senior dog rescue and loves bird watching.
Alex Fedorov
Treasurer
Alex and his wife Karen arrived in the Remington area in 2001 from Fairfax, Virginia. They have two grown daughters, Katya who is a middle school English teacher living in Massachusetts, and Lara who is an executive in the Peace Corps in Washington DC. Alex served 26 years in the Army Medical Service Corps (Healthcare Administration) and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1994. After the military he worked in Northern Virginia for a healthcare consulting firm where he managed financial budgets and developed cost proposals. Karen is a former Army Nurse Corps officer who gave up nursing after Lara was born and later worked for many years in medical records management for the Northern Virginia Visiting Nurses Association. They are now both fully retired. In 2008, Alex was asked by Remington United Methodist Church (RUMC) to serve as their Treasurer and served in that capacity for 13 years. When Remington Community Garden was established in 2014, Alex became Treasurer and a member of the Board. Alex and Karen have always enjoyed gardening and have maintained a home garden for decades.
Mary Beth Waldeck
Secretary
Mary Beth was the Administrative Director of Laboratory Services at Fauquier Health where she worked for 38 years. She has 3 children and 2 grandchildren and is delighted that they all live close enough to visit frequently. Mary Beth has served as the Secretary and Historian for the Community Garden since its inception and also manages their grant applications.
Mary Beth dabbled in gardening in her backyard for years, but after retirement, with the encouragement of her husband John, she became much more involved at the Community Garden. She especially enjoys caring for and cooking with herbs. After the pandemic, she used her background in healthcare to coordinate the Garden's annual health fair. She also coordinates the Little Free Pantry.
In her free time, Mary Beth enjoys singing in her church choir, cooking, traveling and entertaining. She is excited to watch the second decade of the Garden develop.
Yuri Cole
Garden Director
After retiring and moving to Fauquier County, Yuri wanted to connect and give back to her new community. She was introduced to Remington Community Garden through the Master Gardener program. She can do one of the things she loves – gardening – while contributing to this incredible community fostered by John and Mary Beth. She feels privileged to be a part of Remington Community Garden!
John Waldeck
At Large Member
John is the founder and visionary of Remington Community Garden. John was the Director of Clinical Services, Emergency Services & Substance Abuse at Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services (currently known as Encompass Community Supports) for over 30 years. After retiring he continued to work part-time as the Special Programs Coordinator for the Mental Health Association.
In 2014 John, who is a member of the Remington United Methodist Church, looked across the street at their vacant lot and dreamed of creating a community garden. He applied for and was awarded the first Make It Happen grant from the PATH Foundation. John didn't just dream of a garden, he envisioned a place for people to gather, meet their neighbors and feel a part of the community - and that is exactly what has transpired. The Garden allows people to grow their own fresh food, it provides food for those in need and is a gathering place for friends and neighbors.
With his wife Mary Beth, John has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. He is a Master Gardener. In addition to his passion for gardening, he is an avid artist and sings in his church choir.
John says, “If you have not visited the Remington Community Garden, please come stroll through the gardens or join us for an event or just sit and enjoy the peaceful beauty.”
Lauren Owens
At Large Member
Originally from Pennsylvania, Lauren moved to Remington in 2005 where she still resides with her husband and son. She attends The Journey Church and works for Quest Diagnostics. Lauren joined the Community Garden in 2022 after attending some of the events and weekly farmer's markets. She is a strong believer in community events that are available to all, which is why she loves all the free events at the Garden that bring everyone together. She is a home gardener, which is a love she shares with her son. They strive to grow fresh food and provide a healthy ecosystem at their home for pollinators and wildlife. At the Garden, Lauren will often be seen helping the other board members at the community events. She enjoys shopping for the items needed for the food pantry, organizing and packaging the Monthly Meals that go in the Free Little Fridge, and packaging the monthly Birthday Box.
Rachael Brinson
At Large Member
Rachael joined the Garden in 2020 with a passion for supporting the well-being of Remington residents. As an employee of the Town of Remington, she believes in the importance of providing resources that encourage healthy eating, outdoor activity and community connection — especially in food-uncertain times. Through initiatives like the Remington Community Garden, she hopes to assist with opportunities for citizens to grow fresh, nutritious food while fostering sustainability and togetherness in Remington.
Josh Butler
At Large Member
Josh is in his 3rd year gardening at Remington Community Garden. While he has had a garden for most of his life, this is his first time helping with a community garden. It has been great to see what others are doing and that has helped him learn a lot. When he was asked to join the Board, he was happy to do so. Josh is very proud of what John and Mary Beth have created and is excited to help keep this community garden thriving.
Becky Garringer
At Large Member
Becky is a mom of 6, grandmother of 1 and 1 on the way, wife to Shane, dog mom to Julio and Conan Jackson, cat mom to Marie and Toulouse, and "fairy godmother" to her nieces (they said it!). She left the real estate industry to chase her dream. Becky is a new business owner in Remington as of Fall 2024! She owns the local quilt shop and studio, so moving into a service organization like the garden feels very natural, thanks to her nannies and grannies, all avid gardeners and quilters.
Becky loves the mission of Remington Community Garden - education and feeding the community! She has a garden plot this year to grow flowers for pressing and dyeing fabrics, as well as HOT peppers. She hopes to share the Garden with my friends and customers through these collaborative activities. Gardening and quilting have a certain overlap in being community activities, often shared from one generation to the next, or neighbor to neighbor. She hopes to support the Garden's efforts this way!
Anita Sutherland
At Large Member
Anita was born and raised in Falls Church. She and her husband Dennie moved to Warrenton in 1975. She has 3 daughters and 3 lovely grandchildren, who all live in the Outer Banks, as well as a son who lives locally. Anita worked in the Fauquier Hospital laboratory for 42 years, where she met Mary Beth Waldeck. When John Waldeck had the idea for Remington Community Garden in 2014, she began helping out in her free time when they needed extra hands.
After retirement in 2017, deciding she wanted some structure to her free time, Anita began looking for volunteer opportunities to make new friends and give back to her community. She turned to the PATH Foundation Volunteer Hub to see what was possible. She currently volunteers at the Fauquier Free Clinic, picks up food for the senior center, and helps at Remington Community Garden with maintenance, picking produce to stock the pantry, helping at various community activities, the Health Fair, and collecting supplies for the Little Free Pantry.
She completed the Master Gardener course in 2024, which opened more volunteer opportunities to help in the community, such as maintenance at the Arboretum in Rady Park; activities in the school system, giving the children opportunities to see where their food comes from; Ready, Set, Grow, planting flowers to beautify the local school; and working with FRESH to bring in seasonal foods for the students to taste.
Anita enjoys reading, baking cakes and cookies, trips with her grandchildren through the Road Scholar program, traveling with her sister, and tending to her home flower gardens.
Valerie Cyrus
At Large Member
Valerie has lived in Northern Virginia for 50+ years. She moved to Remington in 2020. She is a nurse, a mom to 2 amazing women and grandma to 2 beautiful girls. She has loved working and volunteering at the Garden since 2021! Valerie manages the Garden greenhouse, nurturing seeds into flourishing plants.