Repeat shoppers, say they like the variety, freshness and that rain or shine Bigg Riggs Farm, open for business every Saturday at the historic Old Town Farmers' Market, in Alexandria, VA, one of several vending locations the farm operates, on June 27, 2015. Farm owner and operator Calvin Riggleman, green shirt on right, a Marine, who served in Iraq, and now he serves his community farm fresh organic greens, produce, and food products made by his Bigg Riggs Farm team. Mr. Riggleman grew up on the family farm, in Hampshire County, West Virginia, but it was his buddies in Iraq who helped him figure out how to make it a going concern -- transforming it from an orchard with roadside sales to a multidimensional farm with a value added food processing to make a wide range of condiment products such as apple butters, jams, sauces, and drink mixes, to name small selection of products for sales online, in community supported agriculture (CSA) operations, farmer’s markets and contracts with Whole Foods and others. Riggleman follows a family tradition, of farming in this area, extending back to 1775 (the same year the USMC was born) and eight generations. The nearby, original family farm has been owned and operated for five generations. He has owned this farm for a few years and has several employees. Bigg Riggs Farm sells under the Homegrown for Heroes label. The Market Square is the oldest farmers' market in the nation, continuously in operations for more than 260 years. The market was a vending site for produce from George Washington's Mount Vernon. Farmers such as Mr. Riggleman may be eligible for support and services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). New and beginning farmers are encouraged to contact the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in their county. USDA Service Centers are designed to be a single location where customers can access the services provided by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Rural Development agencies. The following web site will provide the address of a USDA Service Center and other Agency offices serving your area along with information on how to contact them. offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=us&agency=fsa USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.