Rocklands Farm Releases Statement On Shutting Down White Nationalist Conference

PHOTO | Rocklands Farm via Facebook

Rocklands Farm Winery & Market in Poolesville released a statement on their Facebook page Monday explaining why they shut down a private event at their farm Sunday afternoon.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that about 100 people attended Sunday’s conference organized by the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist Think Tank led by Richard Spencer.

Spencer told the newspaper Rocklands was booked through a third-party company that did not reveal his group’s affiliation to Rocklands management.

Spencer took part in this summer’s violent rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Rocklands is a small working farm in Poolesville that practices holistic agriculture and sells meats, eggs and wines. The farm hosts parties, weddings and other private events in a renovated barn.

Following is the statement released yesterday by Rocklands Farm:

“At Rocklands Farm, we proudly do business according to family values, including welcoming people of all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, cultures, and religions.

“In all we do, including hosting private events, we strive to uphold those values, as well as ensure the safety and respect for our family, staff, customers, community, and business.

“Throughout our history of hosting private events, we have never had to ask a group to leave. However, yesterday, November 19, we discovered that a private event held here was, in reality, a gathering of an organization that is strongly in opposition to our values. We immediately and politely asked the group to leave. We are grateful that the group agreed to peacefully leave right away. Rocklands Farm absolutely does not support or have any affiliation with the National Policy Institute or similar groups.

“We want to reassure our community of our commitment to family values. We are currently reviewing our event booking policy to ensure any future events reflect the values we try to uphold as we continue to feed, nourish, and engage our community.”

About Staff Writer

View all posts by Staff Writer