Steps for Starting a Wayside Stand
Thank you for considering what it takes to open a wayside stand in Loudoun County! This area offers fresh produce straight from the farm thanks to talented farmers and entrepreneurs like you.
This page is designed to give you an overview of important considerations before establishing a wayside stand, but your specific situation may have different requirements. The Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance is the ruling document.
Working with Loudoun County and Virginia Commonwealth staff will help verify that those requirements are met. Our combined goal is to ensure that your operation is safe for customers so that your business can be successful.
Before establishing a wayside stand, it is important to understand what is permitted with that use. A wayside stand is located on and supports parcels in active agricultural use and allows you to sell:
- Agricultural or horticultural products that are produced on-site, or produce grown on other agricultural parcels used by the farmer;
- Accessory products such as pottery, baskets or gardening supplies.
No more than 25 percent of the total space in your wayside stand devoted to sales may be used to sell accessory products. The rest must be for the sale of agricultural or horticultural products.
The sale of products or items not related to the wayside stand use, such as lawn mowers and tractors, is prohibited. Wayside stands are not commercial/full-service kitchens, restaurants, or catering operation, however, you may choose to apply for a separate restaurant use if allowed in the zoning district.
While this page focuses on wayside stands, think about what additional uses (if any) you might consider later. Communicating these additional uses to Loudoun County and Virginia Commonwealth staff up front can help avoid surprises later in the process. If you have questions at any point, please contact Loudoun Economic Development at 1-800-LOUDOUN.
Detailed contact information for County and Commonwealth regulatory departments can be found at the bottom of this page.