The Grounds Of Livev

Home
United States
Oakton, VA
The Grounds Of Livev

The Grounds is a 23-acre farm blending nature, wellness, art, and equestrian life, offering the community a space to gather, create, and celebrate.

09/01/2026

OUTSIDERS ONLY FESTIVAL GIVEAWAY: windriverchimes

If you’ve spent time at The Grounds, you may have heard a Wind River chime somewhere along the way.

We love these chimes. They’re beautiful, incredibly well made, made right here in Virginia, and we use them throughout The Grounds. So we’re pretty excited to give one away for Outsiders Only.

This one is Fire — a 31” Corinthian Bells wind chime in Ruby Splash, hand-tuned to the scale of E.

TO ENTER:
Tag a friend.
Like this post.
Share this post to your stories.

And while you’re here, grab your ticket to Outsiders Only on October 10. Come spend the day making, wandering, eating, shopping and experiencing The Grounds.

Already have your ticket? Even better.

Winner announced September 8th.
*Must have a ticket purchased to enter. Pickup at the Festival.

08/27/2026

Who’s coming to Oakton Day this Sunday? We’ll be there!

Stop by The Grounds table, say hi, and try your hand at papermaking. We’ll also have a special class discount just for Oakton Day.

Come make something with us and see what we have coming up at The Grounds.

See you Sunday, Oakton!

Photography: Gwen Saunier

08/22/2026

She’s a special place.
For events.
Gatherings.
Painting.
Reading a book.
And simply just being (awesome).

Photo: Gwen Saunier

08/19/2026

We get asked this all the time: Can we take photos at The Grounds?

So we decided to make it a thing.

We’re now offering photo sessions here with The Grounds photographer. Family photos, senior pictures, portraits, or just because you want some really good photos of the people you love.

You can book a quick mini session or a full session, and we’ll wander around the property and find some good spots along the way.

Nothing overly staged. Just good photos in a pretty great place.

Send us a message if you want more info or want to book.

08/18/2026

TRYING TO FOLLOW THE RULES: 04
When Does Private Property Stop Feeling Private?

A couple of weeks ago, the County came back to our property.

Now we’re being asked to draw where people might walk on our 23 acres. Where our farm utility vehicle might drive. How those paths might be maintained.

We also have to add the entire other side of the creek to our drawings.

Except we aren’t proposing to do anything over there.

NOTHING.

In ONE WEEK since that visit, just one professional needed to address these new requirements has cost us roughly $3,000.

That doesn’t include other professionals, other losses, delays or attorney fees.

I never wanted a lawyer for this process.

I wanted to comply.

Tell us what’s required. We’ll do it.

But good God, at some point you have to protect yourself. I won’t quietly accept a process that feels abusive simply because questioning it is uncomfortable.

And here’s the maddening part:

Based on the pattern of the last two years, watch us find out in a few weeks that some of these additions weren’t actually necessary.

Except by then, the drawings are done.

The professional is paid.

The money is gone.

There’s no refund for mixed information.

The County can change direction without carrying the financial consequences.

We carry them.

How is a small farm supposed to survive that?

You cannot say you want agriculture, open space, animals and people caring for land while draining the resources needed to care for them.

Oversight is necessary.

But oversight without consistency can become cruel. I’ve caught myself getting lost in the chaos and mental bleep we have been put through.

And when we’re being asked to map where we might walk on our own land, I have to ask:

When does private property stop feeling private?

08/15/2026

We’re bringing something NEW to The Grounds!

At The Grounds, we believe dinner is about more than what’s on the plate. It’s the setting, the people, the conversation, and the memories you leave with.

This fall, we’re introducing a new dinner series, created and curated by The Grounds, with OWS bringing each culinary concept to life. No two dinners will be the same.

SIP & SCOOP
Thursday, Sept. 10 · 6pm
Ice cream for dinner. Homemade ice creams paired with wine, with savory bites in between. Playful, unexpected, and a little indulgent.

CAMP DINNER AT THE GROUNDS
Thursday, Oct. 22 · 6pm
A grown-up spin on the flavors of nights outdoors. Instead of one table, the evening unfolds as you move through The Grounds, with a little wandering and a few surprises along the way.

Come hungry. We hope you’ll join us.

Available now on thegrounds.com

08/13/2026

TRYING TO FOLLOW THE RULES: 03

Is Common Sense No Longer a Thing?

We’ve been told removing invasives along our creek can weaken the banks because those roots are holding soil in place.

Okay. I get that.

But can we talk about the whole picture?

Walk our creek and you’ll see mature trees being strangled by invasive vines. Trees regularly fall. Underneath them, young trees struggle to grow through masses of invasives.

If the trees die, what happens to the banks their roots were holding together?

“Let it grow” sounds great. But what are we letting grow?

We’ve planted more than 6,000 natives across this property because we want to leave this land better than we found it.

Humans can damage nature. Humans can also restore it.

And if we’re truly concerned about erosion, shouldn’t we look at the biggest impacts too?

What happens when large developments change how stormwater reaches a creek, putting new pressure on its banks?

We’ve watched our creek take a beating.

So let’s measure the big impacts with the same enthusiasm we measure the small ones.

Because somehow we’re being told to remove native plantings while an old concrete pool in the same protected area remains. We’ve wanted to remove it. We’re told not to disturb it. Eventually? Burying it may be the answer.

Common sense has to matter somewhere.

Imagine if every bit of common sense required an application, a review and a black-and-white rule applied across the board.

At that point, it’s no longer common sense.

It’s a system running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off because nobody is allowed to stop, look at what’s actually in front of them and say:

What makes sense here?

I’m not removing living native plantings before concrete.

There is a middle ground between bulldozing nature and never touching it.

Sometimes caring for land means leaving it alone.

Sometimes it means helping it.

That’s stewardship.

08/11/2026

TRYING TO FOLLOW THE RULES: 02

For two years, we’ve stayed relatively quiet about our experience navigating Fairfax County.

I think it’s time to start talking about it.

Here’s the part that matters:

We started by asking.

Before doing any of this, we contacted the County, explained what we hoped to do with our property and asked how to do it correctly.

The feedback was positive.

Since then there have been plans, seven rounds of revisions on one greenhouse permit, complaints that were investigated and closed, violations, meetings, withdrawals at the County’s direction, resubmissions and requirements we had never heard before.

We have repeatedly gathered departments together and asked one very simple question:

Tell us what we need to do.

Then we do it.

And somehow, the answer keeps changing.

Every change has a cost.

Consultants.
Plans.
Revisions.
Studies.
Delays.
Attorneys.
Work done based on yesterday’s direction that may not satisfy today’s.

This isn’t about believing there shouldn’t be rules.

There absolutely should be.

We called before we started because we wanted to follow them.

But oversight should be understandable, consistent and actually possible to comply with.

So I’m going to start sharing our experience.

Not because I want a fight.

Because after two years of quietly trying to work within the system, I think people should see what navigating that system can actually look like.

I’m so tired. Drained. Financially, mentally, and emotionally. Everyone always says they’re happy the land isn’t a neighborhood now. But maybe that’s what the county wants, cause those go up in a minute in relation to our very simple plans and timeline.

I just keep reminding myself my “why” and get myself back up, hopefully that maybe tomorrow the day will come.

08/08/2026

TRYING TO FOLLOW THE RULES: 01

What happened to the gentle question, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”

I’ve been thinking about the word neighbor lately.

One person has reminded us probably eight times that she is ours.

She also asked vague questions about how we care for our property, then decided that because we didn’t explain ourselves, we MUST spray pesticides. Our grass must be sprayed for mosquitoes. That must be what happened to her bees. Signed off with, disappointed neighbor and friend. Huh? Imagine disappointing yourself with a false assumption.

Neighbor, you could have just asked.

And your bees are probably over here enjoying the hundreds of natives we’ve planted.

Another signed a message “Your neighbor,” followed by, “SO, are you planning to tear down the house?”

Then came the reports.

A beaver built a dam. Reported.

Six trees we were within our rights to remove. Reported.

Natural clay collected during a few creek classes. Reported.

Removing invasives and planting natives. Reported.

Someone even asked the county to stop our construction for an archaeological study of our land.

And my personal favorite:

We were reported for having a café.

Wouldn’t that be nice.

We don’t have a café.

When did being a neighbor stop meaning knocking on someone’s door?

A cup of flour.
A wave from the driveway.
Talking before assuming.
Asking before accusing.

There’s a difference between watching out for your neighbor and watching your neighbor.

Maybe we don’t need a new definition of neighbor.

Maybe we just need the old one back.

Address

10728 Vale Road
Oakton, VA
22124

Website

http://www.thegrounds.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Grounds Of Livev posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to The Grounds Of Livev:

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Oakton?