If you’ve driven around Orange lately, you may have noticed the large and beautiful garden in front of 364 East Main St. The artfully arranged vegetable beds snaking around the front yard are the handiwork of Andy Johnson and Bethany Consic. A handmade sign announces that this is “Valkyrie’s Urban Garden” in honor of their 16-month-old daughter, who happily joins them in their outdoor activity.
The family reached this state of homegrown bliss via a winding path not unlike the ones in their lushly blooming yard. Bethany told me she’s known Andy’s family for a long time. When his brother Matt became ill with leukemia, she frequently drove up to Baltimore to help out. Andy, a professional chef, lived far away but eventually circled back to Maryland to a position at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda. As his brother’s health declined, he and Bethany began to see more of each other.
Matt Johnson died at age 39 on January 30, 2023. To commemorate her beloved friend’s life, Bethany has his birth and death dates tattooed on her right arm.
Once Andy and Bethany became a couple, he moved into her house in Orange and began making the lengthy commute to Bethesda. She worked from home some of the time, but on commuting days, she also had a long drive: to her office at the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education, in Washington, D.C.
After their daughter was born, Andy quit his job to stay home with Valkyrie, whose name pays tribute to his brother Matt’s love of vikings and Norse mythology and the Johnson siblings’ Swedish grandfather. With Bethany secure in her government job, it was a workable plan.
But earlier this year, the plan went sideways. Bethany was among thousands of federal government employees who unexpectedly lost their jobs due to the massive cuts made by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Although she had joined the U.S. Army right out of high school and served as a loyal, nonpartisan civil servant for multiple presidential administrations, she said that she and her colleagues were treated “like criminals” when the layoffs went into effect and they were ordered to leave.
Both unemployed, the couple stepped outside and looked around. Last year, they had planted berry bushes, vegetables and flowers in the backyard, and as spring approached, they began to map out what they could do in the front. Rather than mow the grass week after week, they decided to plant a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs. A front-yard garden felt like a practical and rewarding use of the space, and it has helped them think about the kind of life they want for their daughter and themselves.
“I’ve never had the chance to get in touch with the earth like this.”—Bethany Consic
“I’ve never had the chance to get in touch with the earth like this. It’s wonderful,” Bethany told me during a tour of the gardens all around the property. She noted that when her two older daughters were growing up, “I cooked for them every day. But this is different, the way it should be.”
Andy said the transition to this kind of self-sustaining lifestyle feels right. “We’re working for ourselves, not for somebody else. It’s much more appreciated, more personal.” With his chef’s training, he can prepare gourmet meals with the vegetables they raise. The couple has recently begun selling their produce as well.
For her part, Bethany has moved on from the shock of losing her longtime government job. She said that for a while, recalling the circumstances of her layoff made her feel anxious and traumatized. But now, the thought of ever going back—not that she expects to—is worse. Standing in the garden full of cherry tomatoes, peppers, celery, rhubarb, squash and numerous herbs, among many other exuberant-looking plants, she said that after she lost her job, “This is what kept me sound.”
As the couple moves forward in their changed circumstances with little Valkyrie by their side, she said, “It feels like a whole new opportunity at life. Not a whole lot of people get that. I’m thankful for it.”
If you’d like to find out what’s available for purchase and curbside pickup at Valkyrie’s Urban Garden, text Andy and Bethany at (540) 360-1551 or email them at valkyriesurbangarden@gmail.com. You can also purchase produce from them at the Orange Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.
Bethany Consic, Andy Johnson and their daughter, Valkyrie. (2) Andy tends the garden while keeping an eye on Valkyrie. (3) The couple designed the garden so that it follows a winding pattern and has a sophisticated irrigation system that monitors weather forecasts and does not water the plants if a rainstorm is due. (4) Bethany discusses the various vegetables and herbs that she and Andy planted in the spring. She noted that after planting the garden, they began meeting more of their neighbors, who have stopped by to chat and admire the crops. Photos by Hilary Holladay.
Guest column by Orange County Supervisor J. Bryan Nicol
Back in the early 2000s, Mother Nature delivered a severe and devastating drought of the strongest magnitude to Orange County and Virginia. In recent years, we have faced more extreme drought conditions in Orange County. We know what lack of water means. When water is in short supply, restricted or nonexistent, the impacts can severely and permanently hurt people, communities and our local economy. A water crisis brings stresses to every aspect of our daily lives and threatens our existence.
Back then, water studies were commissioned and proclamations were made. Yet, in spite of all the focus and attention, virtually nothing was acted on to solve our county water supply crisis. As these water studies gathered dust on the shelves of Orange County government, local officials moved on to other matters. A quarter century of inaction has placed us in our current precarious position.
I want to thank Orange County resident and respected civic leader Frank S. Walker Jr. for his letters and fictional story on water issues. Mr. Walker’s insights published in Byrd Street accurately highlighted the “looming catastrophe” of water shortage in Orange County. Mr. Walker said the hard part out loud, and I applaud him for his candor and call for proper action.
I share Mr. Walker’s significant concerns. We must fix the water problems that have been costing Orange County and its citizens more money and inconvenience with every year that passes.
Action and solutions must be our default mode. The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to initially invest $250,000 to help plan, design and create an alternate water supply storage for emergencies. We have started long-term water supply planning in our region and have supported critical water infrastructure grant applications submitted by the Rapidan Service Authority.
We must seek additional legislative/budget assistance in the next session of the General Assembly working with our state senator and state delegates. We have much to do and much to accomplish. Our survival depends on it.—J. Bryan Nicol
Supervisor J. Bryan Nicol (District 5) is a member of the Rappahannock River Basin Commission and an advocate for water supply solutions in Orange County.
Old newspapers are an excellent source of local history, and the Library of Virginia has created a digital archive of many Virginia papers, including the Orange Review.
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