Board Chairman Candidate Kroiz is firmly planted

By Liz Tenney Jarvis

Despite his heritage as an eighth-generation farmer in Loudoun County, Sam Kroiz did not originally intend to work the land. Kroiz went to the University of Virginia where he studied environmental science but he found that the classes were more oriented towards the requirements for various medical degrees. So Kroiz returned to the land in Loudoun where he and his family run the George’s Mill Farm.

Named after Kroiz’s ancestor John George, who settled the land in Lovettsville in the mid-1700s, George’s Mill is a farmstead that features handmade/homegrown products. A variety of cheeses, gelato, caramel, soaps, pork and other agri-artisanal items are sold via a self-serve store on the farm. Since 2013, Kroiz, his wife, Molly, and their two children have run the farm, store and the historic B&B. While agri-tourism has been on the rise and this has brought increasing numbers of visitors to the county, Kroiz has also seen the impact of explosive urban development.

Much of what Sam Kroiz warned against in his 2019 campaign for Loudoun County supervisor did in fact come to pass. Kroiz mentions the One Loudoun development where a ratio of housing-to-commercial development has been incrementally changed from the original plan resulting in the bulk of the construction going into housing.  

Kroiz feels that “terrible deals” are being made by the county. The Goose Creek Overlook, for example, was approved by the former candidates he ran against in 2019 (Caleb A. Kershner was elected as supervisor and Forest Hayes as now head of the Planning Commission). Goose Creek Overlook was a development that Kroiz felt would be costly both financially and environmentally. The decision to approve the project was subsequently reversed.  

Kroiz continues to believe that the rising tide of residential/commercial developments, increased traffic and other issues threaten to take over that which makes Loudoun such a wonderful place to live.  He is passionate about representing the fight to maintain the quality of life. As in 2019, he feels he has to “do something about it.” 

Kroiz says that he is a methodical thinker and approaches complex issues facing the county in a scientific way. He believes in collecting data, being analytical and looking at the unbiased facts. As most candidates align themselves with political parties and take political contributions towards their campaign, the waters become murky. Kroiz feels that without such alignments, commitments and pressure, he can see the facts more clearly.

The rejection of the proposed AT&T project at Short Hill demonstrated that organizing public opposition can be effective. Kroiz was one of the most outspoken and rallied an upswell of public support to stop the large-scale project that AT&T had quietly started. His drive to give voice to those who feel they have none is what Kroiz says he is all about. The ability to “gather help from all over” is his strong suit as he showed when bringing citizens together to advise and/or advocate against the AT&T project.

Additionally, not belonging to a political party or taking aforementioned contributions then keeps him from being “beholden.” Kroiz feels that many voters are being duped as their candidates are often obligated to vote along party lines. 

Kroiz brings the perspective of farming, being a part of the larger farming community in the rural part of Loudoun. “I don’t claim to know everything that is going on in the eastern part of the county but I do care deeply about the county as a whole,” Kroiz says. He feels he can learn as well as educate while in the role as Chairman. 

As a farmer, Kroiz says he makes tough decisions every day.  The future of farming can be strong if county supervisors are willing to come together to keep rural areas protected from encroaching development. 

Kroiz is fully cognizant of landowner rights and he is also aware of there being no obligation to have explosive growth simply because that is what is demanded, “people have the right to develop their property but local government needs to be reasonable in their limits. Unreasonable development would be that which changes the whole character of the area and destroys the quality of life here.”

“We’re growing faster than any county in the region and we need to reduce the density so that it is more in line with other neighboring counties,” says Kroiz.  Those who used to farm the land and are no longer willing to continue are what developers find most attractive.  

While Loudoun is vulnerable to the end of generational farming (the average age of U.S. farmers is getting older) he also says there is room to grow and attract a new generation. Farms can take on different models as did the land where Kroiz is now. Leasing to raise different crops or for other uses is a way to stay profitable while maintaining the rural way of life.

The chair of the county board of supervisors will be making decisions that will have a long-term impact. Kroiz knows that his roots run deep, that he and his family will be here far into the future. Yet they are already feeling the negative effects of decisions made by some previous county supervisors with regard to overcrowded schools, traffic-packed roads and higher taxes.  

As a farmer he is familiar with long-term planning, funding that which may not pay off in the short term, and he is certainly an expert at weathering unexpected events. Kroiz strongly believes that preparation and planning will reap the best outcome for the citizens of Loudoun.