"Community doesn't just create abundance ...
... Community is abundance."
- Palmer Parker, Educator and Activist
We love the Shenandoah Valley and are committed to a "local-first" mindset, focused on preserving the region's rural heritage and rich history. We believe that ongoing access to community, practitioners, and knowledge creates an interconnected family that works toward the common good.
We hope to use this project as an acupuncture point to catalyze positive action in areas like regenerative agriculture, forest restoration, economic opportunity, and wellness.
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By engaging local partnerships and government funding, the potential is exciting, and we are engaged in community initiatives in the following areas:
AGRICULTURE
Our goal is to source 80% of our food within 175 miles while adhering to a chemical, antibiotic, and growth hormone free mandate. We hope to embody the indigenous “food as medicine” practice, re-creating the sacred relationship between soil, production, and consumption. We have started providing visibility to our orders in 2022, and plan to find agricultural partners committed to regenerative agriculture and creating a regional network of wholesome and nutritious food.
ENVIRONMENT
Our intent is to impact climate change in our area by using integrated carbon sequestration methods to remove carbon from the air and waste stream and return it to the soil. We have started implementing a 50 year natural resource management plan, and will engage in rigorous test-learn-change processes with key partners for gaining feedback and improving our ecological practices.
LIVELIHOOD
We are working with artists and artisans across the area, and are excited to offer over 300 full/part time jobs when we open. We are trying to create economically sustainable career paths where individuals can align with their innate talents and calling. We will build relationships with local Universities to train and employ the region's next generation, and believe that during our first decade, we will spend over $150M that gets retained in the region.
WELLNESS
We plan to partner with, or help create, local recreational alternatives that take advantage of the natural environment while reinforcing wellness and having fun. We are focused on those with both educational and unique experiential components. We will also co-promote other local tourist attractions, so guests stay longer in the Shenandoah Valley.
"If you drive to the Shenandoah Valley, you'll get some appreciation for the scale and beauty of the outdoors. When you walk into it, you see it in a completely different way ... you discover it in a much slower, more majestic sort of way."
- Bill Bryson, Author
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
for COMMUNITY MEMBERS
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When will the resort open and who will operate it?The resort will operate year-round and we plan to open in 2027. We have partnered with a hospitality company who will manage and operate the guest experience, marketing, and maintenance activities. We have an amazing ownership group who will control and manage the resorts strategic direction.
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How many jobs will be created and what types of roles?The resort will create over 250 full and part-time jobs. We plan to create economically sustainable career paths where individuals can align with their innate talents and calling. The types of roles will include spa and healing professionals, activity guides/instructors, guest services, maintenance/housekeeping, food service, marketing, management and forestry, just to name a few. We will start HR planning in 2026 and will aggressively start hiring in early 2027 . We will keep you informed as we progress through the hiring process.
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Who will stay there and for how long?Guests will be regular people who love nature and are interested in growth and personal development. We will not serve guests that have serious medical, mental or addiction issues needing professional intervention. We will have a 3-night minimum and guests will typically stay 4-5 nights.
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Who are the owners?Mike Marburg is the founder and creative vision behind the project. He lives in Aldie, VA with Jennifer and three children. He is a former investor and grew up in Maryland. He plans to live in the area when the resort opens. His primary partner is Omani and Jeannie Carson, an avid hunter, farmer, and entrepreneur described more in this blog. There are other aligned partners from Virginia and various parts of the country who are part of the ownership team. The ownership team is committed to wellness, regenerative development, and preserving the regions natural heritage.
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What will the master plan and main campus look like?On the North side of the property, we are planning a campus area that will include an arrival space, a spa, a food and beverage building, a meeting facility, and a fitness/yoga building -- as depicted on the home page. All buildings will be placed within the forest and cannot be seen from the road. A short walk from the campus are the guest cabins on a separate ridge lines. There will be 6 modern cabins, each with roughly 16 guest bedrooms and private bathrooms. We will also have 4 treehouses tucked into the side of a third ridge. We will also have an area for a private group to stay on the South side of the property, along with a vast array of trails and outdoor destinations (e.g., hammocks, ropes course, meditation platform, etc.).
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Will large gatherings be held at the resort?We are focused on minimizing noise and light pollution. Outside of a few community events per year, we will not host events involving non-guests like festivals and concerts. There will be no outdoor speakers or bright lighting on the campus affecting the beautiful Star Tannery sky.
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When will the resort open and who will operate it?The resort will operate year-round and we plan to open in 2027. We have partnered with a hospitality company who will manage and operate the guest experience, marketing, and maintenance activities. We have an amazing ownership group who will control and manage the resorts strategic direction.
-
How many jobs will be created and what types of roles?The resort will create over 250 full and part-time jobs. We plan to create economically sustainable career paths where individuals can align with their innate talents and calling. The types of roles will include spa and healing professionals, activity guides/instructors, guest services, maintenance/housekeeping, food service, marketing, management and forestry, just to name a few. We will start HR planning in 2026 and will aggressively start hiring in early 2027 . We will keep you informed as we progress through the hiring process.
-
Who will stay there and for how long?Guests will be regular people who love nature and are interested in growth and personal development. We will not serve guests that have serious medical, mental or addiction issues needing professional intervention. We will have a 3-night minimum and guests will typically stay 4-5 nights.
-
Who are the owners?Mike Marburg is the founder and creative vision behind the project. He lives in Aldie, VA with Jennifer and three children. He is a former investor and grew up in Maryland. He plans to live in the area when the resort opens. His primary partner is Omani and Jeannie Carson, an avid hunter, farmer, and entrepreneur described more in this blog. There are other aligned partners from Virginia and various parts of the country who are part of the ownership team. The ownership team is committed to wellness, regenerative development, and preserving the regions natural heritage.
-
What will the master plan and main campus look like?On the North side of the property, we are planning a campus area that will include an arrival space, a spa, a food and beverage building, a meeting facility, and a fitness/yoga building -- as depicted on the home page. All buildings will be placed within the forest and cannot be seen from the road. A short walk from the campus are the guest cabins on a separate ridge lines. There will be 6 modern cabins, each with roughly 16 guest bedrooms and private bathrooms. We will also have 4 treehouses tucked into the side of a third ridge. We will also have an area for a private group to stay on the South side of the property, along with a vast array of trails and outdoor destinations (e.g., hammocks, ropes course, meditation platform, etc.).
-
Will large gatherings be held at the resort?We are focused on minimizing noise and light pollution. Outside of a few community events per year, we will not host events involving non-guests like festivals and concerts. There will be no outdoor speakers or bright lighting on the campus affecting the beautiful Star Tannery sky.