Entering Farmer 20176
I am an avid food gardener of 8 years experience who’s passion has outgrown the space currently available to me. I am looking to enter the commercial food production business but am severely limited in my capacity for production. Living in conjoined housing has forced me to negotiate the use of several of the yards of my neighbors. While this approach has proven useful for research and small scale production it poses several logistical challenges which could be mitigated through the use of a larger centralized plot of land. I am in search of a plot up to 10 acres preferably organic but not necessarily certified. My method of farming includes 100% organic fertilization and IPM .
Entering Farmer 20190
My name is Elise Hanksand I am the owner and sole operator of Terra Luna Herbals, an apothecary and wellness goods brand, based in Philadelphia. In addition to the retail end of Terra Luna, there is a major focus on herb gardening and land stewardship. The gardening portion of the operation has been based, over the past 3 years, in an urban community garden plot. As happens with many city garden plots however, this lot will soon be unavailable to Terra Luna, leaving me no choice but to relocate to another, ideally more permanent, growing situation. We are looking to expand the Terra Luna herb and flower growing operation over the next few years on a piece of land that gives us enough space to grow a significant amount more crop than we have in the past. We will be growing herbs for our in-house herbal product line as well as flowers for a cut-flower program (to sell to florists as well as the public.)
Entering Farmer 20178
My name is Jacqueline and I’m a first generation farmer interested in livestock production as a means to improve land and mitigate climate change. I dived headfirst into farming in 2020 when I took an internship in the Adirondacks of New York on a goat dairy and diversified livestock farm. At the peak of the pandemic, I moved to live and work as an intern at Asgaard Farm & Dairy in upstate NY. My responsibilities there varied widely and I improved my skills in many areas: animal husbandry rotational grazing and pasture management, making and packaging hundreds of pounds of cheese daily, operating farmers’ markets and managing online sales and marketing, record keeping from animal chores to inventory upkeep, and more. It was during this season that I discovered my love of farming and committed to a lifelong career of producing and promoting food made well.
The next season, I was accepted into the Rodale Institute’s Farmer Training Program and relocated to the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania to work on this highly respected and well-known organic research farm. With a team, we grew a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers and served a 100 member CSA and a couple of markets in underserved communities in surrounding cities. This work was supplemented with educational experiences: classes on topics from soil health to financial management and drawing up a business plan, as well as visits to surrounding farms, retailers, and food system operations. My first year here was an absolutely incredible experience but I especially gravitated towards the livestock component of the program. I helped raise pastured pigs, broilers and laying hens, Thanksgiving turkeys, and a small herd of steers under the guidance of my mentors.
For this upcoming season, I am planning on following through on the second year track of the RIFT program. The second year will hone in on team management and tractor skills and further develop my business plan and strategy for my own operation. With all the connections I have made at the Rodale Institute, I intend to find the right opportunity to develop a profitable and sustainable business. While the specific details of the future remain open-ended, I have a very clear idea of my values and goals and trust that my previous experiences will guide me along to the right situation.
Entering Farmer 20177
I am Enthusiastic student of small scale organic agriculture, self sustaining
homesteading and wildcraft practices.
skills:
*only organic growing experience, focus on soil health
*orchard management
*greenhouse/high tunnel
*planting times /rotation
*seeding: direct/flats
*seedling care and transplant
*harvest/clean/sort/pack/preserve
*electric fencing /staking
*low impact land usage
*physical labor/hand tools
*farm and excavation equipment usage & maintenance
*construction of ponds and irrigation systems
*building maintenance/repairs
Proposal for Use of Land:
We are going on our third year as market farmers participating in our county’s local farmer’s
markets. We intend to spend the rest of our professional careers operating a market garden /
small farm in order to provide quality products to the consumer that are responsibly produced.
We would like to find land to facilitate this. As we have no mechanical equipment at this time, we can only care for small acreage.
We would prefer a land opportunity with housing. We are open to lease or trade.
Allowing the opportunity for consumers to
buy directly from the farm on which it is grown is high priority. In the future we envision
sharing our passion of working with the earth, especially with youth.