Farmer County: Lawrence

Entering Farmer #20419

Hello my name is Joe Venasco, I am a 22 year old first generation farmer from Volant Pa. I currently farm roughly 220 acres of corn and soybeans on my own with my own equipment around Lawrence and Mercer counties. Since I was roughly 4 years old I’ve always had a strong desire to be in the agricultural industry. Once I started into high school I got my first job on a local farm helping with field work, milking cows, and chores. I was very strongly involved in 4-H and FFA during this time as well. I started farming on my own 6 years ago raising hay as well as cattle and 4-H show goats. Over the past 3 years I have gotten out of livestock and hay for the opportunity to raise corn and soybeans. In addition I am currently employed at the local farm co-op where I work around agronomy and grain. I am looking to lease to own or a lease agreement farm where I can grow my operation. I am looking for a farm mostly around northern Lawrence County or Mercer County so I can continue to raise crops on the ground I currently lease. If the opportunity came, I would be open to moving my operation further north to Crawford County. Also if the opportunity came I would be open to raising livestock again.

Entering Farmer #20410

Future farmer, semi-retired, in search of one to two level acres of paradise to start a small farm. I would like to raise a few chickens, a dog, and enjoy the quiet. I have a medical background with a desire to become a farmer. My experience with farm animals is through volunteer work. I anticipate that this endeavor will take time to accomplish.

Entering Farmer #20386

I am 22 years old and have 3 years of regenerative farming experience. I have worked on a farm on Lopez Island, Washington where I learned about rotational grazing of cattle, market gardening, and commercial compost production. Next, I worked on a farm in Havre de Grace, Maryland where I grew veggies and berries in a 2 acre market garden, rotationally grazed cattle, sheep, and chickens, raised pigs in the woods, and even had my own personal dairy cow and taught myself how to make cheese. Finally, I worked on a market garden in Sellersville, Pennsylvania where I learned a bit more about the business side of operating a farm.
I would love to have my own farm one day to grow veggies in a market garden style, graze livestock in a rotational system (cattle, chickens, pigs, sheep), and would also like to have some dairy cows (would be interested in starting a small creamery). I am looking for a piece of property where I could make my farming dreams a reality and live on the property, too. It would be nice to take over a farm that someone is no longer interested in farming and eventually buy in from them. Since I am young and have been farming, I do not have the capital to buy a piece of land outright.

Entering Farmer #20384

My wife and I are beginning farmers primarily looking to learn! My wife has experience with cultivating land, raising animals, and growing crops (much more than I do). We are eventually looking to purchase land in order to grow and sell crops.

Entering Farmer #20364

Looking to build and grow a regenerative farm. We are not experienced in this but are hoping to get started and learn more as we grow.

Entering Farmer #20356

Hello there. Our names are Sasha and Tony Bellucci. We are respectively 35 and 37 years old and have resided in Colorado for the past 11 years. Tony grew up in Pennsylvania and lived there for 25 years before moving west. Sasha was born in Ukraine and came to Pennsylvania by way of California when she was 13. As we’ve built our lives and skills out west, we are looking to return to our home state to be closer to family and live out our long term visions of sustainability, permaculture, organic agriculture, and community enrichment. We’d love to tell you a little about ourselves and our intentions.

Tony has spent many years working around plants and trees. His introduction to farming began at Greenmoore Gardens in State College, Pa. At the farm, Tony, along with farm manager Laura, ran a 50 person CSA. This included the management of 2 large tunnels of vegetables, a 20×12 propagation greenhouse, drip irrigation water systems, and a flock of 40 chickens. In 2020, he was studying Horticulture at CSU and was selected to intern at the Colorado State Extension office in Grand Junction, Co. where he curated an garden growing indigenous Ute ethnobotanical plants, herbs, and trees. Tony holds a BA in Communication and designed marketing materials, brochures, and signs for use in the garden and community. Currently, he has been working as an arborist and will soon be ISA certified. Daily tasks include management of fruit trees, climbing and pruning, felling/removing dead trees, and management of landscape plants. In his free time, he loves to play all types of music though his primary instrument is guitar. He plays in a successful band called Tumbledown Shack based in Fort Collins, Co. which plays 4-8 shows a month. He is a passionate soccer fan and enjoys being outside through his work or various recreation activities such as disc golf and biking.

Sasha is a successful mental health therapist with a Master’s in Transpersonal Counseling. For the last 9 years she has worked with clients with varying degrees of PTSD and complex trauma. In 2022 she completed Equinox Center’s 10 month herbalism intensive and integrates herbalism into her work with patients. She is fluent in Russian and spends much of her free time creating various pieces of art including traditional Ukrainian folk art. She is an accomplished artist and sells art, herbal remedies, and her leatherwork at local artisan markets. She enjoys spending free time outside riding her bicycle and playing disc golf with Tony.

Together, we share experience and a vision for a sustainable future. In 2012, we went to Chile to volunteer on a small 2 acre permaculture in the foothills of the Andes. While there, we were given our first glimpse into permaculture practices and self-sustainability. We tended gardens, cooked using fresh ingredients, and cared for the land, trees, and property. From that experience on, we have managed our own gardens both in Pennsylvania and Colorado. In 2017, we volunteered at a 33 acre permaculture in southern Costa Rica. We were given a month of training then managed the property for the owners while they were away. Daily tasks included pruning of plants, harvesting of food, processing food, caring for various animals including ducks, sheep, horses, and cows, greenhouse and compost management, and community outreach. We received our PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) in December of 2017 and began to construct our own vision for this lifestyle. In 2018, we returned to Costa Rica where we helped care for a small 1 acre property while the owner was out of the country.

Through various experiences and education, we have slowly formulated our own vision for an agricultural and permaculture based lifestyle. We have always dreamed of tending the land, growing food, educating and impacting community, and hosting enrichment events. Our life in Colorado is rich however, we wish to return to Pennsylvania where we would be better able to enact this vision. We would love to sell food through farmers market or CSA, cultivate herbs and herbalism products for the community, and design community events where people can experience professionally prepared meals with locally grown food.

Entering Farmer #20338

We are a young family of 5. We’ve been living in the city since we’ve been married for almost 9 years but have always hoped to move to the he country and run a farmstead. The first 8 years we served in ministry in downtown Butler. Three years ago we bought a house with an empty lot next door and began growing and selling cut flowers, growing our own produce, and added three ducks to our homestead. Last year we decided to step away from full time ministry and begin pursuing our dream of farm-steading. David currently works building and installing playgrounds and does woodworking on the side. Allyson homeschools our three young sons and cares for our home.
We are hoping to grow our family and farmstead on at least 40 acres. We would like to have pasture to raise more ducks, chickens, and goats. We would need space to grow our cut flower crops and produce. We would love to have a water source and areas of woods as well.
Aside from running our farmstead, we want to use our property to share God’s creation with others and host church families.

Entering Farmer #20333

I have experience raising many kinds of livestock.
I am looking to lease to own or buy a farm on sales agreement.
I’m interested I aquaculture and many other farming practices.