I grew up in Clarksville, Tennessee and after graduating high school joined the Army Reserves. After serving there and working in the civilian world for a few years, I settled in Philadelphia and decided to go back to school to pursue a degree in Landscape Architecture and Geodesign, but while in school fell in love with farming. I have been growing vegetable, fruit, woody and herbaceous crops for non-profits and neighbors for almost 10 years now, gaining a ton of experience despite mostly working in an urban context. Growing food is very important to me and at the moment, I grow food crops for a hospital in my area, and the harvest goes directly to patients of the hospital who have been screened as being food insecure.

While this is very fulfilling work, I am interested in starting my own business – a cut flower and fresh/dry herb business. At the moment I am using resources I have at my disposal at my current job, growing on a 16×20′ urban plot in Philly and selling arrangements to friends and small event planners. But I know nothing of the marketing aspect and know that I need more space in order to yield the profits I’d like.

I am currently attempting to work through a budget schedule, business and marketing plans, and think it would be great to talk with someone about how to get started with all I have and how to expand. I know what I want but completely lack the know-how to move forward in the powerful way that I’d like.

I am looking for 5-10 acres and this would ideally have a livable structure (but I’m willing to do renovations), other structures for tool storage, etc. and be ready for field production. I am a 33 year old black woman who has been fully self-sustaining since age 17, so any graciousness of time or resources would be a dream come true, and anyone who knows me could speak to how hard I would work to learn and maintain anything that was in alignment with what I want.

Thank you.