Q+A with Farmer Emma
How would you quickly describe yourself?
I am a passionate organic farmer, mother + partner. I love outdoor adventures, growing + sharing healthy food, time with my loved ones and the abundance of little joys found between the hard work of life.
How did you get inspired to grow food?
When I was pregnant with my first child, I became passionate about eating healthfully for his development -- especially eating foods like arugula high in DHA vitamins to help promote healthy brain growth. I started growing my own arugula on my apartment balcony to save on groceries, and the seed catalogs got me absolutely hooked on growing my own food for the immense access to varieties and incredibly cool foods I had never heard of. I wanted to raise my kids and work, and I couldn’t think of anything better than expanding on my gardening hobby to grow food for my community.
Why do you grow food?
I grow food to provide healthy, organic, local food for my community to increase their health and the food security in the MidAtlantic region. I believe that regional food security is essential to building strong and successful communities and that organic, community-centric agriculture is key to this resilience. Healthy bodies, healthy families, healthy communities– a healthy planet all starts with responsibly-stewarded soil.
What is your location (country and city) and how big is your growing space?
Moon Valley Farm is a certified organic, year-round produce farm on 70 acres in Frederick, Maryland.
What do you grow?
Vegetables and herbs - tomatoes, lettuces, greens, peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, cilantro, basil - so many goodies – in all four seasons.
What are some of your best practices for soil and pest management?
Building biodiversity, beneficial insect strips, crop rotation and cover cropping!
Where do you source your seeds from?
We source our seeds from lots of amazing farmers and seed companies, mostly located on the East Coast such as Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds and the Maine Potato Lady.
What is the biggest hurdle you face when it comes to gardening/farming?
The challenges we face have changed as we’ve grown across my 15 years as a professional organic farmer -- from land access, to access to capital, to business training, to access to skilled labor, to climate change -- we navigate an extremely complex career with an abundance of hurdles!
What are the biggest rewards for you from gardening/farming?
The biggest rewards are noticing the biodiversity expand on my farm, the organic matter growing across years of soil samplings and watching the farmers I work with gain expertise and confidence.
Are you involved with any community initiatives such as seed/plant/food share, training, or other efforts in raising awareness?
Yes, I mentor farmers transitioning to organic practices, I am a part of the FARMpreneur program offering business training for climate-smart farmers and I serve as the Organic seat for the Maryland Agriculture Commission to promote organic farming interests across the state.
What inspiring message would you like to give to the community?
Life is going to scare and challenge you no matter which path you take, so lace up for the journey that inspires and energizes you. Do the things you’re scared of, engage in meaningful work and firmly hold onto the belief that the little things matter.