I’m David—this is my farm! When I was nineteen looking for a summer job while having no marketable skills, I saw a flyer for Wheatland Vegetable Farms and figured that would probably be the most interesting minimum-wage job around. I had no idea what I was getting into! But I liked the excitement of working 60-hour weeks & living with the crew here on that 20-acre farm, next door to several neighboring farms. For the next several summers I worked again on WVF and for other farms, learning how to work from the people I worked with, and how to farm from the people I worked for.

Since the farming neighbors here all made their living from farm income I assumed that was typical of a small farm, and after I graduated from Oberlin with a music degree I returned to start my own farm business here with the support of my neighbors to try and do the same. I liked farming, and I wanted to try out my own ideas about growing vegetables—but I knew that if this business didn't support my long-term livelihood, I'd go and do something else!

I like math, science, engineering, and figuring out how to build systems & solve problems to make things work. For me, growing crops and running a business is an endless opportunity for this sort of problem-solving, and a way to live with my neighbors in the wider rural community of people all engaged in a similar agricultural effort. Today I cultivate some of the same land that I worked that very first summer; those former employers are now my landlords and friends. We’re still here in Wheatland 20 years later, figuring out how to grow vegetables better this year than we did last year!

I’m Oscar—Eager to get my hands in soil, to focus on seeds, sprouts, and harvests, I left my nonprofit job of fighting food waste and made my way to a neighboring vegetable farm here in Wheatland. Over the last few years more and more of my focus has been at SSF, and now in my 4th season, I'm looking forward to stepping into some new responsibilities as fieldwork coordinator. Growing food satisfies on so many levels, and I’m excited to continue farming with a commitment to have fun and get it done.

I’m Alyssa—After relocating from Richmond back home to Loudoun, I felt compelled to shift gears, spend more time outside, and focus on supporting sustainable food networks within my community. A chance Craigslist ad landed me my first farming gig in Wheatland in 2022; last year, I worked on a nearby flower farm but missed the hands-on connection with food. SSF welcomed me for the latter part of the season and I was glad to come help with the harvests a couple times a week. Returning this year as a full crew member, I'm eager to continue learning how to grow high quality veggies and connecting people to nourishing food.

I’m Matt—After serving as an Army logistics officer in Colorado Springs, I resolved to blend my work and passions together. This led me towards practicing and teaching massage therapy, partner acrobatics, and slackline yoga. Heeding the not-so-subtle invitation from the pandemic to make further life changes, my wife and I decided to move back to the east coast to be near family and raise our newborn daughter on a small farm here in Purcellville. Since connecting with the Wheatland community I have been exploring a love of building unique structures and restoring the old buildings often found on farms. This year, I am thrilled to deepen that connection, feed our greater community, and play in the dirt.

I’m Becky—I worked at neighboring Potomac Vegetable Farms for 7 years, and then after having children I was glad to be able to stay involved with PVF by helping manage the CSA for them. When David started the CSA at SSF back in 2015 I was happy for another opportunity in our farming community, and I've been collecting recipes, editing and sending your CSA emails behind the scenes ever since! It's been wonderful to watch the growth and evolution of the farm and CSA over the last decade. Otherwise I spend time in my own garden and as a Fairfax County Master Gardener, and I knit whenever my hands are clean.