Hi – Ali here.

I first came to Wheatland as a summer worker between my sophomore and junior years at St. John’s College in Annapolis. It sounded like a challenge, and I wanted to work outside. After three years as a seasonal employee at Wheatland, I was ready to commit to a career in farming. I spent two seasons as a crew leader at another farm, managing seasonal staff in the daily tasks of keeping a farm running. It was my first experience in a formal management position, and it really helped me appreciate what goes on behind the scenes. I found that managing a crew well meant learning how to manage my time effectively and how to communicate clearly with workers.

In late 2005 I spoke again with Wheatland owners Chip and Susan Planck. They’ve been farming at Wheatland since the mid-1970s and were ready to invest time and energy into creating a co-housing community on the farm. At the same time, they were thinking really creatively about how to support young farmers in building a viable career. I entered into a special lease agreement: in return for rent, shared cost of equipment maintenance, and a percentage of market profits, I’m allowed use of land and machinery. It’s a pretty favorable situation! It’s a chance for us to get started as farmers without the up-front expenses of buying land and equipment.

Read about how Lisa came to Wheatland here.