My mother's father was a farmer. He had a truck farm in Lakeview, on Long Island. I grew up next door to him and my grandmother. Grandpa grew all kinds of vegetables. Tomatoes, lettuce, beans – we ate out of his garden for months at a time. I planted my first garden next to his garage – pumpkin seeds. I think I was no more than six. As an adult, I always wanted to make sure the places where I lived had dirt to grow things in. My mother and I called it "dirt therapy." I still find it therapeutic. Feeling and smelling the earth, patting the seedlings into place, listening to the birdsong. Getting up each morning to see what has happened since the previous day.
Based in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Belle Acre Farm consists of 30 raised beds with a half acre of growing space. I raise fresh, organic produce and give it to the food pantry.