In 2006, I packed up my life in Southern CA and moved to the rolling countryside of Baltimore County.
We bought Oak Spring Farm. Sight unseen. A little farm with a faded old sign but no business.
I didn’t arrive with a business plan.
There were no investors.
No plan to build a CSA farm or become a farm coach and consultant.
I arrived with a three-year-old, a seven-month-old, two confused city dogs, and not a single real friend in town.
The Accidental Beginning
When we bought this property, I learned something that changed everything: because we were zoned Agricultural, we were required to generate $2,500 per year in farm income and file a Schedule F on our taxes.
I remember thinking, Okay… I can be a farmer.
So I did what any slightly overwhelmed former city mom with a biology degree and a love of fresh food would do:
Got chickens.
Put up a roadside stand.
Planted a garden.
At the same time, I was deeply disappointed in the grocery store produce. Spoiled by vibrant Southern California farmers markets, the food here felt tired. Lifeless. I knew it could be better.
That combination — necessity and conviction — is what launched Oak Spring Farm.
The Early Farm Years
My first CSA had six members.
Six.
I stored greens in a dorm room fridge on my deck.
Didn’t have a walk-in cooler — had an Igloo beer cooler.
My wash station was my kitchen sink.
Collapsible card table was my work space.
Greens spinner? Also my kitchen salad spinner.
Friends came to help on harvest days. Their kids washed eggs and spun lettuce. The little ones raced tricycles and Big Wheels up and down the driveway. We ate lunch together. We finished by 1 p.m. so everyone could get home for naps.
It was:
Bare bones.
Chaotic.
Beautiful.
And I was learning.
Growth
What started as a requirement quickly became a calling.
By 2009, when our fourth child, Isabelle, was born, my “garden” had grown into a substantial production space and a small but steady CSA. It was no longer a hobby. It was becoming a business.
In 2012, I enrolled in the Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP) through Future Harvest. That experience sharpened my skills and widened my vision. That same year, I began selling to my first restaurants and helped start the Hereford Farmer’s Market.
From roadside stand…
to CSA…
selling to restaurants…
starting a farm market…
But let me be clear: none of it was smooth.
There were crop failures and a failed marriage.
Some seasons I wondered if I would make it.
Then years I overplanted, underpriced, and overworked..a lot of them.
So many tears.
And tremendous joy.
I Didn’t Start Big. I Built It.
So I didn’t inherit land already in production.
Nor did I marry a farmer.
Not to mention, no agricultural infrastructure.
I built Oak Spring Farm while raising kids.
And learning QuickBooks.
Meanwhile figuring out organic certification.
Moreover navigating marriage, divorce, motherhood, employees, interns, volunteers, and weather patterns that didn’t care about my plans.
Over time, the CSA grew to over 150 members.
We became a profitable Certified Organic farm.
Systems were developed.
Hence, a loyal community was built.
Coupled with customer retention year after year.
But the success you see now rests on years of trial, error, humility, and relentless refinement.
Why I’m a Good Farm Coach
I’m a good farm coach and consultant because:
1. I’ve lived the scrappy beginning.
So if you’re washing lettuce in your bathtub or storing carrots in a beer fridge, I understand you. I’ve been there.
2. I built profitability from the ground up.
Indeed, I know the difference between being busy and being profitable. I’ve learned how to price correctly, retain CSA members, streamline packing days, and design systems that protect your sanity.
3. I understand motherhood and farming together.
I didn’t build this farm instead of raising my children — I built it alongside them. So, I know the tension. I know the guilt. Explicitly, I know the fierce desire to do both well.
4. I’ve made the mistakes for you.
Like overcomplicating offerings.
Or undercharging.
Saying yes when I should have said no.
I’ve burned out.
And I’ve come back wiser.
5. I believe farmers deserve joy — not just survival.
Firstly, A CSA that isn’t profitable isn’t sustainable. And a farmer who is exhausted and resentful cannot build lasting community.
Secondly my coaching is rooted in real numbers, real dirt, and real life.
From Farmer to Farm Coach and Consultant
After more than 15 years of running a profitable, organic farm I feel a new pull — not away from farming, but toward helping other farmers succeed faster and with less pain.
I’m a Certified Marketing and Business Coach.
My passion as a farm coach and consultant is helping new and established CSA farmers.
I started teaching systems: calendar planning, pricing, retention strategies, efficient harvest days, marketing that feels authentic instead of desperate.
Because here’s what I know:
You don’t need:
150 members to start.
A fancy walk-in cooler.
Perfect infrastructure.
You need:
Clarity
Systems
Courage
I started with six members, a dorm room fridge, and a dream. If I could build a profitable, peaceful farm from that beginning, you can build yours too.
And sometimes what makes the biggest difference isn’t working harder… it’s having someone beside you who has already walked the path. A farm coach. A consultant. Someone who understands both the numbers and the emotions of building a farm life you love.
So here’s a way to get started today. A huge part of my success is making a schedule and sticking to it.
If you’re ready to get the to-do list out of your head and into a system you can trust, I invite you to join me.
Sign up for my free class: 2026 Farm Success: Get the To-Do List Out of Your Head and On Your Calendar
Friday, April 10th | 12 noon | Live on Zoom
One hour. Real strategies. A simple system that can change everything.
Because the right schedule doesn’t just make you more productive…
it gives you your life back.
Send me an email from your best email to send a ZOOM link
Thanks for sharing, Lisa.