Cultivating an Equitable Food SystemAt Sprouting Farms, we believe that where our food comes from—and how we get it—matters. Food is many things. It’s a method of passing on traditions, making memories, and bringing people together around the same table. Of course, it’s also the literal stuff that keeps us in motion‚ that sustains us in our day-to-day life. In much the same way, farms play a crucial role in sustaining the many systems of which we’re all a part. They’re spaces of transformation where livelihoods and futures are forged. |
Sprouting Farms is more than just a farmWe’re a group of farmers, educators, advocates, and entrepreneurs who’re in the business of growing farms, as well as increasing food access and feeding people good food. By providing producers with critical training and resources and building connections to local markets, we’re planting the seeds of a healthier, stronger, and more sustainable future—both for those who grow and those who eat. |
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Our VisionWhen West Virginia’s farms and farmers have the tools they need to nourish our communities with food grown from the land we live on, our entire region will thrive.
Community
Since the beginning of time, food has been a force that brings people together. More than nourishment for our bodies, it’s the building block of healthy families and communities. Knowing this to be true, we’re working to shape and nurture a future where local food is served not just at home but also in schools, institutions, and grocery stores throughout the region. Equity
Every farmer deserves to be paid a living wage. And every West Virginian, regardless of income level, has a right to healthy, local food. That’s why, at Sprouting Farms, we’re all about creating access: access to land, markets, and capital, access to fair employment opportunities, and access to affordable, locally-grown food. Innovation
The desire (and need!) for nutritious food, produced here at home in West Virginia, has never been greater. In fact, right now, supply can’t meet demand. We aim to bring locally-grown food to all West Virginia families by providing the education, training, and resources required to support sustainable farm businesses and increase local food production statewide. |
Our MissionWith the demand for nutritious, locally-grown food steadily on the rise in West Virginia, opportunities for agricultural and economic development are plentiful. Through programs that combine education, business support, resource sharing, and land, market, and food access, we seek to develop new and existing farm businesses and increase sustainable food production statewide. Ultimately, our objective is to grow regional prosperity by supporting the growth and success of local agriculture—thereby creating more well-paying jobs and ensuring that all West Virginians, regardless of income level, can enjoy healthy, local food.
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Our Team
Marcus McGuireFarm Crew
marcus@sproutingfarms.org Marcus recently finished high school in Summers County. As a native of the region, Marcus is excited to join our crew in order to learn new skills in organic farming practices and farming equipment management.
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Lucas SharpeAssistant Farm Manager/Production Manager
lucassharpe@sproutingfarms.org Lucas Sharpe is originally from Deltaville, VA. After a seven year career in the maritime industry, he made the decision to try his hand at farming. He started a small farm in Virginia and went through a beginner farming program coordinated by the Small Farms Outreach Program through the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia State University. Life led him to West Virginia, and he is honored to be a part of such an amazing team here at Sprouting Farms!
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Beth VillersFood Access Coordinator
beth@sproutingfarms.org Beth completed her graduate work in Geography at WVU, while working with the WVU Food Justice Lab. Today she works to support Sprouting Farms’ mission of providing healthy food to local communities.
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John Archer
Farm Crew
john@sproutingfarms.org John Archer has 26 years of experience in mechanics. He took two years of training in collision repair. At Sprouting Farm John is working on vehicle and tractor maintenance. John finds the atmosphere and outdoors nature of his work to be a pleasure.
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Board of Directors
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Eric Fitts
Eric is the Director of Bethlehem Farm (bethlehemfarm.net), a small Catholic nonprofit in Clayton, WV. Bethlehem hosts groups of high school and college volunteers on service-retreats. Bethlehem Farm has a mission to transform lives through service with the local community and the teaching of sustainable practices. Eric has 17 years of experience in agriculture and local food systems. He has a Masters in Public Administration with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from West Virginia University, which afforded him a strong base of knowledge and robust professional network in the region. Annie Stroud Board President Annie grew up on a sheep farm in Greenbrier County WV and is currently Project Manager for the Buzz Food Service Appalachian Abattoir in Charleston WV. She has expertise in local food systems research and assessment, resource access, rural business development, business and implementation planning, and farm business service through her past work with Downstream Strategies and the Value-Chain Cluster Initiative. She was a founding team member of Sprouting Farms and is humbled to be back serving as Board President. |
Spencer Moss
Spencer’s roots in agriculture run deep and family happenstance has committed her to supporting those who want to feed their communities and enjoy farming as a livelihood find the resources to do so. After spending two years developing food security projects in central and southern Appalachia, she joined the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition in 2015, where she now serves as the Executive Director. Spencer holds a B.S. in Communications from Missouri Western State University and a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in Local Governance and Community Development from West Virginia University. Ashley Matheny Ashley Matheny is a Master’s level licensed psychologist who works primarily with adults suffering from substance abuse. Ms. Matheny previously worked in Logan, WV and has recently taken employment with Coplin Health in Wirt and Jackson County. While In Logan, WV Ms. Matheny assisted one facilitating the development of the Fresh Start program which pairs substance abuse treatment with gardening opportunities. Mary Legg |
Incubator Farmers
Natasha Zoe
For Natasha, farming runs in the family. The oldest of ten children, Natasha grew up on a homestead in Mineral County where she was responsible for tending to an acre-large garden and menagerie of animals. She also headed north almost every summer to lend a hand on her grandparents’ fruit and vegetable farm in Michigan. It wasn’t until retiring from the marine corps and moving back to West Virginia, though, that she became seriously interested in farming for herself.
Driving by Sprouting Farms one day in the middle of the pandemic, she decided to check it out. The rest is history. The Incubator Program was a perfect fit, and now Natasha has signed a lease on roughly a dozen greenhouses and is working to establish a farm collective with her dad and close friend, Michelle. Old varieties, heirlooms, co-planting, sustainability, and permaculture are among the collective’s specialties—they ‘don’t do’ monocultures (planting one thing by itself). Just like people, Michelle believes that plants flourish in community. 
Tamara EskridgeTamara Eskridge first discovered her passion for agriculture as a child on her parents’ dairy farm in Florida. When she moved to West Virginia several decades later to be closer to her grown-up daughter and young granddaughter, she wanted to keep the tradition going. She started leasing high tunnels from Sprouting Farms, and her personal farm business—which revolves around cultivating vegetables and a few animals, too—took off.
She looks forward to visits with her grandchildren every other weekend and enjoys being able to share her love of farming with them. The eldest, whom Tamara calls her “little farmer girl,” has developed a particular fondness for ponies and picking every edible she can find. The youngest has been introduced to the riches of the farm through baby food made with veggies from Tamara’s high tunnels. Tamara is excited about the future and grateful for the opportunity to watch her grandchildren and farm flourish. |
John ArcherJohn Archer was working at a convenience store down the road when he landed a full-time maintenance job with Sprouting Farms. As he got to know the other farmers, he decided that he’d like to give growing a shot, too. He’d recently inherited a few acres in Summers County from his grandfather, and he wanted to see what he could do.
John has become a skillful producer of various types of vegetables using Sprouting Farms’ high tunnels and fields, and he’s mastered the art of caring for chickens and rabbits as well. He regularly sells them at Sprouting Farms’ farm stand and Community Days, with the help of his 15-year-old daughter. His favorite part of being an incubator farmer is the chance to help members of the community—many of whom have, like himself, grown up in Summers County—experience the land and food in new ways. |
Greg GrimGreg Grim is a jack of all trades. His work has ranged from wetland restoration to carpentry, psychiatric nursing to greenhouse management, but he’s always had a love of plants. He grew up gardening with his mom on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and became fascinated with permaculture after spending a year on a farm in Nicaragua. When he learned about the launch of Sprouting Farms’ Incubator Program in 2017, he packed up his things and moved to West Virginia in hopes of taking his farming skills to the next level.
In between building houses and pursuing a certificate in nursing, Greg is focused on growing as much of his own food as possible. Depending on the season, Greg’s high tunnel is filled with raspberries, garlic, a variety of herbs, husk cherries and tomatillos, strawberries, figs, mulberries, broccoli, melons, radishes, turnips, fennel, ginger, turmeric, peas, and more. Chamomile and a technique called Korean Natural Farming are his most recent experiments. |
Job Opportunities |
We are looking for highly motivated and enthusiastic candidates interested in farming and food production. Interns will learn all aspects of growing, including seeding, planting/transplanting, cultivating, harvesting, packing, digital record keeping, etc. The internship is paid and can last between three to five months between May and September. Please apply here.
View full job description here.
View full job description here.
We are seeking a driven candidate to join our team and embark on an exciting new adventure into the world of farm production, food access, and community outreach. Join our production team and learn the ins and outs of growing produce on a farm that uses organic and sustainable practices. Help at our retail markets selling produce to excited community members, while also helping to support our education goals by hosting volunteers and community classes. Invite school and after school programs and clubs to the farm and host group tours and activities. The farm has a variety of education and experience to share for anyone interested in local food systems.
Apply on Indeed and send your resume to contact@sproutingfarms.org.
View the full description here.
Apply on Indeed and send your resume to contact@sproutingfarms.org.
View the full description here.
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Sprouting Farms
4661 Rt 3 & 12 Talcott WV, 24981 (304) 466 5175 Check out our latest events on Facebook. |
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