The seed was planted...It all began on an ordinary day when two brothers had an extraordinary discussion. The words exchanged between the Markwith brothers that day led them down a road they will stay on the rest of their lives. They spoke of the current state of the world, how humanity acts towards each other and towards the environment, The Tragedy of the Commons, and how they could do their part to make the Earth a better place. Together, they came to the conclusion that by reevaluating the way the food system exists in America, they could implement the best ideas from all different aspects of food production into one sustainable system.
The younger brother, Sam (only 16 at the time), set himself on the track to gain more knowledge as he received his Bachelors degree in Environmental Horticulture from Virginia Tech. Scott, the older brother (also a Tech grad) has waited patiently for his brother while making a name for himself at the Newport News Shipyard. Now they are ready to hit the ground running! |
About usThe Markwiths are not from a farming family, they just recognize the need for a massive re-haul of our current food system. Nothing about how our food is grown and reaches our plates is sustainable for future generations. Currently, we grow our food in massive monocultures using practices that have been proven harmful to the integrity of the land, and then ship the produce 1000's of miles until they reach consumers plates.
Markwith Farms practices will be the polar opposite of these massive carbon emitting systems. All of their food will be produced with Mother Nature in mind and as their number one priority. By mimicking natural processes, they will be able to provide food to Gloucester and the surrounding area with minimal negative environmental impacts. A few of their practices will be no-till top down soil building, cover cropping, polyculture and permaculture, Integrated Pest Management, and drip irrigation. Once Markwith Farms is well established in our community, the majority of the profits brought in will go to other young ambitious farmers with similar ideas so they can start their dream farm. Together, and only together, can we restore the health of our beautiful Earth and ensure it remains habitable for generations to come. |