Marcey and Precious Guramatunhu hope to grow lettuce all year round.
at risk. The Trump administration’ s cold storage, meaning vegetables proposed 2026 federal budget had to be harvested to order. One includes a $ 4.5 billion cut to the day, a woman living with cancer Department of Agriculture, which arrived, weak and unable to wait could jeopardize programs like in the heat. Marcey found her a Farm to Food Bank and Community chair in the shade and prepared FarmShare. The loss of funding her order quickly. Hours later, after would threaten a growing network other customers had come and of farms, farmers, and families gone, Marcey noticed the woman depending on these initiatives for still sitting, quietly gazing across health and livelihood. the fields.
The potential disruption
“ I know I am still sick,” she said underscores just how essential softly,“ but I feel healed by being local support is to sustaining these here.” programs. Chirandu Farm’ s collaborations are a model for what challenge, Marcey doesn’ t hesitate.
When asked about her greatest
a resilient, equitable food system“ Labor,” she says. Both sisters work can look like— one where nourishment is rooted not just in soil, but able help is hard to find. The lack
full-time jobs off the farm, and reli- in solidarity. of public transportation to Dickerson means Marcey often drives
Direct sales remain a key part of Chirandu’ s business. For many workers to and from the Metro immigrants, the farm offers tastes at Shady Grove herself. Farming of home; for others— especially is physically demanding, and not those recovering from illness— everyone who volunteers is prepared for the work.“ Lots of people it offers food they can trust. Marcey grows all her produce without think they want to farm,” she says, synthetic chemicals, harvesting gesturing toward a high tunnel full most orders fresh when customers of compost.“ But when it comes arrive. to moving all this compost with Until recently, the farm lacked a wheelbarrow... sometimes they
don’ t come back the next day.”
Marcey knows that with more help, she and Precious could produce much more on their 26 acres. But she has big plans for this season. On this morning in May, a field is tilled and ready to be seeded with an African variety of corn to be eaten fresh and dried for processing into porridge. Marcey’ s goal for the season is to grow lettuce all year round with the guidance of her UDC mentor. She knows the demand for both crops will far outstrip Chirandu’ s production capacity.
For Marcey and Precious Guramatunhu, Chirandu Farm is more than a business. It is a labor of love, a vessel of heritage, and a promise to the land— and people— they serve. Their dream of a tea house hasn’ t died. Marcey describes her vision for a farm-totable gathering space serving the bounty of the Agricultural Reserve, a place for her sister’ s traditional recipes to share table space with those of other local chefs. She pictures an on-farm store that assembles products from neighboring farms, and an opportunity for her growing group of customers to immerse themselves in the mountain views and fresh air while making deep and enduring connections to the Agricultural Reserve that will build long-term support for farmland preservation and regenerative production for generations to come.
Amanda Cather is the Mid-Atlantic Deputy Director for American Farmland Trust and co-owner with her husband Mark of Plow and Stars Farm, a pastured livestock operation in Poolesville, Maryland.
20 plenty I summer growing 2025