Photo courtesy Meadow Acre Gardens
History: In Sandston, a few miles east of the airport, 28-year-old culinary school graduate and ex-chef Michael Dudley has ditched the kitchen and his knives for boots and a broadfork. He and his wife, Jin, launched Meadow Acre Gardens, a 2-acre farm, in 2018. “I recently discovered this love for growing food,” he says.
Specialties: The duo focuses on growing microgreens; leafy greens like kale, Swiss chard and spinach; and root crops, including beets, turnips, radishes and carrots. They hope to sell pasture-raised eggs after the recent addition of chickens to the farm. Michael also bakes Agriberry Farm's oat bars.
Production methods: The Dudleys implement no-till or minimal-tillage practices and add blood, kelp or feather meal to their soil to raise nitrogen levels. “We only try to cultivate the top 2 to 3 inches of soil and preserve the soil biology,” Dudley says.
Where to find: Birdhouse Farmers Market and Dorey Park Farmers Market
