Farm from a Box • December 9, 2021

We are surrounded by incredible people who are putting in the work, uplifting their communities, and making real change. It’s time we shared their stories! Welcome to the first edition of Farm from a Box’s Farmer Feature, a new series highlighting heroes that we are proud to know, work with, and learn from.

Meet Marcus Roberson: Veteran, Farmer, & Entrepreneur

Born and raised in the Bronx, Marcus Roberson never imagined he'd become a farmer. Now, the Army Veteran runs WoodBox Farm - the very first first Incubator Farm at the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture - and has developed an app to create more market opportunities for Black farmers. 

After completing his service in the Army, Marcus found re-entry to civilian life challenging. He needed to recalibrate his thinking, senses, and reactions.

"Transitioning back to civilian life can be difficult because we have a lot of expectations that veterans will be valued in society, but that's not always the case," he said, noting that he didn't receive the support he needed, even after reaching out for mentorship.

Marcus struggled to find a job that felt like the right fit for him. More than anything, he said, his time in the Army made him extremely hesitant to want to work for anyone else.

Eventually, Marcus came across Arcadia's Veteran Farmer Program, where he found the freedom and purpose he'd been searching for. He completed both their Veteran Farmer Reserve Program and their Veteran Farm Fellowship before being asked to launch Arcadia's Veteran Farm Incubator Program. In 2018, WoodBox Farm was born.

WoodBox Farm, a venture Marcus describes as being eye opening, amazing, and terrifying all at once, is an education-oriented farm that sits on a quarter-acre plot. Marcus and his team grow a variety of produce, including watermelon, cucumbers, pumpkins, garlic, tomatoes, and peppers. While the goal is to increase production and profit in the coming seasons, Marcus said his primary focus will always be to create a space that fosters collective learning and growth. 

In addition to providing learning opportunities for other beginner farmers, youth, and community members, Marcus works with both the University of the District of Colombia and the University of Maryland to research soil health, rainwater collection, and various crops.

"Creating and celebrating life - being part of a process that is about sustaining lives - is a wholly different animal than when you're training for war."

There's a paradigm shift in your mindset and approach when you're not going into battle, Marcus said. You cannot go into a battle with nature and win - not without cheating anyway. This is the philosophy that guides Marcus' work and is the reason WoodBox Farm uses no pesticides or herbicides and practices a low-to-no-till system. Protecting soil health, microbial habitats, and even pests like groundhogs and beetles is a priority.

"Farming in a way that is non-destructive and non-combative is liberating because, bluntly, we're not trying to kill anything. Really embracing what we can do without trying to force our will upon nature has really helped me with healing," he said.

To better support Veterans who are interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, Marcus would like to see a more robust support system that guides Veterans through different networking and job opportunities as well as increased land access. 

One of the most important things we can do, he said, is educate people that the skills they already have can be brought into the agricultural space. You can be a carpenter, electrician, plumber, accountant, or mechanic - there are so many occupations that support our food system.

"Even if you don't want to farm, you can still help create a better planet, grow better food, extend our lives, mitigate damage that's been done, and clean up spaces that are available to us," he said. "Just being able to share that would open up eyes, minds, and doors that are waiting to be opened."

Creating Market Opportunities: Good Earth Therapy

Initially an idea to promote WoodBox Farm's produce, Marcus developed the Good Earth Therapy app. Similar to other online produce retailers (such as Instacart), Good Earth Therapy allows customers to find and purchase local produce.

He soon realized that Black farmers across the United States lacked access to market opportunities. With the framework for Good Earth Therapy already in place, Marcus decided to use the app to promote other farms alongside his own and help them connect with more customers.

This free app, which is one of the only existing resources that highlights Black-owned farms across the country, now lists over 3,000 farms and allows consumers to search by zip code, city, state, or even by farm name.

If you'd like to support Marcus' work, he says moral support and "sweat equity" are the most valuable ways to contribute.If you're in the Richmond, VA area, you can find Marcus' farm at the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture.

Marcus invites you to stop by, learn more about his work, bring a friend to volunteer, purchase some produce, or simply just cheer in support as you're driving past.

If you're not local, you can follow and share his work on Instagram!