How a DC urban farm owner pivoted and found success during the pandemic

Mary Ackley of Little Wild Things Farm told us she lost 90% of her business in one week at the beginning of the pandemic. Then she pivoted, found success, and even got a visit from President Joe Biden.

By Kidd O’Shea
ABC7
April 12th 2021

Excerpt:

“We really had to think hard, at one point I almost had to shut the lights off,” she said.

At that time her city farm located in Northeast Washington mostly supplied restaurants in the D.C. area with fresh microgreens and edible flowers.

“My business was about 90% wholesale before COVID-19,” she said.

When all of them closed because of the pandemic, Mary was forced to redesign her business

“So, we came up with the idea of home delivery,” she said. “We knew that people need nutritious produce more than ever.”

The response was overwhelming.

“Thank everything, thank everyone that it’s been successful and it worked out,” she said.

Since our visit last June, Mary has continued to expand.

“We started the salad share program its now a growing subscription program we’re delivering to over 350 houses over the Washington, D.C. area including in Maryland and Virginia.”

Read the complete article here.