The owners of DeFeo Family Farm are not your typical small farmers. Deeply rooted in the science of food production, Christopher and Laura got their start with PhD's in chemistry and biochemistry at Yale University, with Christopher going on to work as a research scientist at the FDA and Laura working in science policy at the National Academy of Sciences.

Their curiosity, health consciousness, and love for being outside in nature led them to volunteer on farms, pursue permaculture design and health coaching, and ultimately led them to complete the Beginner Farmer Training Program with Future Harvest (a regional partner of Foodshed Capital). Now at Defeo Family Farms, they used regenerative practices to produce diversified vegetables and chickens on three acres in Frederick County, Maryland. Their mission is to improve their community's health and provide education and training services for people ready to embrace healthy food creatively. Although the farm is a relatively new operation, they Defeo's have quickly expanded their customer base from friends and neighbors to a local healthcare system and school lunch program, with online and on-farm sales on the horizon.

Foodshed Capital is proud to have provided DeFeo Family Farm with a $15,000 low-interest bridge loan to cashflow the purchase of a high tunnel as they await reimbursement from an NRCS grant.