FarmerJawn’s Christa Barfield on growing an urban farming business
The Germantown native is expanding from a CSA to CornerJawn produce stores, but funding is an ongoing challenge. Tune in to the final episode of the audio documentary “Thriving” to hear her story.
Words By Nichole Currie
Edited By Julie Zeglen
Techical
January 26, 2024
Excerpt:
Christa says the hidden lessons from her childhood are evident in her journey as an entrepreneur. In 2018, Christa launched Viva Leaf Tea, an organically-grown tea company. In 2020, she started FarmerJawn Agriculture, a program that allows customers to buy shares of fresh seasonal produce, much of it straight from Christa’s own farms. And shortly after, she opened a storefront, a garden center in Mount Airy that sells indoor plants and holistic items. From the outside looking in, Christa looks incredibly successful. She’s popular, people support her mission, and some even use her name interchangeably with her brand, FarmerJawn.
Christa Barfield: So many people will just look on the outside and see, like, all that you have going on. It’s like, “Oh my gosh, she has a farm. She just got five acres of land. And like, greenhouses and like she’s growing food and she got 20,000 followers” … thinking about all these beautiful and wonderful accolades. They don’t necessarily convert to dollars, and that’s just real.
To understand the imbalance, you have to look a little closer at Christa’s businesses. She says FarmerJawn is doing well. People sign up for produce boxes every season, and they often sell out. But most small agricultural businesses only break even. She would also like to see her tea company grow and be available in hotels, coffee shops — things like that. And as for her storefront, FarmerJawn Greenery.
