We should all be more connected with where our food comes from and I am proud to help my family, friends and community achieve that
I would love to say that I knew I wanted to be a farmer from a young age, that I grew up moving animals and driving tractors, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! My journey to farming has been unconventional and not without a few raised eyebrows.
What I really wanted to do was to join the Army, a goal that I achieved at the age of 16 when I was accepted as an officer cadet at the Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College, and then onto the DTUS scheme at University. That career was cut short due to a medical condition, which then led me down the path of professional sports.
I competed for Great Britain in the Paralympic Rowing Team for 6 years, during which time I met my husband Rob, who was competing for the USA at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Rob grew up on a farm in Lovettsville, and when I started toying with the idea of learning to be a farmer, Rob knew that Loudoun County, Virginia was where we needed to be.
We bought our land (about 13 acres) in 2017, built our home in 2019 and Pam co-founded Gathering Springs Farm with her friend Sarah that season, growing vegetables and selling to a CSA and at the farmers market. Alongside a large laying flock of hens, I started raising animals for meat in 2021 and now raise meat chickens, pigs, thanksgiving turkeys and lamb.
