Liz Whitehurst, the owner and operator of Owl’s Nest Farm, will be speaking at the upcoming Washington, D.C. Food Tank Summit: “Cultivating the Next Generation of Young Food Leaders.”

Liz Whitehurst is the Owner/Operator of Owl’s Nest Farm in Upper Marlboro, MD.  Owl’s Nest Farm is a small-scale, diversified, four-acre vegetable farm located 15 miles outside Washington, D.C. where Liz and her team grow unique, delicious, nutritious vegetables for their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members, one D.C. farmers’ market, local restaurants, and friends. Liz and her farm were recently featured in a Washington Post article about how young farmers are changing the food system.

Food Tank had the opportunity to talk to Liz about her journey to becoming a CSA farmer, how she has seen food stimulate social connections, and her advice for those interested in engaging more with their local food system:

FT: How are you helping to build a better food system?

LW: I’m growing food in a way that’s healthy for people and for the environment.

In particular, I’m a CSA farmer, and I think CSA’s model the kind of food system we should be working toward. CSA farms grow a diversity of crops that are marketed locally, CSA farmers have a direct relationship with eaters, and CSA members eat a wide variety of fresh, local, and seasonal food.

FT: What’s the most pressing issue in food and agriculture that you’d like to see solved?

LW: The issues in the food system are deeply and inextricably linked to the issues we see in our broader society. In other words, in order to create a healthy, just food system, we’ve got to also work on ending racism, sexism, capitalism, homophobia, ableism, and more.

Read the full article about community supported agriculture by Madelyn Vital at Food Tank.