Many people who own their own farms grow up learning from their parents on their family properties and eventually take over or start their own enterprises with family resources. Elliot grew up in Connecticut and Emma grew up in Maryland both the children of working professionals, farm life was not the life they were steered towards!

Emma and Elliot met at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County PA in 2007 where they were inspired by the landscape and the farms of the surrounding Mennonite and Amish communities. Both Elliot and Emma knew that they wanted to work in agriculture and spend their time growing (and eating!) great food. Some of their farming experiences have taken them all over the US:

USVI St. Croix at their Agricultural Institute This experience was a huge learning opportunity with hazardous soil conditions, the basics of figuring out how to amend soils, and the importance of leadership and community relationships to help solve problems.
Internships: Rolling Fork, Kentucky at a 10-acre CSA Farm & Permaculture Farm in Indiana These two examples of family farming heavily influenced what Emma and Elliot dreamed of for their own lives and provided opportunities to participate in many types of farm enterprises both vegetable and animal based.
Farm Manager West Virginia A lot was learned about taxes, government partnerships, organic certification, farmers markets, and customer connections.
Certified Organic Farm King, North Carolina There, they spent a season of growing garlic and other vegetables on a Certified Organic farm and fell in love with the landscape of the Piedmont.
In the Fall of 2014 Elliot and Emma realized the time had come to take the leap of business ownership. Elliot secured land in Pfafftown, NC and started preparing for the next Spring. During this time, he developed a business plan to grow micro greens and lettuce, established Fair Share Farm, LLC as a legal NC business, applied for a small loan with the USDA, and began reaching out to restaurants, farmers markets, and retail customers. Emma and Elliot appeared at all sorts of community events with trays of micro greens and brochures for CSA memberships.

After teaching for Winston Salem Forsyth County Schools for three years to support the launch of the business, Emma taught her last class in 2017 before joining the farm full-time as the sales and marketing manager. Since then, the team has expanded from one full-time employee to a team of 8-15 full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers. The farm serves over 40 restaurant clients in Winston Salem and Charlotte and attends Cobblestone Farmers Market and Davidson Farmers Market year-round. You can also find Fair Share Farm products for pick up at the pop-up stand on Saturdays at Bobby Boy Bakeshop. It is an honor to serve the community with fresh food and every day is filled with purpose and gratitude.