Oksana Bocharova, Chestertown, Maryland Oksana Bocharova, a native of the Belgorod region of Russia, inherited her love farming and nature from her father, Yuriy. He managed a large collective farm and would often bring her to the fields and teach her all that he knew about agriculture as he examined the crops. By the time she was seven, she knew she wanted to be a farmer. In 2013, that dream became a reality; she was able to secure a loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture under a program designed to help immigrants, women and beginning farmers to start their own farms. With strong support from family and friends, Oksana bought seven acres in historic Chestertown, MD, and began the process of cover-cropping to improve soil organic content and growing vegetables for local markets and her CSA subscribers. Her love for the land and her strict adherence to not using synthetics or genetically modified organisms can be observed—and tasted—in the quality of her fresh produce and fermented vegetables.
