Happy Vibes Farm, Broad Run, VA
In 2021, Swathi Gaddam and her husband and support, Balamurugan Thangamani, bought a run-down property to turn their vision of starting a farm into a reality. Just prior to that, she quit her lucrative tech job to work on the farm full-time. From 2021 to 2022, the couple started to clear the land and renovated and moved to their current home. In 2022, they officially started the farm business and started with a CSA. Their farm is located in the city of Broad Run in Prince William County, Virginia.
They provide farm-fresh veggies, greens, eggs, flowers, and plants, specializing in Indian and South Asian varieties that bring greater diversity to their local farmers markets. Currently, they are doing CSA, two farmers markets, deliveries, and local pickups.
They also grow ecologically and sustainably. Their best practices include using mushroom compost, worm castings, organic amendments, non-GMO and locally grown chicken feed, and high tunnels to capture solar energy, as well as using electric tools, saving seeds, using reusable or biodegradable packaging, and more.
The couple’s goal is to provide food year-round and slowly build infrastructure such as fencing. Fencing has a greater impact and need at the farm right now. Not only does it protect from deer and other vectors, but it also would allow the farmers to make better use of the land, let their chickens free range, and expand the farm operation. With fencing, they will be able to have clearly defined growing and management areas.