CROWNSVILLE, Md. — Wildberry Farm and Market in Anne Arundel County is home to greenery, goats, and a dream that’s on the brink.
Bridget and Matthew Jones, co-owners of the farm, say they’ve been struggling to stay afloat for months.
“We have been quietly panicking since January,” said Bridget.
The couple hosts weekly markets featuring small businesses, but their last event didn’t bring in the income they’d hoped. Bridget says their savings dried up.
“We needed $1,175 to pay our bills. My bank account was at $0. I made $843 and I was like we can’t do this anymore. We can’t farm,” she shared.
What makes Wildberry Farm more than just a business is the deep personal history behind it.
“I cried harder than I've ever cried before because this is my dream. This farm is the only home I've known in my life. If I don't have this, I don’t know where I'm going to live. I don’t know where I’m going to raise my kids,” she said through tears.
The family says they’ve been hit by a string of setbacks: grants have fallen through, and vendor participation has dropped significantly. Of the more than 580 small businesses they’ve worked with since 2019, only about 120 have signed on this season.
“Which is a humongous loss to us and that's what sustains us through the winter,” said Bridget.
The Jones family turned to Facebook with an plea for help. The response was overwhelming.
“I have to tell everybody either we're going to have to close or we can stay open with your help,” said Bridget.
Within hours, hundreds of people shared the post. Neighbors and strangers reached out, asking how they could support the farm.
“Our prayers were literally answered overnight,” Bridget said. “I’m forever grateful that we get to stay here another week.”
Her husband Matthew echoed that emotion.
“It’s more than just land in this area, it’s our heart and soul,” he said. “Seeing people just rally was so heartwarming.”
The wave of support was a lifeline, but it doesn’t solve the ongoing challenges. The family faces rising expenses, unpredictable weather, and aging equipment.
“Traditional farming, you could have made a living doing that,” Matthew said. “But now land isn’t as plentiful. Equipment breaks. Equipment’s only gotten more expensive.”
Bridget left her career in teaching and Matt retired from working in the marine industry to pursue farm life full time, a leap of faith the family took to build something lasting.
"Farming it's a funny catch-22 because it's a very necessary thing. But it's difficult to pay the bills," said Matt.
“His grandfather bought this piece of property when he was 16 and he was a firefighter farmer,” said Bridget.
They now hope it’s something they can preserve for their children.
“One of my favorite things is just going out into the garden, picking a snap pea and just eating it,” said their daughter Magnolia. “A lot of memories have been held on this farm.”
The Jones family is also exploring other options to help sustain the business, including building an indoor structure to help store more produce.
“We’re launching a Let's Grow Together campaign so that we can have a community centered barn structure here. In our area we don't have anything like that. We don't have a library in Crownsville. We don't have a community center. Our closest library is Crofton and Odenton so our zoning and planning doesn't have a space to meet. We're hoping that we can fill that void and also use that to springboard our farm into this future of what farming has to be, to be sustainable,” said Bridget.
For more information on the family’s farm, click here.
