Theodore Wolf Wycall is the third generation of the Wolf-Wycall family to own what is now Greenbranch Farm. For the past two generations, farming activity on this 60 acres of land would have generally been confinement chicken houses, conventional corn and soybeans and the occasional planting of watermelons. Ted's grandfather, George Wolf, was a chicken grower and did raise chickens on this land in the 1960's, 70's and 80's. In the late 1980's the chicken houses and the old farmhouse were demolished.
Shortly after returning to Delmarva from Montana, Ted moved to the farm and constructed a simple house called a yurt. It was there he lived for three years with no electricity or running water. Living on the farm, Ted was eager to try his luck at farming but did not believe he had enough land to be a full time farmer. Little did he know. In 2005, Ted had a major enlightenment when he discovered Provident Farm and farmer Jay Martin. Jay was earning a living as a full-time farmer by growing organic vegetables on a small farm in Bivalve, Maryland. Immediately Ted applied for a job and fortunately was hired. Ever since, Ted has immersed himself in all aspects of agriculture.
In 2006 Greenbranch Farm was born. Along with getting to work in the fields, Ted also began work on what is now his home and base of operations. After attending a school on timber-frame construction, He returned to the farm to begin small-scale selective logging in his forest. Ted would then mill the logs into beams and use them in the construction of a building that would house him and the farming business. The goal was to build as environmentally friendly/energy efficient of a building as possible, using as many locally sourced materials as possible. After a lot of hard work and a lot of help from his friends and family, the dream came true. In September of 2007 the frame was raised and Ted was able to move in 5 months later.
Today Greenbranch Farm is still in a phase of major construction. Ted, his wife Julia, friends and family all continue their tireless efforts to make this dream a reality. Vegetables are still the cornerstone of the farm, but we continue to diversify. In the spring of 2009 there was tree plantings, establishment of a fruit orchard and berry plantation, and over a mile of fence construction. This spring we will be putting up two high tunnel greenhouses to allow us to extend the season. We are also beginning a pastured poultry operation to bring fresh, quality poultry to our customers all season. We hope that our excitement about good farming practices will continue to catch on as the years go by and that we can do our part to reconnect people with the earth, their food, and the people that grow it.
If you'd like to learn more about daily life on Greenbranch Farm, check out our newest farm blog Spring Chicken, Spring. Cait Etherton writes almost daily about how her and the rest of the crew spend their days in the fields. She takes great pictures, too, to give you an up close look at the farm.
