Heather Wright is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a fifth-generation farmer on her family farm in Berkeley County, West Virginia. Her mom’s side of the family were dairy, crop, and subsistence farmers and her dad’s side had pasture-based turkeys and a cow/calf operation that spanned 84 years.
The history in her family’s farm goes a long way and in 2030, they will reach the centennial mark – ownership in one family since 1930!
Growing up, her family always had a small garden and grew a few things that they would all eat – especially tomatoes and sunflowers. Over the years, that interest grew into larger gardens. She was also interested in exercise and health, which led to her reading Mother Earth News, the work of J.I. Rodale (founder of the Rodale Institute), and attending gardening fairs.
“I always wanted to find a way to combine the medical side of health with what we put on and in our bodies,” said Heather. “I took great interest in food as medicine during my nursing and post-graduate nursing studies, and later while practicing in diabetes and metabolic health.”
It varies slightly from year to year but she’s grown tomatoes, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, brussels sprouts, beets, radishes, arugula, mustard greens, collards, green beans, potatoes, sweet corn, onions, okra, peppers, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, watermelon, basil, and garlic.
In 2024, Heather was a Fellowship Fund awardee and with the funds (thanks to Kubota Tractor Corporation) she purchased an IronCraft 3-point rear tiller and a utility trailer.
“I’m very thankful for the donors and for the Farmer Veteran Coalition for the grant and empowering veterans to pursue farming,” said Heather. “The tiller makes it easier for me to do physical work from a more passive position, on the tractor.”
“I wholeheartedly believe I’m a steward of the land and I hope to leave it better for those that come after me,” said Heather.
“I also pray organizations like the Farmer Veteran Coalition continue to exist to provide us support and a boost when we need it,” said Heather. “I hope that whether people have a connection to a farming past or not – they try to learn and put it into practice, no matter how small.”
Throughout her lifetime, Heather has witnessed the loss of agricultural knowledge that has been accrued over thousands of years. Along with that loss of knowledge and self-sufficiency, the near disappearance of the backyard garden. She wishes to be a part of bringing that back as a normal part of life.
