Immigrant farmer thrives with USDA support

Nov 29, 2024
By Farms.com

From struggle to success Oksana’s farming story inspires many

Oksana Bocharova, a first-generation farmer and Russian immigrant, turned her struggles into success by building a thriving farm in Maryland. Raised on her father’s farm in Russia, Oksana’s passion for agriculture led her to study agronomy and immigrate to the U.S. in 1999.

Despite facing financial hardships and personal challenges, Oksana persevered. After saving for over a decade, she secured a USDA Direct Farm Loan in 2013, purchasing a farm in Chestertown, Maryland.

Oksana produces diverse crops, including turmeric, kale, and tomatoes, while raising chickens. Inspired by her mother’s fermentation skills, she expanded into producing fermented goods. Encouraged by local support, Oksana sought funding through the USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG).

After initial setbacks, she received a $250,000 grant to grow her business, covering costs for processing and marketing her organic and fermented products. The funding helped her double her customer base and increase sales.

Her children now contribute by managing online sales and marketing, transforming the farm into a family business. Oksana expressed her pride, saying, "This is now my retirement plan."

Farmers can access similar opportunities through the USDA’s VAPG program under the Local Agriculture Market Program. Learn more at www.rd.usda.gov.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.