Turning Roots Farm is run by the husband and wife team of TJ Costa and Christine Henwood Costa.
After working on several organic and sustainable farms in Chester County and nurturing lots of life in their home garden, Chris and TJ started Turning Roots Farm in the 2009 growing season.
Chris and TJ have extensive experience in education, working with youth and adults in a broad range of areas including farm-based education, experiential, outdoor, classroom, contemplative, and yoga disciplines, and bring this experience wholeheartedly into the vision of Turning Roots Farm.
Both Chris and TJ are students of biodynamics and strive to consider and balance all elements of the farm in the most natural way possible.
OUR 2012 FARM APPRENTICES:
Chelsea Allen
Chelsea grew up in Downingtown, PA with a love of art, music and the outdoors. After graduating from Penn State University with a degree in psychology, Chelsea decided to take an internship at Rushton Farm–a small-scale community farm started by the Willistown Conservation Trust, located in Edgemont, PA–and ended up working there for two seasons. It was there she learned the nuts and bolts of small-scale farming, and expanded her knowledge of vegetables and flowers.
Chelsea is also a musician, performing solo and with others around the Philadelphia area. She began writing her own music after her first season of farming, and has since recorded and released her first album in December 2011. Her work digging and planting in the fields has had (and continues to have) an enormously inspiring effect on her musical work.
Chelsea is thrilled to be learning from Chris and TJ this season, and is so happy to be a part of the Turning Roots Farm community!
Check out Chelsea’s music by clicking here.
Jenna Kincaid
Jenna, born and raised in Hanover, PA, studied history and anthropology at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, where she focused on environmental history and food justice. Her interest in farming sprouted in the community at Spoutwood Farm in Glen Rock, PA and community gardens in Virginia. In 2010, Jenna followed an opportunity to study at Suffolk University in Dakar, Senegal. During her time in a Senegalese farming community, she realized the importance of small-scale, local farming and returned with a desire to grow food.
Graduating from Mary Washington in 2011, she continued work at a small tea and spice company in Fredericksburg, pursuing an interest in medicinal herbs and teas. Jenna is thrilled to be spending her first farm season with the Turning Roots community and is excited to learn biodynamic farming from Chris and TJ.
