Starting a farming business can be a rewarding venture. However, it requires careful planning, preparation, and access to various skills and resources. This task proved to be especially challenging and rewarding for first-generation business owner and Russian immigrant, Oksana Bocharova. Her story is a true testament of determination, resiliency, perseverance, and faith. 

At an early age, Oksana knew that she wanted to own a farm. Oksana grew up in the Belgorod region of Russia developing a love for farming through her father, Yuriy. She would stay close by and observe her father as he managed a large collective farm, teaching Oksana everything he knew about agriculture while working in the fields. 

In 1992, Oksana graduated from a local agriculture college with a Master of Science in Agronomy. In 1997, she graduated from AgroBusiness School in Moscow. Then, she migrated her husband and two children to the United States in 1999 through the University of Wisconsin’s Dairy Farm Training Program. This program afforded Oksana with the opportunity to attend various workshops and conferences. Oksana first learned about the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal resources while attending these events. 

Unfortunately, a few short years after moving to the United States, Oksana went through a tough divorce. She found herself facing several harsh realities as a migrant single mother of two with a very low-income. 

“What do I do next? How do I survive? How do I retire?” Oksana pondered. So many questions filled Oksana’s mind during this pivotal season of her life. However, after migrating from Russia, Oksana decided that she was not going back.

Oksana knew she needed more money to secure a farm loan and establish herself in the United States. She worked tirelessly to build her savings over the next 10 years. After finding what she thought was the perfect land for her business, Oksana applied for her first farm loan. 

Ultimately, Oksana’s initial attempt to apply for farm ownership failed. However, this did not stop the determined single mother of two from pursuing her dream. 

Luckily, in 2013, the market dipped, and Oksana was able to secure a Direct Farm Loan through the USDA Farm Services Agency. She purchased a spacious farmhouse in Chestertown, Maryland with seven acres of farmland to start her agricultural business. 

“I never even dreamed of a farm this big, but here I am!” Oksana said as she gleamed with pride. “This is now my retirement plan.”

Oksana raises chickens and grows a plethora of fresh produce on her market garden including, but not limited to ginger, turmeric, lettuce, Chinese greens, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, cucumbers and eggplants. She also has multiple flowerbeds to grow and sell decorative bouquets and fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, and lemongrass. 

“My goal is to be diverse enough so when a person comes to my booth, she spends it all.” Oksana said. 

From a business standpoint, Oksana initially prioritized selling at local farmers markets in Tacoma Park, Annapolis, Chestertown, etc. However, it became overwhelming to keep up with all the travel. After decades of strenuous labor, Oksana is looking to build a business model that is less physically demanding.

Oksana’s business started with very little fermenting although she was introduced to food preservation skills back home in Russia. Growing up on a farm, preservation was a natural part of her family’s eating habits. Oksana recalls her mom teaching her how to make fermented foods like sauerkraut in their family kitchen. 

In Maryland, Oksana began making her mother’s kraut recipe for local friends. 

“Oksana, why don’t you sell it?” asked a local friend and restaurant owner. 

This family friend allowed Oksana to experiment and sample flavors in his local restaurant. As a first-generation business owner, Oksana took every chance she could to learn more about fermentation and eventually realized that she would need to purchase a separate kitchen to see this portion of her business through. 

After placing a low bid to rent a local restaurant in Chestertown, Maryland, Oksana remained hopeful that the right opportunities would present themselves when the time was right. To her surprise, the restaurant owner fell in love with Oksana’s story and allowed her to rent the local restaurant. 

After extinguishing her personal finances on the expansion of fermented goods, Oksana needed to secure additional resources to continue growing her business. The expansion of fermented goods led Oksana to pursue a Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) from USDA Rural Development. The VAPG program helps agricultural producers enter value-added activities to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income. 

After two failed VAPG applications, Oksana solicited the help of a local grant writer. On her third attempt, Oksana secured a $250,000 Value-Added Producer Grant. This Rural Development investment will help Oksana’s Produce Farm LLC expand their existing organic fresh and fermented produce business. The working capital grant will be used to pay eligible operating costs directly related to the processing and marketing of their fermented jarred produce and organic fresh produce. Oksana’s customer base is projected to increase by almost double and result in increased sales.

Now, the love of farming is trickling down to the next generation. Oksana’s son and daughter have become more interested in the business, taking the lead on website management, online sales, and marketing.  Now, what started as a solo venture is becoming a family-owned enterprise.

Currently, she is in the process of testing new products, building inventory, and going through the federal regulation processes to ensure her products meet the necessary codes to be sold in stores. There are many factors to address such as nutritional labels which can cost upwards of $1,000 per product. 

Nonetheless, with the additional funding gained from the Value-Added Producer Grant, Oksana remains excited and grateful for this next chapter in her journey. She thanks the USDA Rural Development for granting her with the funding needed to make this expansion possible. 

Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA Rural Development has granted over $1.3 million to nine local Maryland farmers through VAPG. If you are a farmer or rancher looking to enter value-added activities to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, or increase producer income, consider our Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.

VAPG is part of the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) which is an umbrella program created under the 2018 Farm Bill.  Producers can find other grant funding opportunities at the LAMP web page.

For more information about VAPG and other USDA Rural Development programs, visit www.rd.usda.gov.