Tucked away near New Stanton, PA is the home of Margaret Raphael, perhaps best known in Pittsburgh for being the proprietor of Maggie’s Mercantile, a delightful vegan café on Craig Street in the neighborhood of Oakland in Pittsburgh. Maggie purchased 94 acres with the goal of establishing an animal sanctuary. When it became evident that the sanctuary could not keep up with the number of animals that needed its help, Maggie focused her attention on growing food. Realizing that she was rather gifted at food production, she closed the sanctuary and slowly converted her garden into a full-time farming enterprise, specializing in heirloom vegetables and pick-your-own berries.
Today, 14 acres of the property are being organically farmed by hand, without the use of fossil fuels. This is no small feat for four full-time, year-round employees and a handful of seasonal workers, all of whom earn a living wage and receive medical coverage. This self-prescribed “dilettante with a pile of ideas” recognizes the importance of providing for her employees and educating the public on a number issues relating to social justice, slow food and ecology.