About Your Farmers

Since 2010, FLying Plow has been growing for the tristate region of Md, DE, & PA

Flying Plow began in 2010 with 3 acres, a shoe-string budget, and the blood, sweat, and tears of Sarah & Tom.

In 2013 the farm moved from rented land in Joppa, MD to a purchased farm in Rising Sun, MD. Now we produce certified organic veggies on 15 acres of beautiful hilltop soil, using our remaining acreage as pasture for our Cheviot sheep, Belgian & Suffolk Punch work horses, and certified organic hens & broiler chickens.

We are first generation farmers who make a living off the land. Our mission is to bring healthy, fresh, organic food to the many folks who live in our corner of the Mid-Atlantic region.

  • Sarah Rider

    Famer, Business & Financial Manager, Owner

  • Tom Paduano

    Farmer & Owner

  • Rebecca Northrop

    Sales, CSA Manager, Customer Service

  • Hailey Small

    Packhouse Manager

  • Megan Weaver

    Packhouse Team Lead

  • Conor Meades

    Food Distribution Driver

  • David Rutkowski

    Food Distribution Driver

Organic Farm Cecil County, MD: farming principles

While growing great organic vegetables is the heart and soul of our farm, it would not be possible without our animals. Our organic pastured laying hens and organic meat chickens provide fertility for growing great grasses and clovers. These grasses and clovers go to feed our sheep and draft horses. While our draft horses do a large majority of our vegetable fieldwork, they also provide manure for composting, as do our sheep. This compost is turned and aerated by our pigs and then spread on our cover crops. Our cover crops grow for an entire season and then are tilled in, creating the perfect fertility for our vegetables.

Our diversity is our strength and allows us to work towards a truly sustainable farm that produces local food for our region while caring for our land, vegetables, animals, and community.

Things we hold dear

Soil is alive and we should promote that life with the use of compost, cover crops, and timely tillage.

Soil is alive and we should protect it by not using harmful, synthetic chemicals to kill weeds, to kill pests, or to fertilize.

Soil is the foundation of our farm, having a healthy soil will produce healthy vegetables, grass and hay. These in turn produce healthy farmers, horses and livestock.

WHERE TO FIND US

Find us at our farm stand, a farmers market, a convenient pickup location, or right at your front door!

Click on the map to find:

Farm Stand

Open to the public. Year round

Saturdays 9 am - 12 pm

Farmers Markets

Pickup Locations

Home Delivery Zones

work with us

Flying Plow is a diverse certified organic farm in Cecil County, MD. Our primary focus is vegetable production for our 400-member CSA,  four farmers’ markets, an on-farm stand, and some restaurant/wholesale sales. Most of our working hours are spent around the vegetables, planting, weeding, harvesting, washing, packing, selling, etc. We have 13 acres in vegetable production, with 6.5 acres in cash crops during the season and the remainder in cover crops. We harvest every week of the year. 

Vegetables make up the bulk of our farming time and our income, but we have plenty of livestock, too. We keep draft horses to help with vegetable tillage, cultivation, and farm chores. During the year, we have a few hundred layers on the farm, and during the spring and fall, we raise several batches of pastured broiler chickens. Finally, we have a small grass-based beef herd that is rotationally grazed and a few pigs here and there throughout the season.

We give preference to those applicants that can work full-time in all aspects of the farm, are interested in a year or longer commitment to the farm, and have demonstrated passion for farming. Keep reading to learn about our open positions!

We seek crew members who:

  • Are passionate and motivated about working on a diversified farm.

  • Are observant, efficient, enthusiastic, self-motivated, responsible, and detail-oriented.

  • Desire and can work long hours during the peak of the season in all types of weather.

  • Are physically resilient. You should be able to lift and carry 50 pounds repeatedly, crouch, squat, and bend for long periods of time in all types of weather.

  • Have a strong work ethic with a can-do, let ’s-get-it-done attitude.

  • Desire to work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

  • Have a sense of humor and a strong sense of perspective.

Open Positions

Farmers Market Helper
A seasonal position that runs from April through December. Work days are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Food Distribution Driver
Year round, part time position. Currently work days are Wednesdays and Thursdays.