In the converted garage of a hardware store, Brittany Gallahan leads a team of all-women farmers. This unique business has served customers and restaurants throughout D.C. for over a decade.

Between faded yellow parking lines, Little Wild Things Farm grows around thirty varieties of microgreens, about a dozen types of edible flowers, and some leafy lettuce in an elaborate system of stacked plastic trays.

Their food makes its way from their little garage farm all throughout the District. Today, you can find their greens gracing salad plates, sandwiches, and bagels at nine D.C. restaurants. Little Wild Things also directly sells to customers at their farm, the Dupont Farmers Market, and Union Market.

Nine months ago, Gallahan joined the business as its production manager. As the farm’s first employee with a background in traditional agriculture, she has brought a new perspective to the team.

“I think I resented agriculture, at least the traditional sense of it,” Gallahan said. “I worked on farms where, like, the old farmers won't even acknowledge me ‘cause I’m a woman … [and] that’s not cool for me.”

Today, only one in four traditional farm workers is female according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For Gallahan and many other women, urban farming has offered promising agricultural career opportunities and a greater sense of community. Women represent slightly more than half of urban farmer workers, one Princeton study found.

One reason there are more women in urban farming is the industry has fewer barriers to entry. With less land, resources, and staff, urban farms have lower upfront costs than traditional farms. That has made it attractive and more accessible to groups that have been underrepresented in agriculture, according to the USDA.

Urban farming may also be appealing and accessible to more people because it is less physically demanding. On a microgreen farm, like Little Wild Things Farm, the average 1020-ounce growing tray weighs about 15 pounds. While frequent lifting of those trays can add up, these loads are much smaller than those seen on a traditional farm. For example, one small bale of hay can weigh between 40 and 100 pounds, according to the USDA. Additionally, urban farmers generally do not use heavy machinery or experience as much prolonged exposure to the elements.

While Little Wild Things Farm runs a small operation and uses some advanced technology, these women farmers still have to put in exceptionally long hours and hard work to keep the venture profitable.

“We are a very shoe-string farm,” Gallahan said.

To maximize their production, team members regularly work 60 or more hours a week. From inventory management and planting to harvesting and soil composting, almost every step of the production process involves repeated lifting. The team has also had to manage both floods and fires due to problems with their irrigation and electrical systems.

To help the staff both stay active and relieve stress, one corner of the garage has been converted into a small, makeshift gym. Behind their composting station, an old no-parking zone now houses weights, pull-up bars, yoga equipment, and jump ropes.

“We have to stay fit farmers, so we have our little gym section,” said Mary Ackley, Little Wild Things Farm founder.

While Little Wild Things Farm still faces many of the same challenges as the agricultural industry at large, the team remains committed to creating high-quality agricultural jobs for women. Under Gallahan’s leadership, Little Wild Things has expanded staff benefits, increased hiring, and opened a new location.

“Our mission is to provide jobs in the urban agricultural sector of D.C. and, like, good jobs, … livelihoods in this sector here,” Gallahan said. “It is a feminine farm, and you don't get that a lot in agriculture.”