Our Mission

Oksana realized her love for agriculture and farming after working at a Brooklyn-based urban agriculture company, Agritecture. There, she was able to connect with urban farms all over the world and analyze their sustainable practices, growing methodologies, and operations. While she loved growing in pots and small beds at home, she felt increasingly compelled to move in the direction of growing not just plants, but food for others.

After a brief stint conducting climate change research, Oksana found her way to Little Wild Things Farm, where she developed a new love and appreciation for microgreens and flowers. When she’s not planting hundreds of trays of microgreens, you can find her rock climbing, hammocking in the park, or biking around trying to find the city’s best cup of coffee.

Hailey first fell in love with urban agriculture when she had the opportunity to visit urban farms while obtaining her B.S. in Landscape Architecture from Penn State University. Following graduation, she quickly realized that she much preferred hands-on work and shifted trajectories, starting at Little Wild Things as a Farm Hand in 2017. Growing up in a house of engineers, Hailey developed a knack for fixing things. She is a jack-of-all-trades around the farm, leading a variety of innovative technical projects, and assisting with plant science research and development. Hailey is also a talented artist and designer and was the recipient of an Excellence in Design award from the Stuckeman School of Design at Penn State University and a Communications Honor Award from the Pennsylvania Branch of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). In 2021, she launched her own floral art business, Wildry.

Growing up in a small farm town in Connecticut, Marissa has always been hip to the world of agriculture. However, it wasn’t until she worked on an organic farm in Maine that she realized her passion for improving not only the organic growing process, but also the ways in which growers distribute produce to local communities. After a couple of years working as a paralegal, she decided a more hands-on approach to environmental issues was the right path for her, and farming seemed like the natural choice. She is so excited to bring her enthusiasm for fresh food to the world of urban agriculture at Little Wild Things Farm!

When she’s not getting down and dirty on the farm, she enjoys crafting jewelry, attempting to play the harmonica, getting outside with her camera, making group dinners with her roommates, rock climbing, and dancing anywhere and everywhere.

Although her degree may be in sociology, Rayna knew her future was in sustainable agriculture after an internship at the University of Virginia’s Morven Kitchen Garden, a one-acre student garden. During her time there, she developed a passion for the ability that good food has to bring people together and build strong communities. Little Wild Things is a great place for her to experience that passion in an urban setting, especially through working farmer’s markets and making deliveries to the farm’s various partners.

When they are done after a day on the farm, Rayna spends their time knitting, reading, exploring the outdoors, cooking, and playing with their ferret Squiggles.

Little Wild Things Farm is a natural fit for Rob, who has always loved urban greenspaces, working on his feet, and connecting with his community.

Mountains and trees were a source of childhood inspiration for Rob and his desire to work within nature was only increased by his experience in the Nevada Conservation Corp. Now, he gets to work in a field he loves, and sleep under the stars only when he wants.

When he isn’t busy with his hands in the dirt, Rob loves hiking, reading, practicing permaculture, pouring over maps, and watching the Seattle Mariners make the postseason.

Little Wild Things Farm is the dream of Founder Mary Ackley. Mary discovered her love of plants in a graduate school botany course at the University of Vermont. Later, she began experimenting with urban gardening while living overseas during her career with the U.S. Foreign Service. She decided to turn her gardening habit into something more in 2014 when she returned to D.C. and founded Little Wild Things. Mary holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan, an M.S. in Natural Resources Management from the University of Vermont and is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Fiji ’03-’05). She previously worked in international development living and traveling all over the world including assignments in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Washington, D.C. Mary is a life-long adventure-seeker and enjoys strength training and sewing in her spare time.