SunnyGirl Farm is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Mary Ann Petrillo, and her partner Jennifer Cully is along for the ride. Growing on only an acre and a quarter near Kennett Square, the pair sell at farmers’ markets, supply local restaurants and offer a 20-share CSA.
For Petrillo, it’s all about tomatoes—they grew 27 varieties last year—while Cully throws a huge portion of her efforts into growing 17 varieties of lettuce. The eclectic greens are the farm’s most popular seller. “People say it’s the best lettuce they’ve ever had,” says Cully. “It’s beautiful. There are so many different colors and a lot of flavor—it probably has something to do with our soil.”
Cully is a professional golfer, and the pair spends the winter down in Florida, building a nest egg to last them through the growing season. “Being an athlete, I think there’s nothing better than feeding your body with good food,” says Cully.
Both women love working outdoors and grew up in food-conscious families, with mothers that canned and instilled in them the values of home-cooking and wholesome eating. When they finally decided to take the plunge and buy a farm, they looked at properties all over the country, but eventually settled on this spot close to Petrillo’s family. They loved the agricultural zeal of the Kennett Square community, and found a piece of land with a pond—a top priority.
Last year they grew potatoes for the first time—something Cully hadn’t done since childhood. “I grew them as a kid and remembered how much fun it was to dig them up,” she says. “A fresh potato is just so, so good.”
750 Wollaston Rd., Kennett Square, 727-599-4352 sunnygirlfarm.com
