Christina Pegg grew up in Illinois– amid a sea of corn and soy. Christina is the daughter of a nurse and a doctor. Her family had a small hobby farm growing up. Christina’s maternal family is the farming side. Her grandpa was still farming when Christina was growing up. Her grandfather was one of the kindest and most gentle people Christina has ever known. Christina has always appreciated his groundedness. She feels that groundedness grows in her as she begins stewarding land as a farmer.
Christina and her husband, Kyle, have a small 1-acre farm in Maui, Hawaii. They grow heirloom tomatoes and a variety of peppers. They are still very much green when it comes to farming crops, just starting their second year. Christina got into farming because of animals and research… of all things. Her previous job was working as a Grazing Manager and Researcher at a moderate sized ranch. There Christina learned how to manage animals via Intensive Rotational Grazing. This method was inspired by Alan Savory and perfected by cattlemen. Christina learned directly from Johann Zeitsmen of South Africa and Jaime Elizondo of Mexico.
Christina learned to look at the grass and the animals. She believes there is a balance and a beautiful symbiotic relationship when grazing is done well. Grazing got Christina into farming. It was truly amazing for Christina to watch the pastures improve while increasing their stocking densities. After leaving the ranch, Christina and Kyle started their own farm and got a small grant to perform research. The couple is currently gathering soil samples for a SARE Grant to study the effects of this style of grazing when compared with rested or mowed pasture. They will be investigating carbon, minerals, and microbiological life in the soil.