How Urban Ark Stewards The Land, The Soldier, and The Soul
- Joshua Brock
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
Discover how Urban Ark Conservation is helping to heal the hidden wounds of veterans and first responders, while inspiring a new crop of farmers and embracing the next generation of agricultural technology with the help of Farmbrite.
“The healing portion is what farmers, I guess, it’s like the best kept secret of farming.”
Chad McCarthy, Co-Founder and Co-Owner, Urban Ark Conservation
Conservation. Education. Sustainability.
These three words stand at the core of Towanda-based Urban Ark Conservation’s mission. Founded in 2016, Urban Ark founder Chad McCarthy describes the 20-acre operation, located in the Northeastern part of Pennsylvania, quite succinctly: a “hero's sanctuary farmstead”.
Focusing on agricultural therapy for veterans and first responders and the conservation of endangered livestock breeds, at first glance, Urban Ark might sound like an eclectic mix of disparate endeavors. But when you have the opportunity to sit and chat with Chad as I did on an early October afternoon about the backstory and plans for this organization, you leave with a deep sense of respect and understanding for this active duty National Guardsman and the organization he and his wife, Jasmine, steward.
The Backstory
Chad is a first sergeant in the New Jersey National Guard, having served two combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, and currently works full-time in counter-drug operations. Somewhat ironically, we spoke on the morning of the federal government shutdown, and he was en route to meet his unit for deployment here in Pennsylvania. Also, ironically, Chad and I live less than forty minutes from each other. Long story short, this author will soon be making a trip to this incredible agricultural marvel.
The seed for Urban Ark was planted when Chad and Jasmine moved from New Jersey to this rural corner of the Commonwealth. The farm initially focused on reptile conservation, stemming from efforts to address habitat destruction in cloud rainforests. In late 2023, the farm relocated to Towanda, which is located in a more agriculturally friendly county (Bradford), where they now operate on 20 acres.
Chad described how the farm's focus evolved from reptile conservation and aquaponics to agricultural therapy after they observed the healing benefits of farming on themselves upon returning from deployment. Urban Ark aims to create a network for first responders and veterans, offering training in market gardening, aquaponics, rotational grazing, and pasture raising to help them transition into farming.
“I was deployed to Iraq during COVID and, man when I got back, things were weird. The agricultural therapy just kinda became…my wife and I would see the benefits it had on me, and farming in general and how healing it was and we decided that was the direction we were going to take Urban Ark.”
These programs are designed to provide certification and practical experience without cost to participants, with the goal of being completely free for first responders, veterans, and Gold Star family members.
The Importance of Community, Paying It Back, Paying It Forward
Throughout our conversation, Chad emphasized the importance of community support and outreach, noting that their agricultural therapy programs began very simply through word of mouth and personal experiences.
The Urban Ark team is actively working with organizations like the United Way and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to expand their programs, including building a walkthrough food forest and integrating unique healing experiences like meditation with beehive sounds.
When I asked Chad for any specific words of advice he might have for new farmers and specifically veterans with an interest in agriculture, his words were simple and from the heart, encouraging them to persevere and follow their dreams, whether starting with a few chickens or a larger operation. He encouraged farmers to engage in conservation efforts by supporting endangered livestock breeds and actively participating in breeders' associations and farming communities.
“If anybody’s literally going through anything, whether it’s farm related or not, if you’re a veteran or first responder, hit us up, it doesn’t matter. We’re here, we want to be an asset, not only to the community, but to the people in PA and beyond.”
Additionally, Chad specifically made note of their collaborative work, connecting with the "Troops to Tractors" program, run by the Pennsylvania Veteran Farming Network. The organization connects honorably discharged veterans, Guard, and Reserve members with agricultural resources like Urban Ark. The organization brings together and mentors employers and veterans, with a focus on, but not exclusively, serving Southwestern PA.
Farmbrite & AI - My Oh My
Certainly, with the inclusion of AI, and the host of non-traditional programs the McCarthys have and continue to develop at Urban Ark, you might suspect they've turned some heads in this rural part of Pennsylvania. And you’d be right.
Our discussion at one point turned to the "push back" they have received from some parts of the traditional farming community and institutions, such as the FSA (Farm Service Agency). It’s not so much “push back” as it is curiosity and being unfamiliar with some of the techniques and systems Chad and his wife have developed at Urban Ark.
This is specifically regarding their multi-system, permaculture, and sustainable agriculture approach. Chad explained that this model, which aims to produce more food on a smaller footprint, is still considered new and unconventional compared to traditional, predictable farming methods.
This Ain’t Your Grandfather’s Ag
If you haven’t guessed by now, Chad and his wife are incredibly busy between their full-time off-farm work and their tireless efforts at Urban Ark. Throughout our entire half-hour conversation, there was a level of enthusiasm and pride on Chad’s part that was contagious. It’s easy to see how he fits the various leadership roles he serves in quite nicely.
“We found someone who wanted to come onto our board, and his background is heavy into the whole greenhouses, and greenhouse automation systems, and things like that. So that’s kind of where we’re at right now and why we reach out to Farmbrite, because we’d like to see where we can take this. I’d like to be the guinea pig.”
When we turned the conversation to Urban Ark’s experience using Farmbrite, including Chad's use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), that enthusiasm kept right on going. Urban Ark has developed a partnership with Create Labs, an open AI company, which has led to the discovery of the extensive potential of integrating Farmbrite with AI.
Chad and the team at Create Labs are exploring automated systems for greenhouses, aquaponics, and livestock management, including RFID scanners and cameras for tracking animal health and weight, all integrated with the Farmbrite dashboard. He also noted that Farmbrite's user-friendly interface and integration possibilities were a significant factor in their decision to use the farm management software for their complex, multi-system farm model.
Music to our ears and hopefully to yours as well.
“And we thought hey, when I first reached out to Farmbrite, last year, I never knew how incredible it actually was…and so I noticed in Farmbrite there’s a mapping system, and then I noticed there’s a market system, and then I’m like…if there was a way we could get this out there, as they’re learning [veterans and first responders] and teaching them this system, this compartmentalizes literally everything and it’s exactly how our brains work.”
No matter your farm’s size, its focus of operations, its geographic location, crops only, livestock only, or crops and livestock, it doesn’t matter - Farmbrite has the tools you need to manage your agricultural operation efficiently, profitably, and sustainably.
If you’ve been searching like Chad and Jasmine had for a farm management tool that not only handles traditional agricultural needs, but also has an eye on the future , we invite you to give us a try and discover all we have to offer. Set up a free 14-day demo to explore all the features. Check out our extensive offering of Farmbrite documentation, helpful resources, and how-to-Farmbrite videos.
Joshua, his wife Jenn, and their dog Rooster, live in PA. Joshua is the owner and operator of Hoffman Appalachian Farm where they grow Certified Naturally Grown hops. Joshua has over twelve years of experience in growing crops, including growing in an organic system. In his spare time he enjoys trail running, backpacking, and cycling.