For years, Veronica Petty has cultivated her own little secret in the back of her suburban Lancaster home.
Past the wooden gate, green extends in every direction. The chirping of birds fills the air as bees and aphids zoom around elderberries, peppers, swiss chard, blueberries, figs and peaches. A steady trickle of water flows from her homemade irrigation system as compost bins do their microscopic work.
From 9 to 5, Petty works as an insurance claims adjuster. When she gets home, she heads into her backyard farm…