Winchester residents Shrimoti and Venkat Vedam both work full time in data technology. And they spend their summer evenings farming a half acre in Beverly. It’s a great way to get outdoor time, they say. “I can think a half hour has passed but when I check my watch, it’s been three hours,” says Shrimoti.

This is their second year farming a plot under the New England Sustainable Farming initiative. Venkat took some classes with NESF, including sustainable business training, and decided to give farming a try. His vision was to start out small and learn how to apply data technology to make farming more “graceful,” hence the name of their enterprise: Grace Food Labs.

They farm with about ten others, each on their own plot, on Moraine Farm in Beverly. On a recent evening, they showed up in work clothes and boots to clear a patch that was being overtaken by weeds after a heavy rain a few days earlier. But they first took time to talk with some visitors and show them around—the zucchini vine blossoms, peas trellises, mature red romaine lettuce ready for harvesting—all laid out in neat rows. Bees buzzed in clover nearby.

On Saturdays, Venkat and Shrimoti bring produce to Winchester Farmers Market and currently are a great source for fresh greens.