Kelsie grew up riding horses and living on a small horse farm in Loudoun County, and she later moved to her mother’s family farm in Strasburg, VA. She competed in hunter jumper shows until she entered college at Virginia Tech. Kelsie received a bachelors degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences with a minor in Equine Science.
After graduating from VT she moved home to Strasburg, to care for her elderly grandmother and was given the opportunity to begin construction on her aquaponic and hydroponic greenhouse. After several years of dedicated planning and hard labor, Kelsie’s business, Del Ray Farm Aquaponics, is now able to provide restaurants, caterers, and farmers markets throughout Shenandoah, Loudoun, and Clarke Counties with fresh, organic produce all year long. In addition to running her greenhouse, Kelsie writes REAP (Renewable Energy for America Program) grants for farmers and small business owners, and works several days a week at Piedmont Equine assisting her father, Dr. Paul Diehl.
In her spare time Kelsie enjoys riding her horses, spending time with her dog, John Wayne (and occasionally her husband, Brent), studying the Bible, cooking, gardening, and canning the fruits and vegetables she gets from her garden.
