About us

Currently located in Daleville, Virginia we have gardened in zones 6-8 for many years.  We are constantly learning new techniques and growing more food.  In 2022, we are experimenting with 50+ new varieties to grow a greater diversity of food.  Diversity is security, and we see a bright future for Botetourt County. 

Although this is the “About us” page, we want to know more about you!  What are you growing?  How can we get together and learn more from each other?  Are you willing to try an apprenticeship?

We take a collaborative approach. We value different viewpoints. We value life!

We see the garden as a community. We are all dwellers in this community landscape. We try to create and/or allow the system to evolve in a way that there are homes for a wide variety of creatures. This approach allows for less intervention and lower maintenance of a productive garden.

As we begin to rely less and less on inputs (fertilizers produced far away, building materials processed off-site, etc...) shipped from afar, we see the true value of locally available resources. We also value diversity in our gardens. Diversity in the garden leads to more food security. If one crop fails, you have 50 other options from which to make amazing meals.

We must be open to new mindsets to fully embrace diversity in our gardens.

If we are stuck on achieving a desired appearance, functionality will likely be compromised. If we choose to design our gardens to be fully functioning food production sites, we need not always strive for "neat and tidy." In your heart, there resides a special place full of love for wildness!

For many of us, this truly is a huge mindset shift to realize the beauty of a wild-looking garden. A great designer once said, "design, whose purpose is to beautify or prettify the world, will not last."

Then, what will last? Nature. So, let's design our gardens with, for, and by nature. How do we do that? Fortunately, amazing people have already written great books on this subject! "Edible Forest Gardens" by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier is an incredible resource. And of course, "Permaculture: A Designer's Manual" is a classic that we can constantly learn from.

We have a learning mindset, and we are constantly studying.

As you can imagine - species selection, placement, and timing - becomes wildly important.

Do you like puzzles? It's like putting together the greatest puzzle of all time. Sustainably interplanting species to maximize food production while minimizing maintenance requirements, reducing inputs, creating natural "pest" repellant strategies, and building healthier soil.

For this approach to work, we must be willing to adapt. We must be willing to be humble. Let's learn from each other. Let's grow together!