I began how so many of us do. As an avid nature lover, a few years ago I decided I'd try my luck with a backyard garden. I had never gardened before, but over the years we have become increasingly aware of the dangers present in our current food supply - from pesticides to corporate control, and we felt it a high priority to learn to survive without the need for a supermarket. My grandfather had always grown garden fresh veggies, and I have fond memories of my grandmother teaching me various ways to cook them all. From potatoes to squash, okra to corn, peas, beans, figs, and beyond.
My husband and I have been in Central Texas for the past 7 years, and that is where I was introduced to Permaculture. I remember it perfectly. A girl, a friend I had met in a dance class I was taking.. she was fire. She was light. She was the shining hope that all of us are looking for. She radiated joy and hope for the future. I got to know her, she brought me out to her farm, and it was there in that magical little slice of the Hill Country that I was introduced to the power of permaculture. I was hooked. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you this girl met with an unfortunate accident and did not survive... but her message lives on. We CAN change the world for the better, and permaculture is a grassroots boots on the ground way for each and every one of us to do so. I picked up her torch, and in my own way I can only hope to do her justice. As I write this with tears in my eyes, there are horsemint flowers in my garden blooming... the seeds of which were a gift from her.
If you believe in serendipity, then you will understand how we felt when the opportunity to own our own farm was presented to us. The same grandpa who passed on the love of cooking farm fresh veggies offered myself and my husband 21.5 acres of property to homestead. It is in the Piney Woods of Southeast Texas bordering The Big Thicket National Preserve, and we are in the process of building a tiny cabin out there. The land has been fallow for upwards of 20+ years, but rather than be discouraged by the enormous task in front of us, we are elated at the opportunity to transform it into a paradise. After nearly a decade of dense city living, returning to the country where I grew up is music to my heart. Each time we travel in to work on the cabin, I discover new plants and get more and more excited to be out there permanently. The most recent discovery was wild dwarf pawpaw shrubs! It is our full intent to convert this property to a permaculture paradise and open it to the public for educational purposes. We will begin small, hopefully offering field trips for the local schools or Ag classes. We also want to host WWOOFers and traveling artists of all types. We have dubbed our farm The Edge of Eden.

We will be living there permanently in less than a month, and updates will follow.

Slow Going