For the love of the Land...

Movements changing, not direction... . As of this week, I officially accepted the Farmer position at the LBJ Hospital’s brand new FARM! I am completely over the moon for this opportunity to serve my Houston community and to help elevate the relationship of agriculture to food and health. Big things are coming, friends. . I will continue to manage operations at Blackwood through the spring and will remain a stalwart member of their family into the future. I am eternally grateful for the experiences and opportunity Blackwood, most especially Cath Conlon, afforded me after Sown & Grown. There is much good being cultivated on that Land and I encourage everyone to continue their support of such a special organization. . My journey into agriculture never followed the straight and narrow path, but its wandering nature allowed me to meet some of the most magical humans I’ve ever known. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the love, support, and encouragement. Y’all make it all worth the while. . Sun sets and sun rises and the world keeps on spinning. Hopefully somewhere in between we can find our joy and name it. Find our space and hold it dear. I look forward to sharing this next chapter with you. . #newadventures #farming #agriculture #galvestonstatepark #estuary #safespaces #followyourdreams #nikon #film #nofilter #forreal
Movements changing, not direction... . As of this week, I officially accepted the Farmer position at the LBJ Hospital’s brand new FARM! I am completely over the moon for this opportunity to serve my Houston community and to help elevate the relationship of agriculture to food and health. Big things are coming, friends. . I will continue to manage operations at Blackwood through the spring and will remain a stalwart member of their family into the future. I am eternally grateful for the experiences and opportunity Blackwood, most especially Cath Conlon, afforded me after Sown & Grown. There is much good being cultivated on that Land and I encourage everyone to continue their support of such a special organization. . My journey into agriculture never followed the straight and narrow path, but its wandering nature allowed me to meet some of the most magical humans I’ve ever known. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all the love, support, and encouragement. Y’all make it all worth the while. . Sun sets and sun rises and the world keeps on spinning. Hopefully somewhere in between we can find our joy and name it. Find our space and hold it dear. I look forward to sharing this next chapter with you. . #newadventures #farming #agriculture #galvestonstatepark #estuary #safespaces #followyourdreams #nikon #film #nofilter #forreal
When did you first notice? Was it an inkling, a faint whisper, a nudge? Slowly seeping into your being as gradually as the changing tide. Or was it a crashing, an erupting, a deafening roar? . When did you fall in love with your passion, your pursuit? When did you name it, and make it your own? . Naming is such a powerful act. It acknowledges and sets forth an intention. It does not abide willful ignorance. . I named mine. She is vetch, and chaos, and depth, and the unknown-knowns of this earth. She is my muse. . #passion #inspiration #awareness #empowerment #hairyvetch #farming #grounding #studies #staycurious #soil #livingsoil #ecology
When did you first notice? Was it an inkling, a faint whisper, a nudge? Slowly seeping into your being as gradually as the changing tide. Or was it a crashing, an erupting, a deafening roar? . When did you fall in love with your passion, your pursuit? When did you name it, and make it your own? . Naming is such a powerful act. It acknowledges and sets forth an intention. It does not abide willful ignorance. . I named mine. She is vetch, and chaos, and depth, and the unknown-knowns of this earth. She is my muse. . #passion #inspiration #awareness #empowerment #hairyvetch #farming #grounding #studies #staycurious #soil #livingsoil #ecology
Unlocking the secrets of life below ground with the future of this earth. 🔬 #teachthem #empowerment #soilmatters #lifeinthesoil #microbes #farming #farmersarescientists #staycurious
Unlocking the secrets of life below ground with the future of this earth. 🔬 #teachthem #empowerment #soilmatters #lifeinthesoil #microbes #farming #farmersarescientists #staycurious
Embracing stillness and self-care on this golden solstice day. Here’s to finding light, warmth and courage to move through these long nights. There is beauty in the darkness, momentum in the calm. Our shortest day followed by the longest, brightest night. Happy Solstice, happy full moon, happy Ursid meteor shower. 💛 #solstice #solstice2018 #fullmoon #meditation #rejuvination #farmlife
Embracing stillness and self-care on this golden solstice day. Here’s to finding light, warmth and courage to move through these long nights. There is beauty in the darkness, momentum in the calm. Our shortest day followed by the longest, brightest night. Happy Solstice, happy full moon, happy Ursid meteor shower. 💛 #solstice #solstice2018 #fullmoon #meditation #rejuvination #farmlife
An object seen in isolation from the whole is not the real thing. . Penned by Masanobu Fukuoka in his book, The One-Straw Revolution, this statement seems an appropriate meditation for the day. How much we have yet to understand about our soils... such a vast, vibrant, and essential microcosm. The life beneath our feet weaves stories connecting eons. For farmers, of course. Ecologists and anthropologists, assuredly. But more so than any one community, for all humanity. Happy #WorldSoilDay y’all! #worldsoilday2018 #soilmatters #microbesmatter #microbiology #microbes #regenerativeagriculture #mycelium #ecology #soilstewardship #fortheloveofsoil #becurious
An object seen in isolation from the whole is not the real thing. . Penned by Masanobu Fukuoka in his book, The One-Straw Revolution, this statement seems an appropriate meditation for the day. How much we have yet to understand about our soils... such a vast, vibrant, and essential microcosm. The life beneath our feet weaves stories connecting eons. For farmers, of course. Ecologists and anthropologists, assuredly. But more so than any one community, for all humanity. Happy #WorldSoilDay y’all! #worldsoilday2018 #soilmatters #microbesmatter #microbiology #microbes #regenerativeagriculture #mycelium #ecology #soilstewardship #fortheloveofsoil #becurious
As sun sets and clouds vanish, southern cold creeps in. Learning to relinquish control and accept this new season as my next curriculum, once again. Winter reminds me that expectation and guarantees are a fool’s wisdom. So, at least I get a good sunset. 😌 . #farmlife #sunsets #texaswinter #farming #texas #southernfarmer
As sun sets and clouds vanish, southern cold creeps in. Learning to relinquish control and accept this new season as my next curriculum, once again. Winter reminds me that expectation and guarantees are a fool’s wisdom. So, at least I get a good sunset. 😌 . #farmlife #sunsets #texaswinter #farming #texas #southernfarmer
Sometimes nature takes my life into her own hands, asking me to pause and breathe deeply. The moment reminded me of something a dear friend once advised me, ‘’Take time to meditate for 20 minutes everyday, unless you don’t have time... then meditate for an hour.” 💛 #simplereminders #breathe #meditations #farmlife #selfcare
Sometimes nature takes my life into her own hands, asking me to pause and breathe deeply. The moment reminded me of something a dear friend once advised me, ‘’Take time to meditate for 20 minutes everyday, unless you don’t have time... then meditate for an hour.” 💛 #simplereminders #breathe #meditations #farmlife #selfcare
“Nature includes us ... We are in it and are a part of it ... If it does not thrive, we cannot thrive. “ . Wendell Berry . Trust is a paradigm shifter, especially trust in oneself followed closely behind by trust in one’s community. I’ve been running marathons in my head trying to find the right path to put this little farm together just how it needs to be. Nature thriving, so our community thrives. Today we finally crossed over into the final design phase, building out the first of our perennial guilds. Serendipitously, my favorite farm family was there to help. Big things happen when you put in the work and trust yourself. And then trust your friends and your community. 💛 #farmfamily #regenerativeagriculture #blackberries #blueberries #farmlife #perennialgarden #onestepatatime #texas #farm #southernfarmer @finca_tres_robles @outside_and_within 💛💛💛
“Nature includes us ... We are in it and are a part of it ... If it does not thrive, we cannot thrive. “ . Wendell Berry . Trust is a paradigm shifter, especially trust in oneself followed closely behind by trust in one’s community. I’ve been running marathons in my head trying to find the right path to put this little farm together just how it needs to be. Nature thriving, so our community thrives. Today we finally crossed over into the final design phase, building out the first of our perennial guilds. Serendipitously, my favorite farm family was there to help. Big things happen when you put in the work and trust yourself. And then trust your friends and your community. 💛 #farmfamily #regenerativeagriculture #blackberries #blueberries #farmlife #perennialgarden #onestepatatime #texas #farm #southernfarmer @finca_tres_robles @outside_and_within 💛💛💛
"To the extent that people separate themselves from nature, they spin out further and further from the center. ... Nature does not change although the way of viewing nature invariably changes from age to age. No matter the age, natural farming exists forever as a wellspring of agriculture." . One Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka . Slowly crawling one palm, one dirty knee, at a time back to a more natural way of farming. Perennial rows set and ready for planting and mulch next week. Annual beds underway by the end of this week. Sometimes you begin to question your personal trajectory, or wonder if you're merely tightrope walking the line between failure and success. Sometimes you need to persist in the face of failure. Straight into the mouth of it. Because cool, cloudy breezes may be on the other side of it, waiting to usher you forward. Check out @blackwoodland story highlights (Field Prep 2) for more of the lowdown. #regenerativeagriculture #fieldprep #everlearning #persevere #farm #farming #farmlife #texas #gulfcoast #southernfarmer
"To the extent that people separate themselves from nature, they spin out further and further from the center. ... Nature does not change although the way of viewing nature invariably changes from age to age. No matter the age, natural farming exists forever as a wellspring of agriculture." . One Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka . Slowly crawling one palm, one dirty knee, at a time back to a more natural way of farming. Perennial rows set and ready for planting and mulch next week. Annual beds underway by the end of this week. Sometimes you begin to question your personal trajectory, or wonder if you're merely tightrope walking the line between failure and success. Sometimes you need to persist in the face of failure. Straight into the mouth of it. Because cool, cloudy breezes may be on the other side of it, waiting to usher you forward. Check out @blackwoodland story highlights (Field Prep 2) for more of the lowdown. #regenerativeagriculture #fieldprep #everlearning #persevere #farm #farming #farmlife #texas #gulfcoast #southernfarmer
Emergence and simple reminders of metamorphoses to come. 🌱 . . Ruby streaks mizuna is my happy space in this last miserable push through summer. If hope has a flavor, she is mine. #mizuna #seedlings #readyforfall #delicious #farmlife #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Emergence and simple reminders of metamorphoses to come. 🌱 . . Ruby streaks mizuna is my happy space in this last miserable push through summer. If hope has a flavor, she is mine. #mizuna #seedlings #readyforfall #delicious #farmlife #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Art and science, so intrinsically intertwined, and nowhere more so than in nature. That is to say, then, everywhere. 💛 #Repost @cordu.institute ・・・ Collaboration with my IG friend @sownandgrownwithlove. A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants. The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs. #comment #emotion #minimalism #artofvisuals #photoart #picsart #cordu #lightedlight #imagination #artsed  #instagrames #science #instagram #wikipedia #abstraction #photooftheday #art #artsy #abstracto #abstractart #artselect #creative #instaabstract #ShotoniPhone #originalart #wikipedia #videoart  #contemporaryart #sciart
Somewhere between chaos and control lies the inspiration for this, my "perennial sweet potatoes". This is the third year running and though I tip-toed rather close to shear-total-utter-neglect (official STUN method 😉) here they are once again, triumphing in our Texas heat! No-till beds, regenerative field practices, almost no labor involved and I still harvest a couple hundred pounds of sweet potatoes each fall. Not too shabby for this one-woman farm team, eh? 👩‍🌾 Speaking of, we're still looking for enthusiastic farmers to join our team! It ain't always easy, but it sure is worth the ride y'all. Spread the word. 💛 #sweetpotato #perennial #notill #ecology #soilmatters #regenerativeagriculture #bounties #patience #lovemyjob #farmlife #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Somewhere between chaos and control lies the inspiration for this, my "perennial sweet potatoes". This is the third year running and though I tip-toed rather close to shear-total-utter-neglect (official STUN method 😉) here they are once again, triumphing in our Texas heat! No-till beds, regenerative field practices, almost no labor involved and I still harvest a couple hundred pounds of sweet potatoes each fall. Not too shabby for this one-woman farm team, eh? 👩‍🌾 Speaking of, we're still looking for enthusiastic farmers to join our team! It ain't always easy, but it sure is worth the ride y'all. Spread the word. 💛 #sweetpotato #perennial #notill #ecology #soilmatters #regenerativeagriculture #bounties #patience #lovemyjob #farmlife #texas #farm #southernfarmer
That’s right, folks, our farm is growing so we’re hiring again! Looking for experienced farm workers with a passion for education. Details via link in bio. Please feel free to share. #farmingispublicservice #farmingislife #loveland #lovefood #lovepeople #agriculture #farming #regenerativeagriculture #farmlife #knowyourfood #knowyourfarmer #houston #texas #southernfarmer
That’s right, folks, our farm is growing so we’re hiring again! Looking for experienced farm workers with a passion for education. Details via link in bio. Please feel free to share. #farmingispublicservice #farmingislife #loveland #lovefood #lovepeople #agriculture #farming #regenerativeagriculture #farmlife #knowyourfood #knowyourfarmer #houston #texas #southernfarmer
Happily celebrating this #solstice with forgiving skies all week long. Gentle on the eyes, even more gentle on this farmer. Grateful for rain, not too much not too little but just enough. Here’s to a coming season of balance, perspective, and deep growth. Breathe in the spaces you have. Make your work meaningful. 💛 #happysolstice #dogood #bewell #gratitude #rainydays #farmlife #texas #farm #southernfarmer #houston #nofilter
Happily celebrating this #solstice with forgiving skies all week long. Gentle on the eyes, even more gentle on this farmer. Grateful for rain, not too much not too little but just enough. Here’s to a coming season of balance, perspective, and deep growth. Breathe in the spaces you have. Make your work meaningful. 💛 #happysolstice #dogood #bewell #gratitude #rainydays #farmlife #texas #farm #southernfarmer #houston #nofilter
Miriah Amaranth greens, from humble beginnings, one of my most favorite and tried-and-true summer crops for the Gulf Coast. Though still mostly unfamiliar to our culinary culture in the US, it's widely popular as a heat-tolerant spinach substitute across much of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean (where it's more commonly called "callaloo"). I learned to cultivate and cook with amaranth from one of my first farmer mentors, a wildly audacious character. I now enjoy teaching younger generations about my appreciation for this provider plant, sharing knowledge and bridging cultures. #amaranth #amaranthgreens #notaweed #culturalawareness #regenerativeagriculture #GulfCoast #texas #farm #southernfarmer #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood
Miriah Amaranth greens, from humble beginnings, one of my most favorite and tried-and-true summer crops for the Gulf Coast. Though still mostly unfamiliar to our culinary culture in the US, it's widely popular as a heat-tolerant spinach substitute across much of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean (where it's more commonly called "callaloo"). I learned to cultivate and cook with amaranth from one of my first farmer mentors, a wildly audacious character. I now enjoy teaching younger generations about my appreciation for this provider plant, sharing knowledge and bridging cultures. #amaranth #amaranthgreens #notaweed #culturalawareness #regenerativeagriculture #GulfCoast #texas #farm #southernfarmer #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood
Argiope, keeper of the 'maters. 😍 . . . #argiope #argiopeaurantia #spider #beneficial #tomatoes #agroecology #ecofarm #regenerativeagriculture #onestepatatime
Argiope, keeper of the 'maters. 😍 . . . #argiope #argiopeaurantia #spider #beneficial #tomatoes #agroecology #ecofarm #regenerativeagriculture #onestepatatime
This morning, I narrowly missed a baby copperhead, just barely leaping over it as I ran to shut off an irrigation valve. As it turns out, I also no longer require any coffee for the morning. Here's a little moment of zen for anyone who may also be enduring a sort of near-copperhead figurative experience this morning. The weekend's almost here. ✌️🙌 . Also, ALWAYS WEAR CLOSED TOED SHOES ON FARMS DANGIT YALL! . #farmlife #happyfriday #copperhead #sweetlikehersheykissesright? #😵
#KnowYourCritters 💛 We planted worlds of clover all around our new blueberry trees to help build habitat space for our pest-fighting friends. Now, our lady beetles are THRIVING! What many people don't realize though is that gnarly looking critter to the far right is, in fact, a lady beetle in larvae form! Just because a critter looks creepy, doesn't mean she's up to no good! 🙌 #savethebeetles #ladybeetle #beetlenotbug #insectsarecool #lifecycle #farmlife #themoreyouknow
#KnowYourCritters 💛 We planted worlds of clover all around our new blueberry trees to help build habitat space for our pest-fighting friends. Now, our lady beetles are THRIVING! What many people don't realize though is that gnarly looking critter to the far right is, in fact, a lady beetle in larvae form! Just because a critter looks creepy, doesn't mean she's up to no good! 🙌 #savethebeetles #ladybeetle #beetlenotbug #insectsarecool #lifecycle #farmlife #themoreyouknow
Borage is for bees, y'all 💞 . #borage #bees #love #farmbeauty #growwild #texas #farm #southernfarmer #yall
Borage is for bees, y'all 💞 . #borage #bees #love #farmbeauty #growwild #texas #farm #southernfarmer #yall
First round harvest for this Saturday's lunch on the Land! One of my favorites is preparing lunch and lots of treats... like strawberry bread, homemade pastries, and spring harvest pesto! 😍There's a little time left to grab your tickets (blackwoodland.org -- Mornings in the Country). Hope to see y'all there! 💛 @blackwoodland #morningsinthecountry #sorrel #nasturtiums #chicory #basil #peppercress #arugula #chives #strawberries #delish #farmfresh #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood
First round harvest for this Saturday's lunch on the Land! One of my favorites is preparing lunch and lots of treats... like strawberry bread, homemade pastries, and spring harvest pesto! 😍There's a little time left to grab your tickets (blackwoodland.org --> Mornings in the Country). Hope to see y'all there! 💛 @blackwoodland #morningsinthecountry #sorrel #nasturtiums #chicory #basil #peppercress #arugula #chives #strawberries #delish #farmfresh #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood
“I believe that we must consciously develop a greater sense of Universal Responsibility. We must learn to work not just for our own individual self, family, or nation but for the benefit of all mankind.”
— His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama