For the love of the Land...

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
Evening rounds and this chicory dandelion bed just really caught my eye. I love the deep green of the dandelion contrasting with the poppies. But then again, I tend to suffer a springtime affliction in which my kitchen garden veggie rotation competes against my serious poppy obsession... #farmlife 🤷‍♀️ . . . #poppy #kitchengarden #farmtroubles #couldbeworse #dandelion #chicory #farmbeauty #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Evening rounds and this chicory dandelion bed just really caught my eye. I love the deep green of the dandelion contrasting with the poppies. But then again, I tend to suffer a springtime affliction in which my kitchen garden veggie rotation competes against my serious poppy obsession... #farmlife 🤷‍♀️ . . . #poppy #kitchengarden #farmtroubles #couldbeworse #dandelion #chicory #farmbeauty #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Gently wild, politely chaotic. Asks no permission, makes no apologies. Flits in and out of existence each year without much notice, or with adoration, or scorned. Yet still significant. Provider, change-maker, stalwart. Vetch was my 'gateway-plant'. Will forever be my muse. Move in the change you want to see. Maintain your resolve. It's always worth the effort. 💛 #listentothem #bethechange #persevere #vetch
Gently wild, politely chaotic. Asks no permission, makes no apologies. Flits in and out of existence each year without much notice, or with adoration, or scorned. Yet still significant. Provider, change-maker, stalwart. Vetch was my 'gateway-plant'. Will forever be my muse. Move in the change you want to see. Maintain your resolve. It's always worth the effort. 💛 #listentothem #bethechange #persevere #vetch
Life goal: Cultivate an even more delish paw-paw and call it 'maw-maw'. Patent pending, y'all. 😉 Aren't these flowers real gems, though? #pawpaw #flowers #fruittree #farmbeauty #farmlife #springtime #yum
Life goal: Cultivate an even more delish paw-paw and call it 'maw-maw'. Patent pending, y'all. 😉 Aren't these flowers real gems, though? #pawpaw #flowers #fruittree #farmbeauty #farmlife #springtime #yum
These are a few of my favorite things. 💛 Happy Equinox y'all! Here's to finding and appreciating balance in all that lies ahead. . . . #gaillardia #mexicanblanket #poppies #indianpaintbrush #blueberries #texas #farm #yall #wildflowers #springtime #firstdayofspring #wildbeauty #notreadyforsummer #yikes
These are a few of my favorite things. 💛 Happy Equinox y'all! Here's to finding and appreciating balance in all that lies ahead. . . . #gaillardia #mexicanblanket #poppies #indianpaintbrush #blueberries #texas #farm #yall #wildflowers #springtime #firstdayofspring #wildbeauty #notreadyforsummer #yikes
We're on fire now y'all!!! 🔥 🐉 🔥 . At long last the dragon fruit are in ground and trellised. Swipe to see the trellis construction process. The idea was to use farm scrap type materials, build for resiliency, and keep it practical. Our high tunnels wouldn't fit the traditional style trellises very easily (plus wood rots and has to be replaced over time), so I needed a new plan. When full grown and fruiting, these plants are quite large and heavy. I decided to use two cattle panels back to back to reinforce and provide extra structure and support. In between these panels is coco fiber. Dragon fruit produces not only ground, but aerial roots as well. The coco fiber will give the aerial roots something to grip and provide them with a larger feeding surface (we'll spray the fiber with compost tea or seaweed periodically). The pvc on top of the panels was cut with a router table and intended to pad and protect the arms of the plant from being sliced open. This project has been months in the making so I'm really excited to finally be moving into the production phase! We've got five different varietals, so plenty to play with in the kitchen! Do you grow dragon fruit? What's your favorite and how are you using it in the kitchen? I'll also post follow-ups and recipes from my journey with this beautiful beast, so stay tuned! 💛💛💛 #dragonfruit #trellis #diy #farmhack #farmlife #resilience #growstronger #tropical #subtropical #hightunnel #innovate #ilovemyjob #texas #farm #southernfarmer
We're on fire now y'all!!! 🔥 🐉 🔥 . At long last the dragon fruit are in ground and trellised. Swipe to see the trellis construction process. The idea was to use farm scrap type materials, build for resiliency, and keep it practical. Our high tunnels wouldn't fit the traditional style trellises very easily (plus wood rots and has to be replaced over time), so I needed a new plan. When full grown and fruiting, these plants are quite large and heavy. I decided to use two cattle panels back to back to reinforce and provide extra structure and support. In between these panels is coco fiber. Dragon fruit produces not only ground, but aerial roots as well. The coco fiber will give the aerial roots something to grip and provide them with a larger feeding surface (we'll spray the fiber with compost tea or seaweed periodically). The pvc on top of the panels was cut with a router table and intended to pad and protect the arms of the plant from being sliced open. This project has been months in the making so I'm really excited to finally be moving into the production phase! We've got five different varietals, so plenty to play with in the kitchen! Do you grow dragon fruit? What's your favorite and how are you using it in the kitchen? I'll also post follow-ups and recipes from my journey with this beautiful beast, so stay tuned! 💛💛💛 #dragonfruit #trellis #diy #farmhack #farmlife #resilience #growstronger #tropical #subtropical #hightunnel #innovate #ilovemyjob #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Innovating new and resilient agriculture models? And then through these models teach others to empower themselves? Yup, #thisiswomenswork 👍Standing in our soon-to-be perennial high tunnel with my dragon babies and their brand new trellis I designed from old farm scraps, feeling grateful for all the women in and beyond my life who paved the way for me to be here today. I'm honored to work with an incredible team of both women and men who challenge and empower me everyday to dig deeper and root stronger. Thanks @blackwoodland and happy #internationalwomensday y'all 💛 #iwd2018 #ilooklikeafarmer #womenwhofarm #empower #resiliency #dragonfruit
Innovating new and resilient agriculture models? And then through these models teach others to empower themselves? Yup, #thisiswomenswork 👍Standing in our soon-to-be perennial high tunnel with my dragon babies and their brand new trellis I designed from old farm scraps, feeling grateful for all the women in and beyond my life who paved the way for me to be here today. I'm honored to work with an incredible team of both women and men who challenge and empower me everyday to dig deeper and root stronger. Thanks @blackwoodland and happy #internationalwomensday y'all 💛 #iwd2018 #ilooklikeafarmer #womenwhofarm #empower #resiliency #dragonfruit
Bill Wither's "lovely day" is stuck in my head on repeat. My irrigation gremlins have disappeared for the morning, it's a gorgeous 50° and sunny out, and these arugula blossoms are on point with their peanut-y-ness, so I'm going to go ahead and say yeah... it's gonna be a lovely day. 💛 #billwithers #lovelyday #farmlife #luckyme
Bill Wither's "lovely day" is stuck in my head on repeat. My irrigation gremlins have disappeared for the morning, it's a gorgeous 50° and sunny out, and these arugula blossoms are on point with their peanut-y-ness, so I'm going to go ahead and say yeah... it's gonna be a lovely day. 💛 #billwithers #lovelyday #farmlife #luckyme
Video for the serious pollen action taking place, but actually I ended up being mesmerized by the crazy landing tactics taking place. 😮🤘#bees #buzz #buzzy #woah #loveyourbees #farmlife #springtime #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Me, most afternoons recently... . . . #thestruggleisreal #gratuitousdogpics #cutiepie #noshame #dogstagram #life #doggo #puppers #farmlife
Me, most afternoons recently... . . . #thestruggleisreal #gratuitousdogpics #cutiepie #noshame #dogstagram #life #doggo #puppers #farmlife
Dragon fruit feeling much better getting out of the greenhouse and into the perennial High Tunnel. After some serious pruning, they're putting on some beautiful new growth. Thank goodness for resilient plants. 💛 #dragonfruit #darkstar #resilience #perennial #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood
Dragon fruit feeling much better getting out of the greenhouse and into the perennial High Tunnel. After some serious pruning, they're putting on some beautiful new growth. Thank goodness for resilient plants. 💛 #dragonfruit #darkstar #resilience #perennial #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood
Even chives gotta express themselves. ✌️#whatif #allchiveslookedlikethis #psychedelicchives #chiveon #surivors #bedifferent #expressyourself #professionalfarmer #lol
Even chives gotta express themselves. ✌️#whatif #allchiveslookedlikethis #psychedelicchives #chiveon #surivors #bedifferent #expressyourself #professionalfarmer #lol
May not seem like much, but this is where I feel like I've been livin' all week y'all and it's been one hell of a week. But the good news is, we did it! Thanks to my awesome intern and co-workers, I finally patched allllllllllll the overhead PVC for our irrigation, got new plastic up, and set the beds for our first planting of the perennial tunnel... dragon fruit!!! 🐉 Trellis building starts tomorrow, so stay tuned! #hightunnel #irrigation #perennials #dragonfruit #soyummy #regenerativeagriculture #resilience #gobigorgohome #texasfarm #southernfarmer #itscoldyall #inhempsteadatleast 😱
May not seem like much, but this is where I feel like I've been livin' all week y'all and it's been one hell of a week. But the good news is, we did it! Thanks to my awesome intern and co-workers, I finally patched allllllllllll the overhead PVC for our irrigation, got new plastic up, and set the beds for our first planting of the perennial tunnel... dragon fruit!!! 🐉 Trellis building starts tomorrow, so stay tuned! #hightunnel #irrigation #perennials #dragonfruit #soyummy #regenerativeagriculture #resilience #gobigorgohome #texasfarm #southernfarmer #itscoldyall #inhempsteadatleast 😱
Hey you busy bees!!! This afternoon (3 PM!) my loveliest colleague @gnottigraves and I will be talking all things good and magical @blackwoodland ! Tune them dials to Houston's community radio station 90.1 KPFT (or stream it online) to hear all about our transition into a perennial farm and nonprofit on Eco-ology! 💛 . #communityradio #kpft #ecoology #houston #texas #farmlife #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #farmingispublicservice #farmstrong

The Farmer at Blackwood Land

Become a volunteer today!
Community involvement is the foundation of every successful farm. Our volunteers are the life-blood of the farm's operations. They help out with everything from weeding to harvesting, packing CSA's, and working in the nursery. It's like taking your own private gardening or farming class!

To be sure, the production farm is located in Hempstead, TX, just an hour NW of Houston off Hwy 290. Volunteer mornings are typically hosted on Saturdays.

Farmer Becca needs your help and support, so sign up today, and let's get growing!

Name *
Name
“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