Our custom-built home Deane and I built with our own hands in 1990 in eastern Jefferson County, burned to the ground Halloween morning 2008, leaving only ashes of the sentimental items we had collected over 30 years and one our animals, Pepper. Although this was a shock, we know it could have been worse. Luckily, we had another property to go to, with a roof over our heads.
In November 2008, we began installing raised beds at our new residence and constructing our chicken coup and hog pens. As the garden and the chickens grew, we began participating in local farmer's markets sponsored by FAMU's Small Farms Program.
One day at the market at Lake Ella, we met the lovely Dr. Jennifer Taylor, head of FAMU's Small Farms Program. Sometime later, Jennifer came to visit us at what we now affectionately refer to as our "Backyard Farm". She asked if we would mind holding a workshop on raised bed gardening utilizing organic methods. We were happy to oblige, and the rest as they say, is history. We now hold workshops at Backyard Farm on a regular basis. Our Philosophy and Practices Many years ago while visiting France, we asked a French stockbroker what he would advise us to invest in. His answer was, "a garden". At the time we looked at him as though he had two heads on his shoulders, but today we consider him to have been a prophet. Before we started our Backyard Farm, we noticed the prices of our food going up to previously unthinkable numbers, the food comes from thousands of miles away, not to mention all the chemicals and adulterations along the way. Today, we are firm supporters of communities thriving on locally grown produce, eggs, and so on. Sustainability is not just another buzzword. Chemicals are killing humans, the animals, the insects, and the environment everyday. We must return to cooperating with mother nature in order to return things to their natural balance and harmony.
We have always tried to eat healthy and to grow our own food whenever we could. Additionally, we have always tried to avoid anything produced or used in a manner that was not the way mother nature intended.
Therefore, our pledge to you is that any product you purchase from us will always be as naturally grown as possible.