Garden Maiden
nurturing, keeping and tending to our Good Earth
Where it gets to 'never' end...
Gardening has become a means to health for me. Beyond the general meditating in the garden, I have discovered the strength and surrender it takes to trust my body to sheer exhaustion. My hope is to inspire you to develop a passion for gardening and create for yourself a place to experience firsthand the cycles of life. Such goodness comes from trusting the earth, exploring seeds, watching it grow, savoring the first tastes, sharing the abundance with family and neighbors and friends. Here are a few of the projects that have come from my love of gardening~
Earthship Nature Retreat & Healing Arts Center
My BIG DREAM::
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I have no idea what it looks like yet, but I am clear that I get to create a center for healing and education for personal empowerment and community sustainability
Year-round
Aquaponics Learning Center
Many schools and communities already have traditional gardening programs. My goal involves creating an aquaponic center that relies on fish, water and minimal soil to produce thousands of pounds of food each year. The business will resolve the issue of the Village of Grand Ridge being a 'food desert' by providing fresh food options in the Community while creating local jobs suited to youth, elderly and disabled.
In the Fall of 2012, I enrolled one other family in participating in a Community Garden in Grand Ridge. By Spring, three more families helped plan, plant and nourish our little plot along the tracks.
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Our first year returned to "Take what you want, Leave what you can" with a coffee can alongside what we picked each week from the garden. Children are learning where their food comes from, parents are discovering how easy it is to put fresh food on their tables, and the Community is enjoying beauty, growth and transformation. To get involved, please visit www.dirtandduty.com
When I returned to Illinois in 2008, I was devastated to realize there is really no selection of trusted organic produce in our local grocery stores.
Five years later, Samantha Powell and I launched our first Organic CSA Produce Box delivery in the Village of Grand Ridge with our new business Grateful Plains.
It is a thrill to discover people are truly appreciative that we facilitate the delivery of fresh, affordable organic food to our area.