I am a husband and father to four young daughters. Back in 2012 our family moved from a small apartment in NYC to Roselle Park, NJ. Having access to a backyard, I decided to build my first vegetable garden bed. This was the seed that sprouted my newly found passion for growing food. I can recall the first time I tasted my first home grown tomato, it was as if I had never tasted a real tomato before. The gratification and empowerment of knowing how to grow our own nutrient dense food with my family is truly magical.

Fast forward 10 years later and our backyard has evolved into a permaculture food oasis ( RP-Permaculture garden). With over 20 dwarf fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, grape vines, perennial foods, medicinal plants, pollinator attracting plants, mushroom logs etc. Our backyard is testimony of how abundant and productive a small urban plot can be. I believe we should all grow something, anything! The best food on earth is the food you personally grow with love and intent, not to mention how therapeutic it is to be in the garden observing, smelling, touching, and listening to all the natural elements that make up this beautiful design we call nature.

My journey now is to help you and your family have a successful experience growing your own food. I often hear people say, “ I don’t have a green thumb, I kill all my plants” and get discouraged or simply give up. Guess what? That is part of the journey of learning, understanding, and getting reconnected to nature and our food. Observation is key. The more we take time to slow life down and observe, the more we come to understand the little nuances, imbalances, relationships within nature, and ourselves included.

“ We can solve all the world’s problems in a garden” - Geoff Lawton