Field Trip to Jim's Freedom House Farm
We decided to take a field trip to our friend’s urban farm yesterday in New Port Richey (FL) and after snapping a few pictures of his artistic garden design, we figured you would want to see it for yourselves. The veggie beds are a delight for the eyes (& the taste is incomparable, too.)
Jim Koveleski is well known throughout the permaculture/urban agriculture community. We were lucky enough to meet him back in 2010, at a pivotal point when we were forming our business model. Up until meeting Jim, we had the impression that we needed ample amount of space to grow food (& we were in the process of prepping a farming site for large scale organic crop production.) After seeing what Jim was doing with his small suburban lot, we left completely inspired & immediately changed direction toward converting our own (former) suburban lot into an edible one & helping others do the same with theirs. Perhaps, if we hadn’t met Jim, GreenDreams may not have ever existed.
Jim gave us so much insight over the first few years. He shared his “seed-block” method to starting seeds, advice on which seed varieties have produced the best for our region and also showed us his own interpretation of how permaculture practices can apply to traditional/annual vegetable production, as well. His compost is a free resource, watering needs are minimum & there is no need for pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers (nature handles it all). Jim demonstrates how he is able to produce enough income to provide his own needs with only 1/3 of an acre.
Jim’s positive outlook to life is contagious & because of that, many people are drawn to him. He is not just our mentor, but also one to many other local growers. If you live in the area, or are willing to make a trip, he offers free farm tours every Saturday, at his own “Freedom House Farm” at 2pm. You can also meet him & pick up some of his delicious home-grown goods at Sweetwater Farm on Sundays or at the Tasty Tuesdays Farmers Market in New Port Richey. You can also find Jim’s produce at our favorite restaurant, Zen Forest (New Port Richey, FL) & on the Dunedin Locally Grown Co-op’s website. If you want to meet Jim, or purchase some of his gems, you might want to do it soon; because as soon as the hot weather approaches, he heads north to Maine, where he tends to his other market garden through the summertime.
