As I work to reshape my five acre pine forest into a robust and nourishing ecosystem, I entered this first season of cultivating the land with three primary objectives:

1. Increase biodiversity

2. Build soil

3. Grow shade

It’s still pretty early in the season, but I’m feeling really good about the current state and steady progress of development.

In the beginning, one of the things that overwhelmed me most when considering land ownership was the thought of having to manage ornamental grass – the worst of the weeds😣. That’s just not something I’m willing to exhaust my precious, limited resources on. Thankfully, I acquired virgin land that hadn’t had invasive grass forced into the native ecosystem. The great majority of my ground is covered in wild blackberries and dewberries. This has certainly presented (sometimes painful😖) challenges for me – especially within the space where I’m actively cultivating. However, after tasting my first ever wild berries, I’m bothered by the thorns a whole lot less. In fact, I’ve revised my space plan to include a few wild berry patches within my cultivation area.

The beauty of land ownership is that I have agency to care for this patch of Earth. I get to decide what’s a “weed” on my land. The way I see it, these heritage wild berries are a gift from the land and I intend to honor them. Some people might look at my property and see an invasive, weedy mess, but I’m committed to creating a vibrant and immersive natural experience because the real world needs more wild spaces.