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Many Hands Peace Farm
Written By: Jenny King | Issue: 2017/08 - August | Photograph By: Marjorie Christiansen Photography
The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center has a long history with environmental stewardship and their Many Hands Peace Farm continues this tradition.
Farm co-managers Ben Galindo and Joey Kyle see it as their mission to take care of this land at the foot of Little Scaly Mountain. Everything they grew is organic in the most basic sense of the word. The chickens produce eggs that taste the way they should thanks to their diet of bugs and greens; the flowers are native; their herbs, veggies, berries, and mushrooms are all sustainably farmed; their greenhouse produces micro-greens; and you’ll find chamomile and elder flowers drying for teas and tinctures.
Their methods of growing are well-thought-out and include Hugelkultur, which is a technique utilizing no-dig raised beds that hold moisture, build fertility, maximize surface volume, and are ideal spaces for growing fruit, vegetables, and herbs. They had great success with squash grown this way and have rotated this year’s crop to beans.
In May, Galindo and Kyle presented a proposal for a future food forest and The Mountain board gave them their full support. Now they can begin the transformative process of converting an acre of young black locust trees into a multi-layered forest of fruit and nut trees, shrubs, perennial vegetables, and mushroom beds. With care and cultivation, they can create an environment of long-term stability and sustainability for humans and wildlife; and making an aesthetically pleasing forest for future learning and transformation.
Galindo and Kyle welcome the opportunity to teach and invite those interested in learning more to take a Farm tour. Volunteers are always welcomed.
The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center is located on Highway 106, the Dillard Road, and is a nonprofit retreat center and youth camp that has been inspiring people since 1979 with enriching programs and amazing beauty.
Visit the Many Hands Peace Farm stand at Highlands Marketplace in Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park Saturday mornings. To schedule a tour or to learn more, send an email to [email protected] and [email protected]. You can also visit themountainrlc.org/many-hands-peace-farm.
