Land Ethic

Nestled in the shadow of Lazy Mountain, in Palmer, Alaska, is an almost 100 acre farm alive with rich soils, local wildlife, the occasional neighbors elk or buffalo, and forested ground. It is a restorative place. Previously used for hay production, we are transitioning to vegetables, fruits and herbals. 

We acknowledge that the land we farm is ancestral Athna and Dena’ina Indigenous territory, and that this or any land in Alaska was never ceded to Russia or the United States. We say this in the spirit of gratitude for centuries of land stewardship that came before us, and also in acknowledgement of the legacies of colonialism that have shaped the way we live. We are willing to sit with the contradiction that we are trying to farm in a good way on stolen Indigenous land. We are committed to showing up for the wellness of our community as a whole and committed to learning and reciprocity. 

As farmers, we steward the land we live on and bring the goodness of this land to help feed and heal the human and more-than-human worlds. We see our work as part of a ‘Just Transition’ from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy and are always reflecting on good ways to do this work.

Learn more about the Just Transition framework in Alaska at justtransitionalaska.org

A Brief Look at Regenerative Agriculture 

Regenerative agriculture uses farming techniques and practices that rebuild soils and organic matter so that carbon is put back into the soil. It is as much a way of life as a way of thinking about how farming is practiced. 

Click here to learn more about regenerative agriculture to understand its impact on climate change and water quality. 

Where We Are Going With the Farm 

Our vision for the farm is to grow a bountiful forest of perennial vegetables, fruit trees, medicinal herbs, and all kinds of strange, delicious plants.  We are interested in the things that are a little wilder and more flavorful. The weird stuff is where we find the most inspiration. 

Zoe and Nick are the main farmers at Singing Nettle. Zoe is fascinated by all things different, strange, gnarly and loves finding things that challenge and interest her. On the farm, she draws from this energy to cultivate unique plants that are less known and experimenting with new ways to grow, eat and share them. She is responsible for crop planning, planting, transplanting, weeding and harvesting.  Nick loves building things that are functional, beautiful and integrated with the natural world. He creates farm infrastructure from beetle-killed spruce trees on the land that he cuts and mills and heads up most of the building projects around here. We are combining these passions to build a farm that supports our human and more-than-human communities.