Today we’d like to introduce you to Teresa Lees.
Hi Teresa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Our Global Family Farm originated as an idea to create a children’s permaculture space. The design came out of our SLO PDC (San Luis Obispo Permaculture Design Course) back in 2012. The concept was to grow foods from the Four Corners of the Globe as an educational demo farm. It features a Food Forest (agroforestry) approach to regenerative agriculture systems.
The space has multiple uses. It showcases foods indigenous to the continents of the world. It shows how to grow in guilds with companion plantings. It is an example of homesteading practices to grow a variety of food, herbs, flowers, fruits and berries in a small space. Educational programs for children, families and adults have been offered through the years.
Some of the programs are Fruit Tree workshops, Vegetable Growing Workshops, Cob Building, Farm Girls Summer Camps, Herbal Harvest Days, Volunteer Days, Multicultural Potlucks, and Family Fun Days. Our new program is called Global Kids which is permaculture education for young children.
It also has become a source of vegetables for a farmstand and for food give aways. It is a community gathering spot for music, poetry, dog training, Qi Gong, farmer socials, children’s activities, etc. Please check out our programs on our website: www.permacultureslocounty.com
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been several struggles through the years. It started out as a group project but people have gone in other directions in their lives and so it is has been up to me to maintain the Food Forest. There were so many weeds to start with that I actually spent the first year digging so many deep rooted mallow weeds that I went bone-on-bone on my left knee and had to have a knee replacement surgery. For many years following that surgery my knee is still in pain and yet I still farm with a problem knee.
There was other difficulties too such as theft and vandalism from the local homeless population. We once had to relocate the entrance and perimeter of the farm and had to redo the south end of the field.
The soil is heavy clay and very difficult to work with and to amend it enough to get a better texture. After 14 years I am still amending with compost to soften up the soil. When there are heavy rains the soil gets over saturated and is a muddy mess. It then gets too compacted to plant into or have plants thrive because the compaction means there isn’t enough air in the soil There is also big weed, wind and pest pressures.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have perserved long and hard at creating a career out of combining Education with Organic Agriculture for children. I have two teaching credentials and a Master’s of Education in Curriculum & Instruction. I have specialized in Environmental Education and have been a pioneer in SLO County for environmental education, school gardens, farm to school, green schools, and permaculture.
I coordinate the San Luis Obispo Permaculture Guild, building a community of people interested in permaculture. I have built the rosters, listserves, websites, emails, newsletters, flyers, and special events around permaculture in our county. It is a bit like “herding cats” but I don’t give up and continue to network with environmentalists and community organizations who focus on sustainability, climate resiliency and solutions for a regenerative society.
We focus on solutions for a better world. Permaculture is based on three ethics: Care for the Earth, Care for People, Care for the future. And, that is what I am known for.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
This whole project has been a big risk. There is no budget or staff for it except for what comes out of my own pocket. Yet I took a risk to create a 1/4acre demonstration of Permaculture Principles at Our Global Family Farm. That means that what I have created on my own is way different from any other forms of agriculture and farming. Nothing is grown in rows, no tractors or rototillers are used, no power tools, and no soil tillage. It is a work in progress, and I continue to coordinate, collaborate and build community and build the soil. It is also about building our souls, our perspective on caring for the earth and eachother.
I sometimes tell people “Welcome to the jungle! This is look I was going for.” So, in that I have succeeded. People who come to visit are amazed at the diversity of plant life in the ‘jungle.’ People are welcome to Our Global Family Farm on Sundays 9am to 12noon. Multicultural Potlucks are on the third Sunday at 1pm.
I took risks at creating the first summer camp program at the farm and had to advertise, recruit to get families to sign up their daughters. I took a risk to take on all the expenses to pull of the camp. Now summer camps continue at City Farm SLO. I took risks to create farm field trips for the farm and when we were hit with COVID I created ‘virtual field trips’ with videos sent to the schools. What I created for the field trips are enjoyed by many school groups still today. I also took the risk of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce box project for high schoolers. We no longer do CSA boxes, but produce is grown by both high school and college students and sold at farmstands, online, local school districts and to local restaurants. So, again pioneering what is possible in our local food system. What I started has become more and more successful over time. Stying persistent and not giving up is really, really important this day and age.
Pricing:
- Workshops are $10 to $20 each
Contact Info:
- Website: https://permacultureslocounty.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourglobalfamilyfarm/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SLOPermacultureGuild
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresa-lees-3055602b0/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ourglobalfamilyfarm
