What is a guerrilla farmer?  I tend to think of it as being unconventional by embracing what was once very conventional. Then mix in researching, and idea sharing via the internet that is very contemporary. Many of my methods come from our history, just like the seeds I choose to grow.  Their pure seed lineage dates back several hundred years.  Other methods like sheet mulching, no-till, and composting beds are also not new, but revised, rescued and revisited after too much land destruction.  Not owning the land is also a guerrilla twist.  Many many new farmers are cut short in their dreams of land acquisition, so their farming never comes to be.  We need to reexamine our communities and be savvy and creative about where we can farm.  In general, guerrilla farming is a way of reusing what is around us and bringing unused land to its full potential.  It can include reclaiming discarded machines and materials: Pixie the MG delivery car was rescued and repaired, all of the cardboard was salvaged from local business, the hops were reclaimed from the local brewery, other materials were recovered from aquaponics waste.

Guerrilla sometimes has a hint of violence in it’s connotation, but not here.  The big blade stuck in the side of the boot is for harvesting purposes only.  Activism can be applied in simple measures through community outreach, changes in legislation, and conversations with others.  One of the favorite signs in the patch reads, “stop taking, start doing,” and action is the key word that flows through guerrilla farming. Get out there and do it, we all have your back.