About
The Farm
Ripcord is nestled on the eastern side of Washoe Valley overlooking the Sierra front.
The farm sits on ground that previously served as a rodeo arena – where the sandy soil was pounded by horse hooves for more than a decade.
Not the textbook location to start a farm, but the stunning views and the family roots made it an obvious, if unconventional, choice.
We broke ground at Ripcord in Fall 2021, with hope that we could apply regenerative agriculture practices to bring this land to life, and leave this little patch of Earth better than we found it.
The Farmers
Garrett was born and raised here – with a childhood spent playing in the Washoe Valley sand, and “helping” his mom in their home garden.
Initially Garrett's baby, Ripcord has grown into a family affair. Garrett and Crystal met shortly after the farm got going, and one of their first dates was transplanting baby pinyon pine trees out at the farm. We won't talk too much about the fate of those pinyon pines, but let's just say Garrett and Crystal have been much better about nurturing their relationship than they were at nurturing pinyon pines.
Now, the farm is just one of their babies together, as Avery (3) and Owen (almost 1) have joined in on the fun. And, in one of those sweet full-circle-type moments, there's another generation of "helpers" running/crawling around in our the home garden.
How We Farm
Simplicity
From the tools we use to the way we start seedlings, we resist the urge (most of the time) to make things more complicated than they need to be.
Stewardship
We’re partners with Nature, not her master. We don’t strive to dominate our environment – we aim to act as thoughtful stewards to help encourage Nature's regenerative, reciprocal tendencies.
Sufficiency
Our goal isn’t to grow endlessly. It’s to grow year-round veggies for fifty families in our community, and to do this year after year in a way that perpetually renews ourselves and our soils.