Today we’d like to introduce you to Eden Rose.
Hi Eden, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi! My name is Eden and this is a story about a girl (me) losing her job and starting her own business.
Have you ever seen broccoli grow? I hadn’t until five years ago when I planted my first broccoli seed. That experience of watching that seed grow into broccoli, a vegetable I’d previously only seen packaged, priced, and sold is why I’m here and why Down to Farm exists. Growing your own food can change your life, it changed mine. There is no better feeling than growing the food you eat, seeing how much time and energy it takes for vegetables to grow makes you appreciate food on a whole other level. Down to farm was not only created based on our (my partner and I) love for urban farming but for our love of helping people. We believe that no matter what space you have there is a way to grow something, even if it’s basil in a windowsill.
We want to make growing food fun, not overwhelming.
We want to make your garden bed a happy place, not a chor.
But most importantly, we want to make growing food part of your life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m going to say yes, it has been a smooth road. The pandemic has definitely worked in our favor in terms of starting an edible gardening business. Everyone is at home thinking about their spaces, how they can make them better, and how they can be more self-sufficient in a world that we found can all of a sudden “stop”. My personal struggle is being my own boss. I am so used to working for someone else and their dream that it is sometimes hard for me to work on my own. Of course, I need to follow this up with the fact that working for yourself is the best and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. My newfound freedom of not having to be behind a computer everyday selling something to people I don’t know is something I appreciate every day. (I worked in sales, marketing, and brand management for the past eight years) I always tried to figure out what it is that I love to do and now I realize that a hobby and passion (urban farming/gardening) can fully turn into a business, making work not work but pleasure.
As you know, we’re big fans of Down to Farm. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Down to Farm also referred to as DTF (cute, right) is an edible gardening company. We are full-service when it comes to fulfilling your edible garden dreams. Meaning we do it all. Our most common services include building custom garden beds, planting seasonal edible plants, setting up irrigation, and following up with plant care and harvesting. We look at every client as an individual and see what they personally are looking to get out of their garden. Do they just want herbs? Are they looking to plant fruit trees and edible plants? Have they grown veggies before but animals keep eating them (classic LA)? Whatever the answer, we are here to actualize the vision. What sets us apart is that we don’t just make raised beds and we don’t just plant edible gardens, we do it all. We harness all of our talents and passions to make sure your garden is not only beautiful but also successful. We’ve been finding that our 8’x3’ redwood raised bed with a French door cage is quickly becoming our most popular style but nothing is standard when it comes to urban farming because every space is different. My partner and I are very much people people so we really love to connect with each client and work with them to create the perfect edible garden. We pride ourselves on making urban farming possible. We want to make growing food part of your life for you, your friends, and your family.
How do you think about luck?
I had to look up the actual definition of luck to answer this question. Luck – “success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions” I’ve always considered myself lucky in all aspects of life but I am not sure that I can give chance all the credit. I live a very ride-the-wave life in terms of trusting that life is taking me in the direction I am supposed to go. Of course, I make decisions and have my own actions but I feel that things tend to line up easily, and if they don’t it’s just a matter of changing your perspective. I do feel lucky that I was born with a personality that is very user-friendly aka I love people and community. That might be luck. I am very who I am and it’s hard for me to be any different. Getting to know humans and helping them achieve their goals is very part of my life. I am also lucky that I found such an amazing partner (Andrew Katz) who is very supportive and helpful with anything I get into. He is a master of all and has spearheaded building the raised beds and setting up irrigation, really he is the backbone of all things DTF and the most talented human I know. (Pardon my gush but Down to Farm wouldn’t exist without him.)
Contact Info:
- Email: wearedowntofarm@gmail.com
- Website: www.wearedowntofarm.com
- Instagram: wearedowntofarm
Image Credits:
Wrenne Evans
