On Growing

As an ecologist, farmer, and educator, for the past 20 years I've explored how humans engage with our landscapes, and how we can be stewards of place and the bioregional communities to which we belong. My career has spanned both regenerative agriculture and native ecosystem restoration, guided by a rooted philosophy of stewarding landscapes through both ecological principals and community-centered practice.

With a dual degree in Biological and Geological Sciences, for over a decade I worked as a restoration ecologist with state and federal parks and environmental education centers—managing native plant nurseries, growing native seed for regional restoration projects, and leading environmental education programs and habitat restoration projects in riparian, woodland, meadow, and marshland habitats.

With a Masters in Sustainable Food Systems, for nine years I’ve also worked in regenerative farming, most notably serving as the Garden Manager for the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center—an 80-acre farm, education, retail nursery, and research center in Northern California.

My life has been guided by a simple question—How can we be good stewards? How can we grow our food, care for our communities, and live as integrated, connected, and regenerative components of the natural systems to which we belong? I am an advocate for resilience, conservation, education, and responsible land use—guided by the cultivation of biodiversity, soil and plant health, community engagement and wellbeing, and a culture of care.

~Michelle Krieg