Mother Earth News_December_2016_2017

16 MOTHER EARTH NEWS XXXX/XXXX XXXX

Firsthand Reports

SLOW FLOWERSSLOW FLOWERSSLOW FLOWERS

and a Solar Homeand a Solar Homeand a Solar Home

E

ach year, we salute the resource-

fulness, commitment, and gump-

tion of remarkable homesteading

families with our Homesteaders of the

Year awards. Megan and Jonathan Leiss,

one of three winning families for 2016,

have set an inspiring example of the chal-

lenges and rewards of a self-reliant life.

From 12 acres in Hurdle Mills, North

Carolina, this couple sells cut flowers

through their business, Spring Forth Farm

(www.SpringForthFarmNC.com). Megan

and Jonathan have lived in a 7-by-11-foot

remodeled camper since purchasing their

property in 2013, which has allowed them

to build their solar home slowly without

a mortgage — a process that has been a

source of experimentation, education, and

community. They’ve worked to reclaim

and rebuild soil that grew tobacco for at

least a century, and their primary farm

crop is flowers. In the following interview,

the Leisses detail their DIY lifestyle.

How did you choose flowers as your

market crop?

Our area is saturated in vegetable pro-

duction, but we found an opening in the

local-flower movement. Now, we grow cut

flowers for florists, weddings, and weekly

subscribers. Appreciation of local products

has moved beyond food, and on a per-

square-foot basis, flowers are a profitable

crop compared with most vegetables.

What inspired you to start down the

homesteading road?

We both grew up in North Carolina

and longed for a life that revolved around

gardening and that embraced the beauty

of the natural world. Megan grew up in

the woods, where she was home-schooled

and learned to garden. Before we met, we

were each working to save money to buy

land. Megan worked in Alaska in Gates of

the Arctic National Park and Preserve and

on a salmon gillnetter. Jonathan worked

for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey,

living on a train and teaching the circus

families’ children.

By K.C. Compton

This couple’s DIY drive led them to establish a cut-

fl ower business and build a mortgage-free abode.

MEGAN AND JONATHAN LEISS (2); PAGE 16:

BETHANY CUBINO, CHASING SKIES PHOTOGRAPHY

p 16-17 Firsthand.indd 16 10/10/16 12:04 PM