So much of my work—whether it’s team biographies for a creative agency or a published article about designers or farmers—really boils down to one thing: Telling compelling stories about innovative people.
I find extraordinary joy in meeting these interesting folks who are making big and small differences in our world, and in telling their stories to others.
Recently, I had the pleasure of spending time with Doug Seibert and Leslie Garcia on their Peach Mountain Organics farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio. Interviewing them gave me deep insight into the work it takes to bring good, healthy food to my kitchen.
The article was published in Edible Ohio Valley’s summer issue; read the full story here. A little excerpt:
An easy-to-miss driveway juts off a county road north of Spring Valley, Ohio. The gravel lane leads to a modest house tucked in amid tall shade trees. Across the yard stands a barn that’s seemingly held together by its contents: old machine parts, stacks of plastic nursery pots, seed packets, bags of soil amendment. A stooped yet graceful white-haired woman pushes a walker slowly down the pebbly drive, taking in the cool morning air.
This 17-acre Greene County spread is home to Doug Seibert and Leslie Garcia (along with Garcia’s 93-year-old mother and a big ol’ farm dog). On seven acres, the pair —business and life partners since 1991 — cultivate a huge variety of vegetables and cut flowers under the Peach Mountain Organics banner. Their farm, certified organic by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association (OEFFA), produces enough for Seibert and Garcia to create a simple, sustainable lifestyle on the land.
The farm’s bounty also graces dining tables throughout Montgomery and Greene counties: Seibert and Garcia sell to restaurants in nearby towns, including the popular Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs and The Meadowlark in Dayton. Their ever-changing salad mix is a must-buy at the Saturday morning Yellow Springs farmers’ market; Peach Mountain sells out of its offerings in an hour or two. “I once saw a woman in high heels running across the parking lot to get the last bag of our salad mix before we sold out,” Seibert says, laughing.
What kind of story can I tell for you?
