Joining the Lodestar Community

A former resident of Tucson, Arizona, Zach and his partner Tara, moved north to explore the White Mountains. We first met them at the Show Low Farmers market in the summer of 2013, and since that time Zach became an avid gardener, researching our current food system, experimenting with compost methods, and studying alternative soil amendments. When we invited Zach to work with Lodestar Gardens, he said he was ready to put theory into action. And it’s action we need this year so as to develop a new acre of fodder crops and sustain our vegetable production momentum.

Zach identifies the defining moment that fired up his curiosity about growing things as the season he watched a dramatic increase in his plant yield after applying worm castings from a compost system he built. The simplicity of the method greatly impressed him, “It all seemed so easy.” For ten years we have barely managed to keep our bodies fit enough to manage our own operation, and Zach’s words were a good reminder of Henry David Thoreau’s mantra: “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity”—the very phrase which inspires us to learn how to live a reverent and resilient lifestyle.

We applaud Zach’s worm epiphany and youthful passion for learning how to grow chemical-free food. He is most welcome here at Lodestar Gardens Learning Center where people of all ages learn together how to embrace a more authentic way to live while celebrating the joys of wholesome food, good company, and moments in Nature’s sacred silence. Welcome aboard our high desert ship, Zach and Tara!