Nevada Backyard Chicken Group Gardeners And Canners Of Northern Nevada Gardening In Northern Nevada

Bryan Vellinga

Owner and Operator of Garden Farms of Nevada

Originally from the beautiful countryside of western Montana, I moved to Las Vegas in 1987, and have been in the landscaping and gardening industry here in the valley for over 28 years. After Graduating from Clark High School in Las Vegas I obtained a degree in Horticulture at CSN. I worked as the Director of Horticulture at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, MS and at other resorts in Las Vegas including The Mirage Hotel and Shadow Creek Golf Course.

I have had a passion for growing food in the desert since I was young, and have successfully proven an uncanny ability to grow vegetables and fruit trees throughout our harsh desert climates in Nevada. I am married to the lovely Brittany Vellinga (co-owner and operator of Garden Farms of Nevada) and together we have five beautiful children, and one grandchild. In my spare time, I enjoy fly fishing, food preservation, spending time with my wife and family and (of course) gardening.

Brittany vellinga

Co-owner and Operator of Garden Farms of Nevada

In addition to being a busy mother of Seven children and one grandchild, I work on the farm and service some of the residential and school gardens in Las Vegas. I love working with the kids and others, putting my 20+ years of gardening experience in Las Vegas to good use. After graduating High School I pursued further education with the travel and tourism industry, and then became a certified Herbalist.

In addition to Working at Garden Farms of Nevada, I have worked as a day care specialist, substitute teacher, swim teacher, PTA President, and various community services, and am a certified CPR instructor, producing a tea line for Garden Farms Herbs, and hosting a podcast show for women. My hobbies and interests include gardening (of course), camping, spending quality time with my kids and grand baby, sewing, running, walking, painting, food preservation, reading, cooking, making cakes, and exercise.

Vanessa Portillo

Executive Director of Garden Farms Foundation

I was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. (Yes, a real unicorn!) While studying for my bachelors in Cultural Anthropology at UNLV, I spent a semester abroad in Costa Rica. After spending time in the rain forests, dry forests and cloud forests for the first time, I became fascinated with plants and their life cycles. Upon my return, I moved to North Carolina and became a certified clinical herbalist, and began working with children through plant education, and creating a children's herbal medicine line. After an incredible few years in NC, I moved back to the west coast where my focus shifted towards agriculture. I fell in love with the idea of replacing lawns/ornamentals with edible varieties, and creating a sustainable environment at home, using permaculture principles to recreate natural ecosystems.

When I joined the Garden Farms team, I felt so lucky to find a family and community that aligned so perfectly with my passions! Having the opportunity to work with people of all ages educating them with food cultivation skills, I discovered my true love for sustainability of not only our environment, but for our food accessibility as well.

One practice I have adopted into my daily life is catching my ice-cold water into a bucket while I wait for it to warm up before showering. That's about 2 gallons I get to water my plants, or pre-rinse my dirty dishes with that would otherwise have gone "down the tubes"!

Wendy wilson

Assistant Manager of Garden Farms of Nevada

I'm very passionate about growing my own food and teaching the concept to anyone who will listen. Growing food for ourselves has been lost through busy lifestyles and the ease of grocery stores. There is something so satisfying in self-reliance and having everything on your table grown from a seed you collected from the previous year's harvest.

For over 10 years I have taught myself how to grow through trial and error as well as being a member of a local community garden, and I've really enjoyed helping countless people remedy problems in their own gardens. I've taken classes through Springs Preserve, community colleges and university extension offices, and I've also participated in planning the vegetable gardens at the Springs Preserve through extensive classes on the subject.

I started out saying, "Thank goodness my family won't starve this winter because we have a grocery store too!" but now my own garden is better than the local grocer, and we have everything we need right at home!

Tiffany Whisenant

Director of Garden Farms of Oregon

Originally from Las Vegas, NV, I have a passion for edible urban landscapes. After furthering my education in Environmental Horticulture at the College of Southern Nevada, I collaborated on many projects providing food security and sustainability within my community. I have worked to develop school garden framework for the desert southwest and have steered organizations to design beneficial food systems which also preserve natural resources.

Having recently transplanted to Eugene, OR, I am excited to share my devotion to the endless opportunities growing food can provide. Enjoying time in the garden and kitchen with my husband, two daughters, two inquisitive dogs and as many friends and family as possible is my favorite hobby!

Sarah Wagstaff

Farmer

I have been gardening in Southern Nevada and the surrounding region for 18 years. I enjoy working with home gardeners to develop site-adapted planting plans over the course of several growing seasons. As one farmer among many at Garden Farms, I have had the opportunity to help weave customer feedback and localized environmental feedback into a larger garden patchwork here in the Valley.

Overlooked items in your home can be repurposed as essential additions to your gardening toolkit -- and this also goes for the toolkit itself! Once, on a whim, I repurposed a collapsible laundry hamper with rope handles as a garden carryall, and to this day it works better for me than any store-bought gardening tote advertised as such. I bring it with me to gather up plants for easy transport, to haul debris away, and to move miscellaneous supplies around. It's also a real space saver, folding flat when not in use.

samantha shuman

Farmer

"It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become", the Lorax famously quoted.

My love for farming started at first cotyledon and solidified through the satisfaction of harvesting the seeds I no longer need pay for. I'm a fresh graduate of UNLV, 2019 (Go Rebels!) where I obtained a Bachelor's of Biological Science. My years in college gave me an appreciation and understanding of how microorganisms, fungi and plants all work together in a balanced ecosystem. I learned how plants use carbon dioxide and enzymes to convert energy harnessed from the sun into simple sugars. Learning these processes fascinated me, and raised an ever-growing, awe-inspired quest to learn more. You may have never given much thought to a single leaf, but once you know about the countless photon antennae that capture and transport electrons as energy used to split water and convert carbon dioxide into sugar, you may find yourself more impressed with that one pound watermelon I'll help you grow.

Farming has blossomed into a passion of mine; I savor moments that I can share research grounded information with others. Being a mother of two inquisitive girls, I found an outlet that teaches them and their cousins patience, vigilance, reward and loss. In a world where science has lost its footing, my goal is to inspire young people to care more for our green friends, and the miraculous ways they can enhance our health. My dream is to see them become biologists that help further our knowledge of the world around us. Plant the seed of knowledge today, and observe what it can become.

sarah beatty

Farmer

When I was going to college I had the opportunity to start giving nutrition lessons to students at a couple of the school gardens in town. Watching kids get excited about vegetables was the best thing ever!! I loved working with them & teaching them why veggies are so great for them. I saw how much of an impact it made on the kids & continued volunteering for a couple of years. Of course it's hard to spend so much time in gardens & not fall in love with farming! I loved seeing how the plants grew, learning how to care for them, and of course eating the most delicious produce of my life! I don't think I'll ever stop growing food thanks to my experience with garden farms. I'm so lucky I get to work as a farmer with them now!

My gardening tip for you: Be patient and don't take it too seriously!

mario Williams

Farmer

I was born in San Diego, CA and raised in Las Vegas, NV. I love to be outside growing my own food, and I enjoy having control of what goes into my body. I've always been interested in growing food, but it became my passion when I had the opportunity to work for a culinary garden in California. Everything we grew was organic, and used in the kitchen by the chef. I learned about many types of different vegetable varieties, and enjoyed watching how different vegetables grow. A little over a year ago, I started cultivating on my own, and I am excited to be a part of the Las Vegas food movement.

When growing your garden, have patience. Not everything will come out how you expect it to, but there will be many chances to get it right in the future.

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Dana Grant

Farmer

Hi there, my name is Dana. I am a father of two beautiful children and a husband to one amazing wife. I was originally born in Denver, Colorado and I've now been in Las Vegas for over 20 years. For the last 15+ years I have dedicated much time and energy creating a sustainable environment on my own property along with teaching kids, neighbors and friends alike how to grow their own food. My favorite things to grow in the Las Vegas desert are heirloom chilis because I love making hot sauce! I originally got into sustainability and growing soil in order to grow the healthiest food. I watched many documentaries and did tons of research about how our food was processed, where it came from and what we were eating. I realized we were being slowly poisoned, and I couldn't allow that to happen for my family and I.

At home we have over 20 fruit trees, are actively engaged in "Back to Eden" methods, and have many garden beds full of healthy organic soil to grow healthy organic food! One love y'all!

Tandi rolen

Farmer

I believe in the power of plants. Over ten years ago I healed my own body with nourishing foods and decided to dive deeper into where my food comes from. I was surprised to learn about the flaws of our food system and wanted to do something about it. I opened the first plant-powered cafe in my home town of Wenatchee, Washington expressing to my community the joys, creativity and deliciousness of local food. Soon to follow I co-founded Sustainable Wenatchee: a non profit that promotes environmental stewardship. I'm also an active yoga instructor mama and I love to be outdoors with my husband and son any chance I can.

My journey started with plants on the plate and now I'm working with my hands in the dirt as a farmer for Garden Farms Nevada. I'm so grateful to be in this position to not only be a teacher but a continuous student. I do this work so that I can be a better me. You can be a better you and the community as a whole can be uplifted.

Treat your plants like you would a young child. Have patience, be positive and most importantly plan ahead!