Mother Earth will heal us all if we let her. Caring for the home we’ve inherited is not a part-time project and the folks behind Green Source Gardens have committed their lives to bringing life back into places where it has been stolen. They are “stewards of the soil;” nurturing the ecosystem as a whole to ensure the vitality of the diverse inhabitants, and rehabilitating the land in the process.
Founders, Liz (far left) and Nick (at center) Mahmood with their team.
Nestled in the forested foothills of the Southern Oregon mountains atop an old gold mine, Green Source is an ecological sanctuary that goes far beyond outdoor cannabis production with a broader mission of watershed restoration and integrative ecodesign. It was this special challenge of rehabilitating the prior degradation of the land during its mining days that excited the proprietors, “Farmer Nick” and Elizabeth Mahmood, the most.
The couple began as vegetable farmers dedicated to land restoration. Through genetic diversity and regenerative farming techniques like Hügelkulture, which involves building raised beds from responsibly-sourced compostable material, Green Source has increased the potential for biological activity and discouraged drainage. Synergistically, this conscientious caretaking improves the watershed the farm sits atop for all those below. Hügelkulture rows are then covered with straw and a layer of manure produced within the closed-loop system of their farm – namely, their small pastoral herd of goats, sheep, llama, donkeys, and chickens. Nothing is store bought.
Fuzzy, fertile faces
Genetic diversity on the farm is also cultivated by planting solely from seed. Near the peak of cannabis harvest, rows upon rows of colorfully-budded bushes thrive along the steeply terraced land, each a unique specimen with slight variation from her sisters. By breeding cannabis for diversity, Green Source strengthens the resiliency and complexity of both the plants and the land and creates full-spectrum experiences with layered, long-lasting effects.
Additionally, Green Source Gardens takes pride in being a pest-free polycultural paradise while remaining humble in their reverence to Nature. By planting with biodiversity in mind, the farm supports healthy soil ecology and provides habitat for ALL life in the garden – the pests aren’t so pesky when they’re well-supported, too.
Happy, Healthy, Productive: behold the beauty of biodiversity.
Through careful observation and conscientious participation within the natural environment, Green Source manifests health and healing in all facets of production and consumption. By continuing to support the cultivation of genetically robust plant medicine from seed to sale, consumers can rely on evolutionarily complex plant medicine grown, not in opposition to the natural environment, but in tandem. After all, diversity is the source of all successful life.