Hi, this is Ben Levi, owner and co-manager of Earthstar Farms, LLC. Along with Aria Seidl, my partner of 13 years and main driver of our farm, Wildcat Gardens, we both will be blogging here, and look forward to sharing and hearing your feedback.

Back in 1998 I approached David Tresemer about building a self-sufficient solar home on land that was then owned by All Seasons Chalice, a church David had founded to steward the sacred ceremonial building he called StarHouse. I had studied solar engineering in college, and with the threat of Y2K looming, I was compelled to “walk my talk” by designing and contracting a passive and active solar home. It was completed in July, 2000 (thankfully Y2K was a non-event), and in 2002 I met my life partner, Aria, who moved in with me in March of 2003.

Thankfully Aria is a gardener extraordinaire, and together we created Wildcat Gardens, growing it over the past 12 years to include a fenced area with cultivated garden beds and fruit trees, over 400 lavender plants, a drying shed, a pond area where we do lavender distilling, and a beautifully landscaped home filled with xeriscaped herbs that we harvest and sell.

We inherited David’s USDA Certified Organic status, which he had obtained the previous decade on all of his properties around StarHouse, and this year Aria and I have taken over responsibility for maintaining the organic status of all of the properties, for which Aria had been previously responsible under David’s property management company, Tamco.

Through Aria’s leadership, Wildcat Gardens and the three other farms which make up Earthstar Farms, Earthstar Farm, Wildstar Farm, and Starlight Caravan, have grown into a reputable local provider of over 40 cultivated and wildcrafted certified organic medicinal herbs and products.

Our goal is to be an example of how to live a 21st century lifestyle that is more in harmony with nature. As we do this with others, we co-create healthy community here and around the world. Thank you for being part of our community.

Blessings,

Ben