Talus Slope
Geologists define talus as the pile of rocks that accumulate at the base of a cliff, chute, or slope. The formation of a talus slope results from the talus accumulation. Our home sits at the base of an ancient talus slope, as is evident by the piles of rocks and boulders that are still exposed all over the mountain, but especially above our house. Over geological time plants have grown between the rocks, the rocks have slowly eroded, and every fall as the plants drop their leaves the soil levels grow, making habitat for new species of plants, animals and fungi. We’re here tending some of these spaces, removing the invasive species who threaten to take over and making space for the special native plants who grew on this mountain before humans had such an impact on the land.
We are currently growing woodland medicinal plants for future harvest, as well as other medicinal plants in our herb gardens. Looking for something specific? Shoot us an email by clicking HERE.
( We are only offering fresh herbs at this time)
Matt West.
The guy who makes it all happen.
Matt is a sculptor, kayaker, and teacher in the art department of UNC Asheville.. He stumbled upon this property back in 2011 and knew it was something special. He worked to clear the roads and areas around the house and shop for years with the help of friends, family, and this old tractor Roy, named after the previous owner.
Lindsay West.
Lindsay is a self reformed conventional landscaper turned organic gardener and native plant enthusiast. She’s been working with plants for over 25 years. Lindsay is also a potter and makes wood fired, salt glazed pottery which often incorporates plant pressings. Check out her business page Potter On The Farm!
Lindsay and Matt met during her time at UNC Asheville and in the spring of 2015 Lindsay graduated from UNCA with BA in Ceramics, and began her life on the mountain with Matt. By 2017 they’d established the farm so that Lindsay could sell veggies and herbs they were growing at the tailgate market on occasion. Although they had a lot of property to work with, most of it is steep, north facing and wooded, and the further they explored, the more they understood how special it was. It wasn’t to be logged for more garden space, that was for sure. Since 2015 Lindsay has made it her mission to learn more about the native, woodland plants growing on the mountain, and the two of them have been doing extensive amounts of invasive species removal every year. They’ve been planting the seeds of woodland medicinal plants, stewarding others, and moving wild populations to safety as they continue to maintain the old roads and small fields. You can follow their farm adventures over on Instagram, or stay tuned for new blog posts.
