Charleston is Darryl's name. Power is Kelsey's name. The Family is for David and Dante and Ayala, our kids, as well as our nieces, nephews, siblings and parents. The idea to have an orchard started with Kelsey, at a time when there was only an apartment with trees in pots (our pear tree is one of those formerly potted). After messing around on the LRA St. Louis website for years looking for property to buy, she came across the page for the Garden Lease Program. The site was selected and the lease granted in early 2009, and Kelsey and Darryl (and our parents and siblings, when they had time!) began the process of turning 3300 square feet of lawn into annual beds and fruit paradise.

 

As the idea morphed from a place for family picnics into a business plan, the selection of what to grow changed too. We are fortunate to be a family of travelers, and have tasted countless wonderful fruits around the world that were unforgettable. While looking into fruits that would grow well here in St. Louis, Kelsey was amazed to discover lots of varieties we had never tried, even some native only to North America. The plan to grow a diverse offering of fruits that aren't commonly sold in our area excited us, and now we have around 30 different kinds of trees, vines, bushes and plants growing fruits, some familiar and some rare, at the garden and in our yard at home.

 

In addition to fruits we grow vegetables and herbs, nuts and flowers. As Kelsey and Darryl met as co-workers in a restaurant kitchen, our first idea was to sell primarily to former colleagues in local restaurants. We have been happy to find that grocery stores and local wholesalers are also eager to buy from us, and have been able to sell retail through City Greens Market and Local Harvest Grocery. In recent years, the public have asked for direct sales, so we started a (tiny) CSA program and now offer sales at our farmstand each growing season. For up to date offerings and locations, please check our Facebook page or contact us directly through the What We Do page of this site.