Gateway Farm Hub

Anishnabeg Country, Plymouth, Michigan, USA

The Brief

Gateway Farm is an ambitious and innovative farm project putting into practice a regenerative, Permaculture-inspired vision that weaves together best practice USDA certified organic market gardening, perennial food systems, land regeneration, educational programs as well as being a demonstration site and thriving business. Gateway Farm is dedicated to becoming a beautiful place of abundance, healing and sanctuary that cares for people, community, wildlife and the land.

And since 2023 we have been Directors here. All systems have been reviewed and redesigned and we 'opened the gates' to community, collaborations and now are seeking investment to take the farm to it's full potential. Learn more at the Gateway Farm website.

Challenges

• The greatest challenge is to make this ambitious vision come to fruition…over 13 acres. Regenerating an old golf driving range with compacted soils, landscape relief and vegetation removed.
• Open, windy & exposed site.
• Working with farm team and property owner, building the vision, designing and implementing system across the farm. 
• This is a big experiment. Implementing, then watching, how new plantings and ideas settle in the landscape and community.
• Weaving together all the people, ideas, skills and other elements in this complex project including, management structure, horticultural skills and literacy, events, value-added products, monitoring and branding. 
• Conveying how special and fundamentally important this and similar projects are.  

Design & Implementation

We immersed ourselves in the project, place and personalities. It took us a while to listen, observe and get know the land, what the dream was, and what the resources and capacity for the project might be.

Garden Juju Collective came up with a proposal which was accepted. Then over another period of time we put together a researched plan based upon farm team input and the owner’s ideas and intentions. We attempted to capture, distill and ground the vision – then offering in return principles and do-able sub-projects.

Project-by-project the vision began to be implemented. Wildlife berms, screen plantings with ‘reveals’, no-till production and soil improvement, compost teas, new hoop houses, ponds re-created, stream restored, extensive berms systems made, mass Food Forest/perennial food plantings, prairie establishment, companion plantings, green manure…oh, and mulching, mulching, mulching…

A great deal of effort, care, idealism and courage has been, and is, going into this complex and ambitious project.

Since 2023 we have streamlined management structures, trained new work teams, built the Gateway Farm brand and now offer education, events, wellness activities and create value-added products. We've overhauled the financial and data gathering aspects of the farm. All this is readiness for new investment to take this unique farm to the next level

Ideas in Action

• Nutrient dense organic market gardening
• Permaculture-inspired design
• Regenerative agriculture

• Re-wilding and conservation
• Perennial heritage food systems
• Stream and wetlands restoration 
• Agricultural education and re-skilling

• Place of healing and sanctuary
• Community inclusion and collaboration
• Communications and media 

Outcomes

Coming into it's 8th year Gateway Farm just grows and grows. It has become a truely unique destination and demonstration farm - attracting universities, conservation organisations, government departments, businesses, community groups, and of course, community members.

Quality food is growing and being sold though CSA shares, online, at the farmers market and sales to restaurants. Streams and substantial ponds have been recreated, the excavated soil has been made into a series of inter-folded berms planted out with more than 240 species of native and or edible plants. Our teams have planted out one of the largest food forests in SE Michigan. 

We're ready for investment to bring the farm to next level. All systems have been overhauled including finances and data gathering; innovations in techniques and technology are updated frequently. Our vision for the future includes a Cafe/Farm Produce store, all weather events and education space, an onsite kitchen facility and a heritage farm animal area. 

In amongst all this – Sand Hill Cranes, Turtles & birds of pray hanging out on and around the new wildlife ponds! The two old Elder Oak trees watching over us. 

“Our vision for Gateway Farm is to create a sustainable, thriving ecosystem that not only nourishes our community, but also serves as an educational hub for sustainable living.”

Mary Emmett

Owner, Gateway Farm

Plymouth, MI, USA

← Back to Portfolio