Nature's Best

Tromping through a muddy, weedy chaotic field, Sasha Miller is picturing what her farmstead will look like when planted saplings mature 5, 10 or 20 years from now. Pear and apple trees will bear abundant fruit and much will go into ciders. Speckled alder trees on a shady northwest slope will have restored the soil and be used for mushroom nurseries.

Though it appears in disarray, every element of Purplebrown Farmstead has been carefully organized according to the natural contours and elements of its 12 acres in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The overarching concept is permaculture, a method of using ancient wisdom and necessary tech to mimic Mother Nature’s complex systems while also growing fruit, veggies, herbs and more for the community to buy.

“The idea is to have this transparent farm on public land where we can learn from our successes and failures and use that research as an experiment,” says the native of Moldova who grew up in Solon. 

Miller learned about permaculture during a college semester abroad in Australia, where the concept originated, and loved how it weaves together community development, economics and environmentalism. She and her husband, Jimmy, had always longed to live closer to the land and took the leap to start a permaculture farm after they had two kids. Miller got certified by Midwest Permaculture and designed a map of how Purplebrown’s contours could be used to maximize growth while minimizing input. 

“Looking at a landscape, you consider the sun, the wind, really big environmental context, then work that down to the details,” she says.

For example, all the fruit trees are planted strategically on contours of the land around swales that collect rain and runoff water, so no water is wasted and fewer outside resources are needed. The outer edges of the property border on the Summit Bike & Hike Trail, so the Millers got a grant to plant a pollinator corridor of crab apple trees, elderberries and other species that provide a buffer while attracting vital bees and other bugs to pollinate the fruit. 

Idaho pasture pigs the Millers raise for meat are moved almost daily. “They root and prepare the soil for us to plant things behind them,” Miller says.

As everything takes root, the Millers share the fruits of their labor with the public at their on-site farm stand, at the Saturday Countryside Farmers’ Market at Howe Meadow in Peninsula, and through their nascent Community Supported Permaculture program in which people pick up a monthly share of veggies, herbs, meat and eggs at their farm.

By focusing on what nature needs rather than on profit, permaculture seeks to mend environmental problems caused by big agriculture. To show others how to nurture the land, the Millers host eco workshops on topics like how to utilize permaculture to plant a tree or grow mushrooms with a sustainable approach. 

“We’re actually fixing climate problems with agriculture,” Miller says. 

458 W. Hines Hill Road,Boston Heights, facebook.com/pg/purplebrownfarmstead

3 More CSAs

Neitenbach Farm - Cuyahoga FallsJune-September, every other week or weekly pickup at farm, veggies, occasional medicinal herbs and more

Plum Creek Farm - Valley CityJune-October, plus Thanksgiving pickup, weekly pickup at farm, veggies, meat, fruit and occasional extras like handmade fudge or honey

Crown Point Ecology Center - BathMay-October, weekly pickup at center, herbs, greens, cabbage, garlic, squash, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, carrots and more