It doesn’t matter how you get there; the true journey lies in the path you take. And so it is when you work with the land.

In the case of farmers, some people are born farmers, engrained in the traditional values of growing up in a farm family. Learning the etiquette of soils and livestock at an early age, these genetically pre-disposed individuals have never thought of a life any other way.

Others, raised in The ‘Burbs, may have known at an early age that, though their roots were in the farming fringe, their hearts were in the dirt. These people with farming destinies once reveled in childhood garden patches touting a single pumpkin seed, marveled in grammar school ecology class and left home as young adults for the lure of farm and forest.

Still others turned to the land much later in life, where farming provided a much needed refuge from Another Life Left at the Rat Race. These future farmers paid their dues in the Concrete Jungle so they could pursue their dreams of Catskills’ pastures and fields. Still others found, only after retirement, that their true calling was heralded by Mother Nature beckoning them northward to till the watershed region’s rocky soils.

This column, The Dirt Path, symbolizes the divergent roads people take in making a living from and connecting with the land. Some hearts have been in farming for as long as they can remember; others realized their true calling only once they got there. Some derive their living from the forested woodlands or other natural resources dominating the Catskills. But they all took a dirt path to a life filled with nature, a life in the Catskills. On The Dirt Path, you’ll meet those whose hearts and hands are most comfortable here, working with nature and sharing the gifts of the land.

The Dirt Diva
This oxymoron embodies Adrianne Picciano’s philosophy and approach to farming. While she’s no prima donna about getting down and dirty, she does value the job of doing it right and the divine magic of growing good food. The Dirt Diva creates organic backyard gardens for clients in the Sullivan County area, generally within a 25-mile radius of Youngsville where she lives. She personalizes planting selections, styles and approaches to family food plots, now experiencing the renaissance of Victory Gardens. She tailors each dirt-mound installation to an individual’s edible likes and dislikes, schedules and commitments with the hopes of creating a garden that works, produces and instills a passion for the hands-on approach to working the earth.

Be it curiosity or the desire to escape a questionable corporate food system, Picciano is seeing a revival of the backyard garden. “People know they can grow some of their own food. They realize the joy of eating freshly picked produce and the difference in taste. They may even be looking to supplement their food budget with seasonal growing. No matter what their motivation, most people just don’t know where to start.” And that’s where Adrianne steps in, for good intentions don’t always make for good gardens.

“When I meet with people who are interested in having a kitchen garden built, I ask them what they eat,” explains 20-something Picciano. “What do they buy at the farmers’ market and grocery store? How much free time do they have to maintain a garden? What are their expectations? Only then do we begin planning and designing, balancing the garden’s size and production. I remember reading Food Not Lawns by Heather Flores, about an activist group of people that transformed suburbia by reclaiming turf grass for gardens. That was an incredible move in the future of urban gardens.”

And from the urban garden sprouted Dirt Diva. “I started helping families with backyard gardens four years ago,” says Adrianne. “I love teaching people, watching them ‘get it’ the first time, that connection to food, the discovery, the ‘Oh’ Moment of ‘Oh, that’s what a garlic plant looks like before it gets to the grocery store.’”

Adrianne’s first memory of growing food was planting seeds as a kid. “I really enjoy being in the dirt, I always have. When I was a kid, I loved to watch things grow. My earliest memory of gardening is when I was 8-9 years old. At five, I did a watermelon seed; at 9, I asked my parents for a patch to grow green beans, and they helped me get started. As an adult, I love being connected to the seasons. The cycle of a plant growing, it’s mesmerizing—from seed, to leaf, flower to fruit—it’s all tied to how we live.”

Having started gardening as a child, Adrianne naturally embraces garden education and includes that teaching aspect within her trade. Many of her clients are looking to educate their children on food and nutrition. “Many people doing this who have kids are looking to connect their kids with the land and where their food comes from. Two of my clients are actually sisters, Stella and Caroline, ages 4 and 6. They wanted a garden and their mom is enabling the whole thing. The girls work with me, side by side, and I walk them through it. I built the garden structure, but they did all planting, seeding and weeding.”

Adrianne started the duo with plantings they would be successful growing that would help them achieve a sense of accomplishment. “I started the girls with flowers and whatever they liked to eat—peas, strawberries, lettuce, beans, sunflowers, cucumbers, tomatoes—at a level they could handle,” explains Adrianne. “We decided on two raised beds, 4 feet by 8 feet. The soil was extremely clay-ridden, so I loaded up my Chevy S-10 pick-up with compost from home. In about eight hours, I had the beds in place. I added fencing to keep deer out, usually using wire fence or deer netting and metal posts. Some people opt for nicer fences and we’ll hire someone to install it. But I like to build custom gates. For the girls, I made one out of shutters that match their house shutters. It’s perfectly personal and captures the essence of the girls’ garden spot.”

Most of the Dirt Diva’s clients are part-time residents, some are families with kids. “Generally, I work with new gardeners that need help getting started and establishing routine maintenance,” says Adrianne. “I have a couple clients who are older, full-time residents who need help with the strenuous tasks of gardening. For the most part, they all have raised beds since they are easier to maintain. I utilize companion planting, and also follow a square-foot method rather than planting in rows. Square and rectangular beds are easy to build, maneuver in and add onto.”

For the budding gardener or farmer, Adrianne has very simple advice:

• Get Experience: “I taught myself how to grow and garden by interning with very small-scale veggie family farms. Over the course of three years, I learned the basics of how to grow food. This approach may not work for everyone. For me, it gave me a solid foundation on which to teach others. Then, I took growing down a notch. I work with families because I enjoy empowering them, getting them started to grow their own food, holding their hand when they need it held, and guiding them the rest of the way.”

• Read, Learn, Take Notes: “The path I took was intensive, and I know most people can’t work on a veggie farm. But they can get their hands on information. NOFA-NY has an annual conference with a great gardeners section; their Web site, www.nofany.org, provides lots of resources and talks the gardener’s language. John Jeavons wrote How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine. It’s great for beginner gardeners and has lots of how to’s and nerdy charts. Lastly, my favorite quote by Juliette DeBairacli-Levy says this: ‘The garden is your teacher.’ Take notes on what works and what doesn’t. And listen to your elders; my grandparents always had great gardens.”

• The Ground Matters: Not missing a chance to teach people about the soil and organic methods, The Dirt Diva starts by seizing a fork, a pitchfork. “Turn the ground over and see what you have. Is it compacted, sandy, red? Garden soil needs to be loose, with lots of organic matter and earthworms—that’s what will give you the best veggies. Rebuild soil with compost and manure and your garden will reward you with healthy, tasty vegetables.”

• Start Small: Overzealous gardeners set themselves up for failure. Enjoy the food you grow, not curse the ground from which it sprouts. “It’s easy to do too much and go too big the first year. Start small, start with just a couple things. You’ll get discouraged if you get in over your head.” For timid first-timers, Adrianne encourages simplicity success: “Put some sage in the ground; it always comes up!”

• Embrace the Learning Curve: Farming and its smaller-scaled cousin, gardening, are a process and no two locations are identical. “When I interned for the various farms, I was surprised that there are so many different ways to go about organic and sustainable farming. Nothing was the same from farm to farm. I had to do things 4-5 times before I’d get it. Even though most of my work is Sullivan County specific, I rarely do the same exact thing at any two locations.”

• Be Flexible: “There is no one way to do it. Everyone does it their own way and you have to find your right way. Do what works for you. But the important thing is that you’re doing it.”

• Just Do It and Be Safe: Personally, Adrianne is skeptical of the global food system; choosing a backyard food source is her way of calming her paranoia about what she eats. Citing resources by author Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food) and Vandana Shiva, a food rights activist from India, Adrianne sees backyard gardens as a way of reconnecting people with the earth, water and food. “The corporate global food system is scary,” explains Adrianne. “Remember Mad Cow? the tomato scare? lettuce scare? pepper scare? peanut scare? These are symptoms of a corporate system that isn’t working—it’s too big and it’s dangerous.” Small family farms are being swallowed up by the conglomerates. The dirt path to food security is through smaller, regional food systems. To know your farmer is to know where your food comes from … that or grow it yourself. “Growing your own food is the best thing you can do to achieve food independence,” says Adrianne, “… you can only truly trust what you grow.”

• Be a Steward: “When you garden on your land, you are actively stewarding your land. You’re careful about what you put on and into the Earth—no chemicals or sprays. By paying special attention to your water, soil and food, you’re ultimately tending to what you’re putting into your body. You can’t help but feel connected.”

• Don’t Fret About Mother Nature: “I try to keep ahead of the slugs … slugs and bookkeeping. You can’t fence out slugs, but they can undo things you did overnight. When you garden, you’re at the mercy of the weather, bugs, groundhogs, deer, critters … don’t let it get to you. One of my biggest challenges is keeping everyone satisfied with their gardens despite the setbacks of erratic weather, insects, rabbits, groundhogs, etc. It’s hard not to feel like I am fighting nature sometimes, in order to not disappoint someone! But some things just can’t be avoided.”

For Adrianne, her attraction to farming (through gardening) is her ability to make money at what she enjoys most. “For four months during the growing season, I’m highly focused on being The Dirt Diva. I have my tasks at hand: getting the beds ready, building gardens, planting, guiding others. The other eight months of the year I regroup, organize and work in an organic plant nursery, Silver Heights Nursery. It bookends my gardening season in February with seed starting and then again in October when I help put the nursery to bed. My work complements theirs in a lot of ways.” Silver Heights Nursery, a Pure Catskills member, provides a unique setting for Adrianne to pursue her own business within the context of the larger relationship.

“I’m making a living doing something that I enjoy doing,” continues Adrianne. “I’ve done other things to get by, but I love looking forward to April and getting my hands in the dirt. For me, nothing replaces observing plants grow, smelling good soil and watching new gardeners filled with the awe of growing their own food.”

For those interested in starting a backyard garden, contact Adrianne by e-mail at dirtdiva79@gmail.com or by phone at 845 482 5078.

Tara Collins is the Communications Director at the Watershed Agricultural Council. In her spare time, Collins attempts gardening and raises chickens, but generally just gets dirty.

The Council sponsors two Buy Local economic initiatives, www.PureCatskills.com and www.Catskill WoodNet.org, designed to connect City and regional consumers with local growers, farmers and producers in the New York City watershed. The Council is funded in part by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and other private courses. For more information, visit www.nycwatershed.org.