My first business was farming.

I was eight years old, barefoot on an acre of land my parents owned in Kerhonkson, New York, determined to cultivate something of my own. That year was extraordinarily prolific - zucchinis stretched wildly across the soil, as if the earth itself was teaching me a lesson in abundance.

I opened The Joy of Cooking and decided that if the land had given generously, I would do the same. I baked zucchini bread and shared it with neighbors and friends, nourishing my community with what I had grown by hand. That summer, I learned something that has shaped my life: the land is not just soil. It is relationship. It is responsibility. It is reciprocity.

From that acre came grains, herbs, fruits, and vegetables - but more importantly, it revealed my calling.

Farming was never simply about food. It was about health. It was about wholeness. It was about connection - to the earth, to community, and to spirit.

At nineteen, I became a Registered Nurse and dietitian, deepening my understanding of how nourishment directly influences wellness - mind, body, and spirit. In healthcare, I witnessed how profoundly food shapes immunity, vitality, clarity, and emotional resilience. Food is not separate from medicine; it is foundational to it.

Over time, my work expanded into food product manufacturing in the Hudson Valley, where I built a brand that reached retail shelves across the country. That chapter taught me scale, structure, and discipline - but it also revealed how easily nourishment becomes disconnected from its source. Productivity without peace. Growth without grounding.

I knew I wanted to return to my roots - not only to grow food, but to cultivate environments that support mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Peaceful Abundance Farm is that return.

Here, we grow herbs and mushrooms not only for their nutritional value, but for their longstanding role in traditional wellness practices. Mushrooms are remarkable allies - rich in nutrients and traditionally valued for their ability to support immune resilience, balanced energy, and stress regulation. There is something quietly powerful about fungi; biologically and ecologically, they remind us how interconnected life truly is.

Our herbs carry similar wisdom - supporting the nervous system, enhancing focus, and reconnecting us to plant traditions that have sustained communities for generations.

Our work extends beyond cultivation.

We host workshops and retreats because wellness is grown just like the land. It requires intention. Safe space. Shared knowledge. Practices that steady the nervous system and restore clarity. True abundance is not measured only by harvest - it is reflected in how we care for ourselves and one another.

Peaceful Abundance Farm is a living ecosystem of wellness - where agriculture, education, and emotional well-being intersect.

The eight-year-old girl in Kerhonkson learned that abundance comes from tending the soil. 

The woman I am today understands that we must also tend the mind, the heart, and the spaces where we gather.

When we cultivate the land with care - and create environments that nurture mental and spiritual health - we do more than grow food.

We grow resilience.

We grow community.

We grow peace.

And that is true abundance.

Culinary Philosophy

Our approach to cooking is seasonal, ingredient-led, and rooted in simplicity.

We center each dish around what is growing and thriving, allowing mushrooms, herbs, and whole foods to lead rather than overpowering them. The style is refined yet grounded: thoughtfully plated, deeply nourishing, and inspired by both traditional techniques and contemporary wellness cuisine.

Expect dishes that feel intentional rather than excessive, rich in flavor, balanced in composition, and connected to the land they come from.

Guests can expect:

• Farm-forward, mushroom-centered dishes

• Seasonal herbs woven thoughtfully into each plate

• Plant-forward meals with depth and substance

• Warm, intimate service rooted in presence

Our cooking style draws inspiration from rustic European farm kitchens, modern wellness cuisine, and slow food traditions. The result is food that feels elegant but approachable - elevated without being complicated.

The Kitchen & Dining Experience

The kitchen operates in rhythm with the harvest.

Menus evolve with availability, and dishes are prepared in small batches to preserve freshness and integrity. We favor whole ingredients, gentle preparation methods, and techniques that honor the natural structure and flavor of mushrooms.

The dining experience is intimate and intentional. Whether through private dinners, retreats, or curated gatherings, meals are designed to feel immersive - grounded in conversation, connection, and nourishment beyond the plate.

There is no rush. No noise. Just food grown with care and shared with purpose.

Peaceful Abundance Farm is led by women - seasoned, intuitive, and deeply committed to the practice of sacred stewardship.

Together, we bring more than a century of combined experience - not only in the kitchen, but in agriculture, cultivation, herbalism, holistic wellness, and community leadership. Many of us were raised close to the land, guided by grandmothers, aunties, and ancestral teachings that showed us how to grow with respect, prepare with care, and hold space with integrity.

Our Indigenous roots inform how we approach both agriculture and healing. We understand cycles. We understand balance. We recognize that tending the earth and tending the spirit require the same qualities: patience, attentiveness, and reverence.

On the farm, our work is disciplined yet intuitive. 

Crops are grown seasonally and with intention. 

Herbs are harvested thoughtfully. 

The land is tended collaboratively. 

There is rhythm in our days, planting, cultivating, teaching, gathering.

That same rhythm carries into our workshops and retreats. Knowledge is shared generously. Facilitation is grounded and present. Learning is experiential, hands in soil, herbs in hand, dialogue that is honest and restorative. 

There is structure, yet spaciousness. 

Expertise, yet humility.

We do not rush growth,

 whether in the field or within the individual.

We are more than a team.

We are stewards.

We are lineage.

We are community.