Falling Into Autumn

Even though the sun still feels hot and the rain is scattered and light in most cases - when we are lucky enough to get any - before too long, fall will be here. The rains will return (hopefully), and cooler weather will bring a welcome relief to the long, hot days of unbearable heat indexes.

That means most farmers are busy seeding trays, prepping their soil and ordering last minute seeds - maybe for a failed test batch - in order to grow what we call the "cool season" crops. Generally these are harvested from October through the holidays. With the crazy weather, we're never for sure, but those are the plans. 

Favorites like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, and other cool season favorites, replace the summer crops like tomatoes, squash, okra, peppers and melons. This was a strange year for sure, with the heavy rains dragging on late into the early summer, it wreaked havoc on many of our summer growing plans. But a late 2nd crop of squash, peppers ready to go in the ground and some short season cucumbers will hopefully make up for any shortfalls we had this summer.  

Here at Eden's, I've been planting for fall crops since 2008. It seems almost a lifetime ago that I began this journey of farming for my community. Farming is no joke. And some days, I feel the seriousness of it in every bone in my body. It is important work, whether it is on a large scale in the cab of an air-conditioned cabin  with GPS directed row, or on foot with a hoe and a rake, or somewhere in between. 

Growing food, fiber and protein is what makes the world go around. Without modern agriculture, many people would not survive. There wouldn't be enough food at the grocery store for those who can't or don't grow, and many of us would live without many things we've become accustomed to acquiring, such as coffee, flour, sugar, and the many fruits and vegetables we can enjoy year round - thanks to imports. 

I've only ever been to 2 places in this country that can pretty much grow whatever they need all year round, and even they import some items. We function as a collective of growers from around the country and the world to feed everyone. Even though "big ag" has taken some guff for some of its conventional ways, on a whole, farming is a well respected "job".  

But it's more than that. It's a way of life for many. Sure, some folks have a day job and grow in their spare time.  But those of us who farm full time understand some parts of life differently than most. We’ve had to face challenges that many who can rely on off-farm jobs to supplement their income will never know—hard decisions that aren’t just about producing crops—they’re about life-or-death consequences for the farmer’s livelihood and family.

If there's a bad season, it would surely mean some major problems. String a few bad seasons together,  it could mean financial ruin for many farmers. We're not running our farms as a loss leader for a larger portfolio, nor do we have a second or third income to fall back on. This is not hobby farming for us. It's what pays the mortgage that allows us to continue to farm, to continue to pay the mortgage. 

Helping to minimize the risk of farming, is what birthed the CSA movement, many decades ago. And while there have always been a variety of  ways to organize a CSA operation, the idea of helping to minimize the risk to the farmer with subscriptions by the community, is the common thread. The farmer puts in the time, labor and know-how and hopes for the best when it comes to weather. The members divide up the cost of running the farm between themselves, and in turn split the harvest - be that what it may. 

Eden's Garden CSA Farm has never required its members to work in any way. We have offered work-share options and from time to time, folks will take me up on the discounted membership in exchange for weekly work on the farm. But it's been a long time since I've had anyone come every week for a few hours to help plant, pick, process, weed and such. We have had a lot of fun over the years. 

We all begin to slow down, sooner or later. That is why I've been looking for a way to retire, while allowing what has almost become the last CSA in the DFW area to remain intact. It is surely the longest running. I love that families have grown up coming here. New families discover it and bring their support, and families outgrow or move away, too. I've met hundreds of people through this farm and it has been my honor to grow food for each and every one. 

It is a shame that due to changes in city policy, I can no longer host other farmers. But I've also missed not even having enough produce to harvest to sell the extra myself for the public at a market stand, in some time. I just am not physically up to the longer hours and labor it requires to grow the surplus. 

So, I've been thinking about offering up a section of the farm to someone who wants to break into farming, but doesn't have the space. Maybe they've got the desire, and the strong back, but nowhere to grow more than a small garden - if even that. 

If you know of such a youngster who wants to start earning a living off the land, send them my way. I will be happy to visit with them. Serious inquiries only. This is not an offer for community garden space to grow a couple of plants and stop in once a week. Neither am I offering any kind of lodging. I do not have the availability any more. The shop has become a shell of its former self and houses the barn cats at night to keep them safe from coyotes. But that's about it. 

 

At some point, I still hope that the City of Balch Springs will realize what a golden opportunity Pioneer Grove will be, and I'll be able to open up much more than just a section for folks to farm. For now, I've got about 2 acres set aside, maybe more if you're willing to do some fencing, to keep the border horses out. I have split it up into several sections.  There is one other farmer here and he also has a section. He hopes to grow for chefs, mostly.

We have a large high tunnel and a smaller frame that can be relocated to the back growing area and used for winter growing. Just add plastic. We can work through the logistics of equipment and supplies, I have resources and we have some on farm that are shared. I can provide a place to grow and serve as a mentor or a sounding board in exchange for some help with the heavier parts of the job and part of the harvest. The bulk will be theirs to sell. The details can all be discussed and worked out. My hope is that this opportunity will find someone looking to professionally farm. I quit my farm job 5 months after I broke ground. I've really never regretted it. 

But I think it is time to find a way to shift the baton, so to speak - pass on the hoe, if you will. I know how valuable a working education can be. I've taught myself pretty much everything along the way. You Tube and reference books are great, but getting your hands dirty - nothing beats that.  And I look forward to seeing some new ideas, because I have not changed much in the nearly 20 years I've been doing this. 

In the meantime, I have been doing what most farmers are doing this time of year, and as I've done since 2008 - planting flats of fall crop seeds, getting ground ready to plant in, and here at Eden's,  welcoming in new members to my CSA. 

I do have a few memberships open, so if you're interested in either a full share, or a working share, please go to the website and follow the CSA info link for more information.  Pay for your fall share ASAP (it was due in July), and start sharing in the harvest with us starting in October.

If you're a gardener, it's time to get busy! Fall tomatoes should be in the ground if you're growing them, and if we're lucky, harvesting a second round of squash and peppers is not out of the question, either. Order your garlic. And soon, I'll have onion slips available for pre-order. I don't know about spuds yet. I'll keep you posted!

Go get your hands dirty and eat Your Food - Naturally!!

  Farmer Marie 

Badger The Calendar Farm Hero

Well, I had a little fun this week - I entered, and won, (3rd) a /Great Pyrenees/photo/calendar contest! 

I'm not so sure it was as much about the photographs as it was the stories of the dogs, so I'm lucky to have struck a chord with some very generous folks who voted Badger into 3rd place with their donations to the TGPR. But if I do say so myself, it's not a bad shot of our resident farm hero, proudly standing guard over his Gulf Coast sheep flock. OK, so there's only 4 of them, but hey, it's his flock. Plus, of course, there's Smoke, our aging Icelandic, and our ever changing flocks of chickens, shop cats, horses and, me - none pictured. 

It was all for a very admirable cause. The Texas Great Pyrenees Rescue organization uses an annual calendar contest as a way to raise money that pays for typical vet bills like spaying and neutering, as well as the quickly escalating medical bills that can come with many of these sweet fluff balls who come in sick, injured and sometimes, close to death. Every dog can't be saved, but by golly, they're going to save the ones they can! 

Many of the dogs that come in end up as cushy, spoiled couch dogs - which is just fine. Sadly, many of the dogs rescued out of shelters or found abandoned and roaming, are guardian dog failures. Not every dog bred and born to be a livestock guardian, has the right temperament to do so. Some chase their charges - which can lead to injury or worse, especially if the charges are fowl. It takes a very special temperament for a dog - who's instinct is to give chase to feathery, flighty things that squawk when you squeeze them  - to overpower that instinct and remain calm.  

But just because a dog wants to do what comes naturally to it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be loved. We've still got some old-fashioned minded folks out there who don't give those dogs a chance to become an excellent family dog. Which is a shame, because as the hundreds - maybe thousands - of rescue families would tell you - they can make excellent family dogs! They are usually low energy, laid back and sweet. Their bark may sound formidable, but they're what is often called, a gentle giant with their family. 

They adapt to new family members well, often get along just fine with feline siblings and do not require the same kind of high energy exercise that many more high-strung breeds often do.  They don't eat as much as you might think - they are a LOT of fluff, and even though they are a large breed, you don't want them to become too heavy or joints and bones could become an issue. Badger eats about 4 cups of dry kibble a day. And sometimes, he skips a meal! Usually, that's because he's found a new hiding spot for eggs.... ahem. 

Badger, as you know if you've followed the farm over the years, came here several months after I had to put down Bear, my first LGD. Bear, and his former partner, Molly, both came through the TGPR family. One of their volunteers did excellent matching 2 dogs to my needs for protection on the farm. Susie, being a homesteader herself, knew the temperament I needed and while we had one dog on visitation that didn't work out, as soon as Bear lumbered out of the back seat of her car, I knew he was going to be great - and he was. (Well, till he hit the tyrannosaurus x phase - AKA the terrible twos till 3 or that light flips on, phase.)

Molly, already 3, had been fostered on a working farm, too, the former FFA dog to a youngster, she had been trained to sheep and exposed to chickens, also. They made a great team and had some wonderful adventures together. Bear retired to the house, eventually, after Molly passed on.

Badger's story allowed him to skip the whole foster home period. I happened to see his momma's plea to rehome him due to his sire being a big ol' bully to her sweet natured year old pup. Truly, it is not unusual for there to be family squabbles in litters, and often the pups are sent off to avoid fighting. 

Badger hit the jackpot with his relocation because he eats in his own stall, so there is no one here to steal his food or push him around. He eased into his new role as top dog LGD very well and lords over the 3 acres he has access to like he was born here. He despises it when I limit his kingdom on farm share pick up days - or when a repair crew is coming. But there's not a squirrel, rabbit, skunk or raccoon of whom he doesn't have their number, and he has become buddies with the shop cats, (well, more or less), and he keeps the younger sheep from stealing Smoke's kibbles. The horses are pretty much forbidden territory - Off Limits! He was kicked as a youngster back at his first home, by a mini-horse he likely mistook for a playmate. The horses here are much bigger and while curious, he usually keeps his distance and is not allowed in the horse barn. I don't need that vet bill!  

 

He is also very photogenic. I love taking his picture - when he sits still for one. Usually I get his back end or a side shot as he's moving into or away from the lens. But I mean, just look at that face! How can I resist?  He's not a big licker, thankfully, so I'm not setting myself up for a face cleaning every time I stoop down to get a shot, but he does like to come be near me, so close ups are not common. He gets too close, too fast! 

But, I thought I had a few good shots to choose from and enter 1 and, well, we picked a winner! I used the one our FB fans chose and he took 3rd place - and that won him a month featured in the calendar! We picked June, since that's his birthday month. I'll find out later if he gets it. (The 1st place winner gets to choose first, etc.) But his gotcha day is in October, so we used that as our back up month if June isn't available. Either way, Badger will be smiling at ya from his page on the Texas Great Pyrenees 2026 Calendar! 

Thank you to all of his fans, fans of the farm, friends and family who donated and gave votes to Badger. He never would have won on my farmer's only salary, that's for sure. All of the proceeds from his entry fee, to every vote, go towards the rescue group. 

And I hope I was able to raise some new awareness for them, along the way. They're an entirely volunteer group, no 6 digit CEO, and there's no bricks and mortar home office. Everyone volunteers time, space and love. Fosters often drive hours to rescue and vet these dogs, before taking them into their homes, while they await the all clear and a furever home of their own. I felt great about beating the drum of this fine group of folks - and I hope you'll check them out if you're ever in the market for a new fluff ball friend, an LGD (they do have some that are fostered and vetted for this), as well as a place to support. A bona fide 501C3, your donations are tax deductible, and you can feel good about your money going to a good cause.

Marie 

Eat Your Food - Naturally!

A Tale Too Sad to Tell

Someone asked me if I'm writing a book about all of this. It would have to be a comedy, it's so unbelievable. 

 

How else could you explain that a farmer, who is looking to retire, yet doesn't want to just sell out their land to the highest bidder, offers of which have been pretty promising (well, before all of the tariff nonsense and now, potentially war), but instead pulled together a lovely, mixed use, sustainable development of small, quality starter homes sharing the land with an existing working farm and a redevelopment of the commercial area into a vibrant, artisanal small/micro business hub - only to have some bitter, former colleagues and opponents from prior political times - sabotage the application needed to rezone to a different 

use. 

It's the stuff tragedies are made of. 

Instead of the farmer retiring in peace, knowing her years of dedicated land stewardship will go on into perpetuity, she could be forced to sell to some stodgy commercial developer - 

 

who will bulldoze down the century old farmhouse, that just needed some TLC to restore her to her original beauty, flatten over centuries old native trees and prairies, pour concrete culverts over creeks and streams and shorelines of the pond and erect tilt-wall concrete warehouses - where 18-wheelers full of freight containers can pull in and out at all and any hours of the day and night. 

 

I mean what's the point? Who really wins here? The citizens of the community get more torn up streets. The neighbors adjacent to the once, serene, quiet and picturesque farm get noise, pollution and runoff. 

 

oh, I guess the mean girls win b/c as they see it, the farmer loses - as she takes the money from the sale and moves away to a place not much unlike that of which she helped design for her own community. 

Sure, she's sad that the land she loved was wasted, and that the town she embraced, served and was welcomed by gets ignored by their elected officials. But I can see a comic tragedy written out of the nonsense spewed in council meetings by people who have forgotten their jobs, and instead ridiculed, disrespected and accused people of impossible crimes and made up lies and BS scenarios that do not apply. 

Can't you? If it weren't so sad - it could be funny.  

This would not have happened if mature, responsible adults were in the room, but I digress. They WERE elected. 

 To be continued.....

 

Marie 

Eat Your Food - Naturally!

Next Steps for Pioneer Grove

We knew our project wasn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. But it was going to bring more quality, yet affordable starter homes to our community, reignite the commercial use by reinvigorating the Market Days with on site artisanal pop-up shops and the refurbishment of the century old farm house and nearly as old, barn. We'd expand the parking, improve the entrance, and create a real hub for the community as a whole. 

It was equally as important to me, to preserve as much of the land as possible; the old growth trees that the project would be named for, Pioneer Grove, and restoring the native prairie with its wild grasses, wildflowers, native trees & perennials. In the process, this meant cleaning up the invasive intruders and weeds that come with over-grazing and, quite honestly, a lack of grazing by bio-diverse species.  Horses will eat a lot, but there's a lot they will not eat, too. 

Over all this project is a win for everyone. The community, the city's tax base, the neighbors, the DFW area and future farmers and generations, would all see benefits from Pioneer Grove - from job creation to environmental beautification, and parkland expansion. I, would get to retire with dignity and knowing I'm leaving this place better than I found it - a Girl Scout oath I took a long time ago: an oath by which I still try my best to live. 

The team I assembled came in with pencils blazing and brains buzzing to put this idea on paper. Between the urban planning expertise, the development experience and the vision - it was bound to be cool. And, Pioneer Grove is. But it's still just on paper. 

We all really hope that changes. 

The community as a whole has come together and shown their support of this project and its founder in many ways. I'm honestly blown away by the passion shared by all of you. I seem to have hit a good nerve and it feels good. 

Many spoke passionately in support of Pioneer Grove to Council at meetings, sent notes of support, stopped by and applauded the plans during one of several on-farm tours at public meetings. There's been no one who has not thought this was going to be a good thing. Even, initially, Council seemed in favor. During conversations in meetings without objections, the lack of questions during briefings, and the full support of the Planning & Zoning Board - as well as the recommendation for the project and its mixed use zoning by staff. 

What changed? 

Who knows? 

But the community and beyond has come together to support the project's legal fund to defend the rejection by Council. The sabotage of our dream for a better future for this place, can not stand. The community has spoken and Council has given no solid reason to say no to this mixed use project when it has said yes to so many others - with much less, if ANY, scrutiny.  

I should be able to re-zone this land to make the best use of it - even the comp plan said mixed use was recommended. 

Details like driveway entries, circulation and even the negative, hypothetical issues that people dream up, are all worked out once the engineers do their detailed work - AFTER zoning, platting, surveying, etc. The engineers, and those familiar with the ordinances of the city, pull all of the details together and create lasting neighborhoods that leave a footprint of progress in a community. I may be new to all of this, but my team is not. They have done it dozens of times all across the country. I have no doubt in their abilities. They've got contacts with builders, contractors and lawyers - suppliers and everyone needed along the way for an undertaking like this. It's no small potatoes, but I've seen their work, they're recommendations and I know they can do this!  And Balch Springs deserves this. 

Pioneer Grove is a unique, but sensible approach that would address many issues facing our society today; Lack of starter housing, too many automobiles, need to travel for necessities/sundries and lack of green space. 

But the land has to be zoned mixed use to allow any of this to happen. Mixed use just makes sense. 

Today, I'll take an important step forward to help secure this dream of ours. I should have a better idea of the upfront costs, too. I never dreamed it would come to all this. But I'm honored to have so many behind me in this struggle.

Thank you all for every dollar that you've contributed thus far. I feel so much more empowered knowing my friends, neighbors, customers, and strangers alike, believe this is the right thing to do! 

 If you'd like to kick in a few bucks to help us get Pioneer Grove off the paper and into reality - here's the GoFundMe link. Or you can always Zelle the farm at our number - 2143483336 Thanks! 

 

Now, go Eat Your Food - Naturally!

 Farmer Marie 

Fighting the BS at City Hall is Not for the Fainthearted

My heart is warmed with the outpouring of support for this fight. In less than a week, we have raised nearly 30% of our goal!

Thank you, to each and every last one of you who have been able to contribute to the legal fund, shared the posts, cheered this cause on and have my back.  You have the backs of every family, kid and adult who has ever eaten from our harvest, market days or learned at a class. This farm's project is much bigger than farmer Marie. It's about Food - and we all gotta eat. It's about housing - we all gotta live somewhere. And we all would like a cool place to hang out and bring our families - near home. Well, to get all of that, you need to re-zone. You need to think a bit outside the box and be creative. You have to let go of old grudges. THAT's what this fight is about. 

Anyone who is from around here and pays attention - knows what happened. Watch the meetings, the briefings, and you can't deny this was nothing more than a bunch of personal bias against me, a former opponent to 2 of the members, and just someone the others don't apparently like much. I never even worked with one of the antagonists. But she's gone now. Dropped a bomb and then left.

 

 

Never mind that when I was on council we had one of the most productive councils in years;

• We were successful at getting real raises for nearly all employees, including the FD and PD. 
• We got the ball rolling on a huge mixed use development in Dist. 7, and expanded the city's boundary by annexing more land - AND putting a new Huffines homes subdivision in on it.
  
• We secured funds from TXDot to RE-landscape the exit/entry ramps on 635 and started the ball rolling to re-apply for more funds the next year to fix them ALL. 
• We initiated a government efficiency study. 
• We initiated a street/traffic study along Belt Line & on McKenzie, since the majority of council thought it would be a good idea to put apartment housing AND retail along the round-a-bout. (I thought the traffic impact study times were lame, but I was outvoted.)
• We hired a city manager who has had city management and economic development experience - and it sure looks like streets are finally starting to get fixed once some money was set aside for repairs - something we could never get the old city manager to do.

I'm sure I wasn't perfect - no one is. And maybe my directness is not what some people are used to - but we got stuff DONE!  That was our job.

I never once voted against a rezoning because I didn't like the applicant. I did vote against uses like gambling. I pushed for fewer dollar stores. I pushed for a new supermarket on the east side. I voted to allow a future restaurant (not fast food), at the cost of a new, state of the art car wash - that increased the city's property tax revenue. 

My time on council was in service of and for the betterment of the residents and businesses of this community. 

Now, I'm ready to expand my service by NOT leaving the land I own to some commercial developer who will surely not be as concerned about the old growth trees (remember how beautiful Double D was - before?), and will likely end up making this another trucking/warehouse facility b/c it's only a block off of I20! 

Or how about a strip mall off the frontage road? Full of half empty store fronts, nail salons, taco joints and ice cream? 

 

This is where YOU live. Is that what you want here? I don't hear that when I talk to residents. I hear folks who say this farm reminds them of home. I hear people who love to see the animals and hear the chickens/roosters - see the green space and trees. We need to protect this - not every owner is going to be this stubborn and fight for the land. Trust me, if someone can come in here and convince me they'll do a responsible job with a commercial project, I'll be ok with that - but I don't see it happening, do you? 

Fighting city hall is not gonna be cheap. I don't know all of the ins and outs but I need to go into an attorney's office with some money in hand, not mine out. I don't work for free - I don't expect anyone else to either. I've tried the volunteer places - they're booked ATM. Probably with discrimination cases, etc. I know, it's crazy times. But we can't just roll over. Help us if you can. here's the link. 

If you're worried someone from the city will see your name - make it an anonymous donation - only I'll see your name. I'll never tell if you don't want me to. But I'll be forever grateful. The wildlife, the prairie, the trees, the pond - the future residents and business owners who'll bring cool, new shops to us - will all be grateful. 

Tourism and events have been ongoing since 2008 - no traffic issues....another hypothetical bs excuse - and NOT related to zoning anyway - it's ALREADY commercial.

A new, expanded driveway with plenty of parking and emergency fire lanes, (as required), etc. were built into the proposed renderings. Sorry we didn't draw a little fire truck to scale - but we DID offer an in person tour of the grounds that none of council bothered to come to.... But that's in the details worked out later, anyway, - AFTER zoning is approved - and we determine how to re-plat to accommodate a road, trails, etc., and have a full engineering study done. NO developments are required to do all of that w/o adequate zoning. And neither should we. 

 

 

We want to bring back market days - mixed use, makes sense!

 

This was a deal done in bad faith. It was blatantly obvious.  Please help us be able to pay an attorney. We've got one appt lined up in June and are awaiting a couple of other call backs. Let's do this! 

Thank you. 

Marie

 Eat Your Food - Naturally!

A Small Farmer's Dream & the City that Said No

If you follow the farm, then you know that for the past several years, I’ve been planning for my retirement. To transition out of farming, anyway. In doing so, I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with a dedicated, experienced and professional team of generous, like-minded individuals. Together we brought life to a vision I’ve had practically since I first started farming this land.

It is a plan that would preserve and restore at least half of the beautiful green space, including the acreage under production for vegetables and small livestock, support several new small businesses, give countless visitors and local families a place to experience a slice of local history, and provide high-quality starter cottage style homes for 38-40 first-time home buyers or maybe someone looking for a truly unique, community oriented place to downsize and retire.

Pioneer Grove was never just a “project.” It was — and still is — a very personal mission for me to preserve the integrity of the land I’ve stewarded for over 20 years, find a way to share it with the community, and still to be able to retire with some dignity.

This proposed project received widespread support from local residents, with nearly 100 signatures on a citizen petition, unanimous support from Planning & Zoning last spring, City staff’s recommendation, alignment with the city’s 2036 comprehensive plan, and had interest from local artisans, potential residents, small businesses and neighboring developers, and farmers - all eager to be part of its future.

Big profits were never my driving force. Just ask my CPA — he told me I was leaving a lot on the table by not selling out and partnering with a big residential or commercial developer, who'd drop hundreds of houses or apartment homes, or worse, on this land without flinching. But he also understood what motivated me: to do something meaningful with the land and give back to a community that has become my adulthood hometown.

My highest priority has always been to balance the continued responsible land stewardship I've tried my best to provide with the opportunity to create something practical. Much of this land has remained in its natural state since long before this city was founded. There is a responsible way to develop land, and I'd found a team to help me do just that. 

It’s also not lost on me that I did not arrive where I am without help along the way. This project mix of community interest, residential and business, was my way of paying it forward: helping those starting out, as I begin to step back. A way to share with the community, what I was so lucky to find and be able to acquire many years ago - some of whom grew up running across this place as kids, fishing in the pond, climbing the trees and jumping out of the barn loft. I've heard the stories and it made me all the more determined to try to save the farm's place in this town's history. A history that stretches far beyond the brief tenures or the residencies of any of those leaders on our council.  

For the most recent City Council meeting on Monday, May 12, our development team had formally requested that our zoning application item be tabled. We had had to make this same request during the most prior meeting, after learning the item had been placed on the agenda without notifying us. 

We need time to reassess the project’s financial feasibility in its current form, given the current economic uncertainty across the nation facing many industries, including construction, and we also faced scheduling conflicts with key members of our team. Despite the formal request by the Pioneer Grove development team, outgoing Council-member Whitley placed the item on the agenda again, without formal notice to us, the applicants, (we once again found out through the grapevine that it was posted on the agenda), refused our 2nd request to table, and pushed forward a 1-sided discussion containing falsehoods, information irrelevant to this phase of the development process, personal attacks against me, until ultimately the majority voted down our application to re-zone. 

The representative for my district chose to abstain from the vote altogether. Councilman Salau has no conflict of interest, that I am aware of, and while he did express that the developer deserved the right to be present for the discussion — a fair and reasonable position - when the final vote came, he chose to remain neutral in a moment that called for leadership, even though his constituents had spoken in support of the project.

Dreams of many people, were derailed by the Balch Springs City Council — not due to the project's ethos or benefits for the city, merits by which a re-zoning is generally awarded, but because of immaterial misrepresentations made amongst themselves about the plan, political hostility towards me personally including lobbing some very serious accusations against me by sitting City Council member Hill - all without the developer or me there to set the record straight and fight for the project or counter the highly inflammatory personal accusations hurled. 

These are people the public elected, and recently, two of them - RE-elected, to serve their best interests in the city. They are not there to carry out political hatchet jobs, supersede the order of standing development polices and accuse citizens of illegal activity. They are not supposed to be there to use their power for their own personal vendettas against a former opponent, either.  

It was clear since the day the Council decided instead of voting, (suddenly, after being virtually silent in a prior briefing, (other than appearing to be in favor of the concepts presented), skipping public meetings and an offer of a guided site tour, failing to ask a single question while our entire development team was in attendance during the meeting scheduled for discussion and action), they needed a workshop because they had "so many questions" about the project. Again, questions never raised or passed on to the development team to address prior to the scheduled initial vote.

It was not until the night of the vote, that this group then suddenly determined they had too many questions to ask in the scheduled council meeting for that purpose, even with the entire team in attendance, including project engineer, architect, urban planners and property owner.

Delaying things for two months, the questions raised during the eventual workshop, were irrelevant and completely immaterial to the zoning application consideration and the established city development process itself. The tone from the dais was often hostile, condescending and disrespectful. I’ve been on that dais and asked questions of developers myself – but this was an interrogation intended to derail the project, cast doubt upon its validity and feasibility and not to understand its ethos and benefit to the community to grant a re-zoning. I've seen projects with much less benefit to the community receive more political will and gain passage. It has been very rare for our city to reject a re-zoning application unless there was a valid reason such as conflicts with neighboring land uses, documented traffic issues that would remain unaddressed or made worse by the proposed land use change, or the land use would not serve in the best interest of the community at large. Decisions are to be based on planning standards - not personal biases.  

At this last meeting night, Councilmember Tartisha Hill whom I narrowly lost to during her 3rd run for council, literally accused me of taking kickbacks (on my own project?) and alleged I had engaged in a conflict of interest while I served on council.

Let me be clear: while in office, before anything was presented to the city, I consulted the city attorney, who confirmed, that under Texas law, elected officials are permitted to develop property, even their own, so long as they recuse themselves from related discussions and votes. And there is certainly no law against a former council member from living their life and doing the same.

I was, of course, prepared to fully comply with those requirements - had I remained on Council. To suggest otherwise—publicly and without evidence— was not only baseless — it was a reckless abuse of power, rooted in willful ignorance and clearly intended to discredit both my reputation and the integrity of this project. As was available in public records, I had been out of office for nearly a year before the application was even filed, and the suggestion that I could somehow be taking a 'kickback' on my own project is not only absurd — it's malicious. It appears to be an orchestrated attempt to undermine years of honest work and intentions, and to distract from the facts in front of her, and smear my name.

Is this how we support fellow women trying to do something good for their community? Willfully attacking and besmirching their reputation? To think I once helped support this woman’s run for Congress.

That same night, Councilmember Elishama Myles, who’s district I previously helped defend against a proposed logistic center, (aka trucking and warehouse depot), that would most certainly have disrupted the quality of life of her constituents that lived on its border, as well as the school zone that would suddenly see a considerable influx of 18-wheelers, also shared mischaracterizations and hypothetical scenarios of the project, that distorted the facts of the proposed project's merits, and were irrelevant to this juncture of the project anyway. 

But just to be clear, this farm has hosted plenty of events, under the current CO, which has brought in visitors and tourists, some from all over the world, including a bi-monthly market day, for over 15 years, without disrupting traffic or impeding emergency vehicles, as was suggested would certainly happen, with a driveway half the size of the required new ingress/egress and parking lot that we outlined on our architectural drawings - preliminary but to scale. What I might find most ironic, is now this property could very well, by right as a commercially zoned parcel, become exactly what I spoke out against for her constituents’ sake.

What was said about me and the project during the meeting was not only misleading of the project's merit and an attempt to discredit my good name —it was completely false and unnecessarily vindictive.

Furthermore, all of this was just a distraction from what really mattered: the transformation of existing, mostly underused, land into a sustainable, thoughtful development that would have created jobs, preserved green space including valuable farmland, increased tax revenue - both sales and property, and provided new home-ownership opportunities for folks with quality built, true starter sized and priced cottage homes in a truly uniquely designed walkable community. 

The development team’s preliminary plans met or exceeded all current city requirements for roads, fire lanes, and emergency access for this phase of the process. We would not have received preliminary staff approval and recommendation or a unanimous recommendation from Planning & Zoning, otherwise. Many of the concerns raised — like a through-fare road and circulation — were platting matters, considerations to be addressed in a later phase, not a requirement for re-zoning approval. Even the city’s attorney said so. The mayor also tried to clarify the process for the council to keep them on track. And for the record, we have NOT met with city staff or Mr. Fenner regarding the project, since this council declined to vote on the application last fall, two more months after the inquisition disguised as a workshop was held in July of 2024.  

What happened at these meetings was not about zoning or feeder roads through a farm field, instead of following the current thoroughfare plan, or any one in a number of the other so-called issues. It was about personal agendas to enact petty grudges held by former opponents and leaders who differed from me on city issues, some stemming back over 2 years ago when I, too, served my community on Council.

The real loss is to the community — to the citizens who support this project and understand its value, and to all those who would have benefited from it: families, local entrepreneurs, and future generations for the wealth building opportunities - and not in the least, the environment itself. If I'm not able to enact this project, or one very similar, thousands of native trees, acres of native prairie and countless wildlife will be unearthed, killed and lost. The disrespect shown by this Council towards the professional developers of this project will not go unforgotten, either. 

To all of my CSA farm members, past and present, who support me in farming, market customers over the years, local and traveling chefs who have supported small farms, including this one, in their endeavors, to everyone who signed the petition in our favor, spoke at the several meetings held, sent emails and letter to this Council in support of the project, or stood with us in the many ways you all did — thank you. Your support means more than I can express.

I would also like to thank Dir. Chris Dyser and his development team at the city who were open to partnering with my team to design a truly unique and forward looking community project that would have included adding another acre of publicly accessible park land and walking trails - at no cost to the city.

Additionally, I’d like to thank outgoing, and as of this writing, now former, Mayor Gordon and sitting Councilman Gabriel and the planning and zoning board members for their vision to see a project worthy of political will.

Whether Pioneer Grove at Eden's can still be realized remains to be seen—but I will not allow my character, the expertise, passion and skill-set of my talented team, or intentions of the project, to be defined by those who seek only to abuse their power to satisfy their own vendettas and divide people.

You, the people of Balch Springs, and the greater DFW area, will be left with whatever ends up here instead, if the project can not be saved and I am forced to sell the property outright. You deserve better and better leaders making better decisions for you and your families.

It is a shame to lose such valuable working farmland, hundreds if not thousands of native, old growth trees and the wildlife that call them home and the opportunity for so many more families to share in this amazing place I’ve called Eden’s – and home - for over 20 years. I know that no amount of money can replace those things. And it is for these losses, that I am most sad. 

 While the future for me and this land is uncertain, and the timetable for any kind of transition remains indefinite, I am and will remain proud of the project my team and I created and the dream we all shared together.

There’s no defending the way the city’s leadership treated my team. We had hoped that the strength and substance of the project would rise above any personal bias or private, personal grievances still held by those in leadership. Was all of this legal? That’s a question I can’t answer. The handling of this application was certainly not done in good faith by certain members of the council, and their actions were mean spirited. 

After watching the meeting on replay, (as we’ve yet to be formally contacted by the city), as I understand it, we are now restricted from even reapplying to re-zone for this property for a year, unless there are "substantial" changes. At this point, I’m pretty sure my team is fairly disheartened and fed up with the city’s treatment of this process, and I’m in no position to ask anything more of them than they’ve already given.

I will move forward and away at some point. It is both for personal considerations and health-related factors that I will eventually retire from farming. But I remain committed to transparency, sustainability, and community. And, to pay the bills, I'll continue to utilize this land's rich soil and grow food for my CSA and the community. With the help of another farmer who has found himself without a place to farm, I can do so with two more hands to help carry the load. (So join Eden's CSA and chefs, get ready - we're ramping up again!)  We've already got a summer crop of veggies and fruits in the ground, with more planting in the works. A water well would be helpful for securing a long summer crop, but expensive, long-term investments at this juncture are on hold, for obvious reasons.

 Coming back - soon!

Due to new city restrictions, we are not allowed to host a farmer's market any longer, but - the good news is, we are permitted by State law to set up Market Day events to sell food produced here at the farm. So once we gain momentum, we will explore that option as well as the CSA and farm to fork eateries.

I’ll do my best to find a responsible buyer if I am not permitted re-zoning needed to build out the Pioneer Grove Agri-village and am forced to sell. But, considering most developer's obsession with the bottom line, often at the expense of environmental integrity and historic character, this felt like a rare and meaningful opportunity to do something genuinely special with this place. I'm open to suggestions. Feel free to reach out. 

 And again, thank you all for reading, and supporting local food.  

That's all for now.

Eat Your Food - Naturally!

Farmer Marie 

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