Couple adopts permaculture farming

Megan Feulner-Hauser and her husband, Chad, moved from the Broadmoor neighborhood to Highland in 2019. Megan was introduced to permaculture farming by a friend and adopted the style because of some challenges their new home presented.

The front yard slopes steeply to the sidewalk with a neutral ground that extends to the street. The side yard is a sloped area that makes mowing and walking almost impossible. Megan said a landscaper “fired” her because he couldn’t get his mower to work on the steep side yard.

Permaculture allowed her to create a means to capture rainwater runoff in front, and a technique called “dirt lockers” enabled them to make the side yard productive.

“That has been amazing because, otherwise, that was just a waste of real estate. It was hard to walk,” Megan said.

The couple is not totally agrarian. Both work for RoseStone Wealth Advisors as financial planners. “I’m a financial planner by day and a farmer by evening,” Megan explained.

Her farming was affected by the leg she broke in March, though a look at the garden doesn’t indicate it.

The hillsides are luxuriant in produce and wildflowers, and they have become the talk of the neighborhood. Megan says the neighbors appreciate the garden, and Chad said they’ve had a lot of looky-loos stop their cars at the intersection to talk and ogle.

“People,” according to Megan, “say, this is just so gorgeous. Thank you for what you’re doing for the community.

“The things that happen out in this garden. If you only knew the stories. People want a tour. They are just fascinated by it.”

And despite the high cost of this hobby, the couple has method in the madness. “The whole reason why I’m doing this is not only that I enjoy gardening,” Megan explained, “my plan is … I want to host a small, local community farmers’ market on the weekend.

“Because people get such joy, and I know that this is a food desert, I want to have it to where it’s like a little library,” referring to the kiosks people have in their areas where readers can pick out a book and leave one behind to share with the community.

The couple also grows fresh herbs.

Composting is necessary process in harvesting quality fruits and veggies.

Megan and Chad are transforming their piece of Highland into a productive plot.

“I just give everything away, which is kind of what we did during the pandemic. We had chickens, and we gave away all the eggs.”

Giving away is part of her DNA, and she’s interested in doing more than saving some grocery trips. “Not only do I want to give it away, but I don’t want to give it away to have them throw it away. The plan is to include an easy recipe. To try to educate them, too, knowing where your food comes from, the farm-to-table kind of concept. That’s a big passion of mine. Give them an education so they will learn about the produce, appreciate it and eat it. That’s the end game.”

This year, Megan and Chad are perfecting their process to transform a small corner of the historic Highland neighborhood into an oasis of healthy food choices.

Maybe next year, you’ll visit their Facebook page and see the menu of tomatoes, eggplant, cauliflower, zucchini, kohlrabi, peppers, blueberries and blackberries, and lots and lots of sunflowers.

As Chad explained, “Everybody loves the flowers. But we need the flowers for the pollinators.”

If you’re looking for the Hauser Farm, stop at the first house in Highland, with almost a hundred tomato plants struggling under the weight of some hefty Solanum Lycopersicon specimens just looking for a burger to garnish.