I was heading east to Lauren’s 1 acre homestead last August, and the midwestern clouds were in full swing. Dark gray cumulus giants swirled around the sky wafting rain sprinkles here and there. Gaps of blue sky would open up in small patches as intense warm sunlight spilled through. And as I got off my exit, a bright rainbow appeared, seemingly right above where my map app marked my destination. It seemed fitting, a rainbow pouring its magical colors onto Lauren’s homestead. She herself is a literal rainbow.
I pulled in and quickly organized my photography gear. We were doing a branding session for her business Humble hive Consulting and getting her house underneath a prism of colors sounded like a photographer’s DREAM. But by the time I got out of my car and to the other side of the street, the rainbow had faded into a pre rainstorm mist that drifted away capriciously.
Lauren floated out of her front door to greet me, with her trademark sunny smile framed by her whimsy red curly hair. She had a few tools of her trade with her, a trowel, an adorable basket, and a spool of gardener’s string. I walked through the living trellis and slowly entered her front yard food forest in literal awe. Canopies of vines, pockets of blooming flowers, the strong aromas of damp herbs. It felt like a magical wonderland, quietly bountiful and peacefully enchanting, tucked right behind a busy thoroughfare. I turned around to her to tell her how incredibly dreamy this space was as she nodded in agreement
“I spend a lot of hours in this magical space” she mused with a grounded content look on her face.
As we began the session, we were chatting about all of her exciting upcoming projects. Seasonal garden tours that show folx how to start their own front yard food forest. She found a new location to sell her array of (amazing) gardening books that feature permaculture ideals (her specialty) with an easy to understand gardening guide that is perfectly suited for our climate. She was tabling at a lot of local events in the area, networking with other small businesses and nonprofits. And her most exciting new project was leading a neighborhood homesteading campaign she was piloting in the Huffman District. Bringing neighbors together for a thoughtful collective project where each household contributed an element (from berry trees to composting to a neighborhood chicken coop) to the overall goal of sustainability.
Gardening (and especially her brand of permaculture gardening) is such an incredibly grounding activity. From the microbiome gold mine that is found in our soil to the days spent outside under our precious ever-changing sky, the benefits of this activity are boundless. If the idea of starting your gardening journey sounds better with an absolute Earth Fairie by your side, I have the perfect recommendation for you:
Lauren’s Info:
Lauren Craig
“human in a kitchen” at Humble hive Homemade
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Permaculture Designer at Humble hive Consulting
Dayton Wellness Collective 
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