BEAR CREEK ORGANICS

Bear Creek Organics Cultivating Land and Relationships

by Sheila Julson

Richard Mitchell, owner of Bear had gardening and cooking class once a Creek Organics edible landscape week and were involved every step of the company, takes pride in working way. Mitchell realized how difficult it was with the land instead of from a playbook. to acquire all of the unique fruit trees and He takes a holistic, individualized apbushes he needed for the school’s edible proach toward landscapes and life design landscape, as well as for private clients. that brings out the best in the land while “That motivated me to start buildconsidering the lifestyle of the homeing my own edible landscaping nursery,” owner. Bear Creek Organics also has its Mitchell says. In five years, he’s built a colown nursery with a full palette of native, lection of unique varieties of fruit and nut organically grown fruit and nut trees, trees, berry bushes and native plants that bushes and plants that he can effectively he’s tested and used on jobs. “Each year, it implement into landscaping plans. gets bigger and more customized to Penn

Mitchell has interacted with nature sylvania’s climates and microclimates.” since childhood. He developed an entreHe notes that fruit trees sold at many preneurial spirit when his grandfather had commercial garden centers or big-box paid him to help him with his gardening. stores are brought in at the beginning of During college, Mitchell started his own the season, usually from Southern states, landscaping company while pursuing his and thus not adaptive to Pennsylvania’s environmental science degree. He also climate. “Our trees are organically grown, started a worm compost company, Bear and are stronger, healthier, and produce Creek Organics, the genesis of what became safe, healthy food, which in turn produces the landscaping business. Mitchell had the safe, healthy families and environments.” opportunity to work with renowned soil Bear Creek Organics’ custom designmicrobiologist Dr. Elaine Ingham at the build approach also includes education Rodale Institute, where he learned about and management to help clients maintain soil ecology and regenerative agriculture. their landscapes and be good stewards for

Mitchell also designed, installed, and future land users. He uses tools such as a managed an extensive school garden prodetailed questionnaire so he can gauge the gram for The Graham Academy. The projclient’s lifestyle, likes and dislikes and goals ect involved creating two edible schoolfor their outdoor spaces. Recent projects yards by installing vegetable gardens, fruit include a two-pond system, connected by and berry bushes, greenhouses, native a stream and a system of swales and drainflowers and a food forest. Every student age ditches that all work together.

“ The two ponds and the stream run continuously on a pump, so there’s an ornamental effect, but it’s also holistically connected to the land, so every time you get a big downpour, water is managed in a way that excess water from other parts of the property fill the pond. You never have fill with a hose,” he explains. “It’s a functional water management system hybridized as an ornamental pond. It’s also self-cleaning, so it doesn’t require herbicides or chemicals.”

M itchell designs whole systems that work together, incorporating berry bushes, native plants, herb gardens, raised garden beds, rain gardens and swales. The holistic approach to landscape and life design solves problems like drainage problems in yards, helping not just the homeowner but also the entire community’s water issues by taking pressure off downstream systems. He notes that his detailed process helps avoid problems down the road.

“ Our process allows us to avoid problems before they happen,” he says. “Many times, we’re fixing problems created by other contractors or previous homeowners. There’s a certain order of doing things that a good design process will bring out. This saves clients thousands of dollars in the long run by avoiding those types of mistakes.”

B ecause landscapes need to be managed extensively during the first couple of years after installation, Mitchell’s process involves client education. He offers workshops, talks, private classes, maintenance packages, coaching and other educational tools for the property owner.

“ That’s the biggest key to our success, passing the torch—or the apple—to the homeowner, teaching clients how to maintain their landscape to the point where they don’t need us anymore,” Mitchell concludes. “Natural solutions are all around and connecting with the land starts in backyard. We’re literally standing and living on top of solutions, by growing healthy, organic food while enhancing how we work with the land.”

Bear Creek Organics can be reached by visiting BearCreekOrganics.com and filling out a contact request form. Follow their project activity on Facebook.com/ bearcreekorganics. See ad, page 21.