Here are some pics of my most recent (and largest) project to date. You can read more of my work or order one of my books on the restaurant life at my blog
I am a former chef and restaurateur from Decatur, Georgia. My projects were The Supper Club and Billy Goat's Cantina in downtown Decatur. After a decade of business in that Atlanta suburb I sold my businesses and moved to Mt Airy, Georgia, an hour north of Atlanta in the mountains. I went back in time 50 years for sure. Very few services and people were not as hip to the "organic" scene in 2005 as in bigger cities. I sold the restaurants to "retire" to the country and grow my own food. I was a little naive (okay, a lot) about this sweet little nowhere town with a train and a post office. Run by Big Chicken and full of stinky poultry processing plants, tainted water, meth labs and junk food, my dreamy farm plans were harder to bring to fruition than I had imagined. Back in the day, and even today who are we kidding, these farm towns are run by GMO, chemicals, glyphosate, poison and other horrors of BigAg.
I brought the land back to it's natural state. Basically by leaving it alone. I became an herbalist. I tapped into my healing powers for myself, the animals and others. I talked to the trees and listened to what they said in return. I lived alone on this big property for 14 years.
After 14 years, it was time to sell. Life moves on, we pass the torch.
Did I make my money back? No. Would I change anything? Sure. Do I have regrets? No.
a 7 acre organic farm to table event venue and wild foraging culinary adventure and labor of love
Heritage chickens and ducks. Acres of wild herbs that I distilled into wellness potions and bug repellent. Pollinator gardens. Compost. Earthworms. Organic homestead and rescue doggo paradise. To pay the bills we did events and weddings. 3 rental suites and an over the garage loft apartment. The pool was filled in to make way for composting and leaf and garden recycling and tree planting. I had so many ongoing projects at this location it makes my head spin to think of it.
Furniture making to apothecary botanicals. Every creative urge was explored. 99% of which made me zero money but I learned and tried all the things.
A master class on HOMESTEADING for more than a decade, I now consult others making a similar leap. I don't know it all but I can save you from wasting a lot of time and money in certain areas. And help you make money in others. You can contact me at michele.niesen@gmail.com if you want to talk
SOLD APRIL 2019 An event facility, wedding venue, organic farm, heritage chicken ranch and abandoned dog rescue. 3 rental suites. 7 acres of organic land, a large mid century California Contemporary block ranch on slab at 1300 ft elevation in NE Georgia, built in 1960. A trainwreck renovation that took me 5 years. Trying to make a fussy estate with dated lawns and flower beds into a no mow, organic garden of wild flowers, grasses and wild herbs took over a decade.
A hidden find in North Georgia to indulge in art, gardening, music, leisure...Live freely with NO HOA, covenants, loud neighbors. Lush native grasses, perennial beds, fruit trees, sustainable growing practices, non toxic inside and out, since 2005. Mature and rare trees and dozens of Japanese Maple, hemlock, explosive color 3 seasons with mild winters that sometimes snow. You'd think it would have sold in an instant. That was not the case. A labor of love and a truly mystical place. Sorry to see it go, but everything has its season.
I am a former chef and restaurateur from Decatur, Georgia. My projects were The Supper Club and Billy Goat's Cantina in downtown Decatur. After a decade of business in that Atlanta suburb I sold my businesses and moved to Mt Airy, Georgia, an hour north of Atlanta in the mountains. I went back in time 50 years for sure. Very few services and people were not as hip to the "organic" scene in 2005 as in bigger cities. I sold the restaurants to "retire" to the country and grow my own food. I was a little naive (okay, a lot) about this sweet little nowhere town with a train and a post office. Run by Big Chicken and full of stinky poultry processing plants, tainted water, meth labs and junk food, my dreamy farm plans were harder to bring to fruition than I had imagined. Back in the day, and even today who are we kidding, these farm towns are run by GMO, chemicals, glyphosate, poison and other horrors of BigAg.
I brought the land back to it's natural state. Basically by leaving it alone. I became an herbalist. I tapped into my healing powers for myself, the animals and others. I talked to the trees and listened to what they said in return. I lived alone on this big property for 14 years.
After 14 years, it was time to sell. Life moves on, we pass the torch.
Did I make my money back? No. Would I change anything? Sure. Do I have regrets? No.
a 7 acre organic farm to table event venue and wild foraging culinary adventure and labor of love
Heritage chickens and ducks. Acres of wild herbs that I distilled into wellness potions and bug repellent. Pollinator gardens. Compost. Earthworms. Organic homestead and rescue doggo paradise. To pay the bills we did events and weddings. 3 rental suites and an over the garage loft apartment. The pool was filled in to make way for composting and leaf and garden recycling and tree planting. I had so many ongoing projects at this location it makes my head spin to think of it.
Furniture making to apothecary botanicals. Every creative urge was explored. 99% of which made me zero money but I learned and tried all the things.
A master class on HOMESTEADING for more than a decade, I now consult others making a similar leap. I don't know it all but I can save you from wasting a lot of time and money in certain areas. And help you make money in others. You can contact me at michele.niesen@gmail.com if you want to talk
SOLD APRIL 2019 An event facility, wedding venue, organic farm, heritage chicken ranch and abandoned dog rescue. 3 rental suites. 7 acres of organic land, a large mid century California Contemporary block ranch on slab at 1300 ft elevation in NE Georgia, built in 1960. A trainwreck renovation that took me 5 years. Trying to make a fussy estate with dated lawns and flower beds into a no mow, organic garden of wild flowers, grasses and wild herbs took over a decade.
A hidden find in North Georgia to indulge in art, gardening, music, leisure...Live freely with NO HOA, covenants, loud neighbors. Lush native grasses, perennial beds, fruit trees, sustainable growing practices, non toxic inside and out, since 2005. Mature and rare trees and dozens of Japanese Maple, hemlock, explosive color 3 seasons with mild winters that sometimes snow. You'd think it would have sold in an instant. That was not the case. A labor of love and a truly mystical place. Sorry to see it go, but everything has its season.
