About Planet Earth

Michael Clark has been farming in central Virginia since 1975 – ( 35 years), working with both field grown and greenhouse grown herbs and vegetables. Although he has an Engineering degree from UVA and has worked at GE, Sperry Marine, Nimbus Records, and Avcomm, Mike farms fulltime now. His love for the earth and nature and his vision of a looming colapse of the corporate and financial security that the previous generation was so accustomed to, drove him to decide to leave industry and farm full time beginning in 1990. He has faithfully been a vendor at the Charlottesville City Market for more than 23 years, rain or shine or wind or snow. His farm has won the “Chesapeake Bay Friendly” award from the Governor. His produce and culinary specialties have been served to dignitaries and film stars, making it to the table of the President of the United States and winning awards for Chefs as far away as Europe. His experience ranges from eggs, pesto, jellies and jams to distillation of essential oils and hydrosols from the high quality botanicals produced. Mike worked with The VABF Organic Certification Committee and was a participant in the creation of the original language that brought organic certification to Virginia in 1990. He is now the host of “Meet The Farmer TV” at watch.MeetTheFarmer.tv on local cable and Free Speech TV satellite nationwide.

Clark is active in his community in a variety of ways, including (but not limited to):

Leslie Jenkins, originally from New Orleans, met Michael while working at Integral Yoga Natural Foods in Charlottesville, in the 90’s, thru the tomatoes…

  • managed the tomato greenhouse
  • then the “Hydro House” where the gourmet herbs and greens are grown.
  • deliveries and customer care
  • photography and market outreach, assistance in web hosting
  • educational and production partnership (see Meet the Farmer TV, vafep.org, VSU, Master Gardener program, and co-operative programs with VT/Extention Officers, et al.)
  • general farm management and field produce/harvest

Planning Committee, participant and team member of  VAFEP (Virginia Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship Program)

Administration for budding Vendor’s Site of the Charlottesville City Market, and the Vendors of the Forest Lakes Market.

One of the many passions for Leslie at the farm is harvest, from wildcrafting to precision cut Chef Flower Boxes.  She is instrumental in the cycle of the food produced at the farm, working on recipes and ideas to extend the harvest such as syrups, sauces, canning, and essential waters.  Excess fresh cuts may find their way into a sandwich, spring roll, tea urn, shish kabob, coffee cake, or other creation that is then shared at the markets demonstratively.

Leslie participates in annual events of Virginia State University, such as the Berry Conference and Field Day, and Virginia Association for Biological Farming.  She is in active production of Meet the Farmer TV and can be found at 2 Farmer’s Markets each week, Wednesday at Meade Park and Saturday at Charlottesville City Market.  Leslie has been studying and working with plants since 1986, but started eating flowers when she was about 4 or 5 yrs old.

 

The farm is very grateful for the service Nile Harmon and the crew provides to ensure freshest cut, and highest quality to our customers, Chefs, retail and wholesale outlets.