My name is Deb Wilson, and I am a retired registered nurse and breast cancer survivor. My husband, Wayne, has always had a passion for farming. This passion led us to establish a pick-your-own blueberry farm over a decade ago. Supporting my husband in his passion filled me with joy. However, I didn’t realize until later how personally fulfilling providing my own food would be for me.

While I was at home recovering from my breast cancer surgery, I began gardening. I was surprised at how fulfilling it was to watch something I had cultivated and nurtured grow from a seedling to a full grown plant. It was such a therapeutic catalyst to my healing.

In an effort to try and keep my body as happy and healthy as possible post surgery, I decided to adopt a plant based diet. I was shocked at how much of a difference plant based eating had on my mind, body, and overall wellbeing! I felt rejuvenated and new. It was then that the wheels in my head really started to turn.

From there, I started not only growing plants for my garden to look at, but growing them to make things I could use and eat as well. I eagerly started researching and experimenting with different herb blends for wellness. I started baking my own sourdough baked goods and growing and canning my own vegetables. We got some chickens, and I started gathering eggs from our chicken coup to make Wayne’s scrambled eggs. It made me realize the power I had at my fingertips to generate some of my own food. It was in that moment of empowerment that I made a vow to myself to try and cultivate as much of my own food and wellness products as I could. It was in doing this, that I was able to make less frequent and expensive trips to the grocery store. At this time, I also began sharing my journey on social media with our blueberry community.

Sharing my journey and offering tips of how others could apply practices to their own lives to improve their health and wellness ignited a spark in me. Teaching was always a crucial element of my career as a nurse, and I found a whole new passion in teaching others how to cultivate their own food right at home.

I am nowhere near the end of my journey to self sustainability, but I am learning and getting closer to my goals every day.

I welcome others to join me in my journey, no matter where you live or what you have access to. Everyone is capable of applying little practices every day to improve their health and wellbeing.

Remember, always know where your food comes from.

-Deb