Hi - I’m Nico and I grow food at home. I call it my home farm.
I first got out into a vegetable garden at the age of 25. Now, I’m in my early thirties, I’ve worked in Food & Sustainability for NGOs like Slow Food and have facilitated educational programmes like the Master in Agroecology & Food Sovereignty at UNISG (Italy). I’m also a father to a wonderful 3-year-old.
I’m dedicating 2024 to seriously growing food at home and sharing what I’m learning with all of you interested. I once read this somewhere and still believe that:
The Future is Homegrown
In a time where giant corporations are controlling global food supplies, it seems like the right time to tap into our traditional food knowledge and incorporate new food-growing habits into our lives.
And it’s not just about being “self-sufficient”.
Gardening, keeping chickens and making bread can get us out of our heads (and screens) and into the world, paying attention to natural cycles and taking responsibility for needs other than our own. Plants need to drink, chickens need to eat, and bread has its own cycles to be respected. I am convinced that engaging these simple food habits can make us more hopeful and resilient.
Why do I call it a farm?
I could say I’m an urban gardener, but I don’t. I choose to think of my growing space as a farm because - much like on an normal farm - it pushes me to:
- Show up consistently, seeing through a growing season from beginning to end
- Adopt a holistic view, creating connections between the garden and the chickens, or between our food scraps and the compost pile.
As home farmers, we’re not just growing crops but we’re creating a healthy, resilient ecosystem.
And why YesRoots?
The name comes from meeting a curious child called Roots in a permaculture farm in the South of Devon (UK), who’s parents would always enthusiastically answer every one of his questions with “Yes, Roots!”. I want to take this open, positive attitude and apply it to everything I’m growing and sharing.