NEW TIMES: What would you say is the nature of the business you’ve started?

HOSEA: We’re investing in sustainability by creating edible landscapes our overall mission is to install and teach how to grow organic food, all based on permaculture principles.

NEW TIMES: When did you first open your business?

HOSEA: We started N’Credible Edibles in April 2008, and I had been doing a lot of apprenticing for a local teacher and designer at Earthflow Designs prior to that. I had been doing a lot of natural building and water harvesting in my apprenticeship.

NEW TIMES: What inspired you to get into the permaculture industry?

HOSEA: What really alarmed me was a condition called “Nature Deficit Disorder” that’s really prominent in today’s children. People aren’t going outside and getting their hands dirty anymore, as technology is now keeping them inside. My business helps counteract this by creating food not only to save money, but also to create a healthier lifestyle.

NEW TIMES: How would you say that these food practices benefit the customer?

HOSEA: It’s beneficial because it lets them know where and how their food is coming to them. Health is increased because they get out and get their blood moving, and they’re able to save money on groceries, gas, and medicine. It can also serve to create community, with people trading, bartering, and selling their excess crops at local markets.

NEW TIMES: How do these food practices benefit the earth?

HOSEA: We help the earth by working with Mother Nature, not against her. We utilize a 7-layer landscape method that is predominant out in jungles, in contrast to grid-based farm patterns. Our systems replicate natural systems from around the world, and everything’s organic with no pollutants.