Meet the Owner of the Art Farm, David Augustyniak, as he dives into the story behind the farm.

Do you have a favorite spot on your farm and why is it important to you?

"I’d have to say where I’m at right now is the lab, because this is where I do a lot of discovery, thinking, and research. Most of my passion work happens here. It’s something I always wanted on the farm, but for the first several years I wasn’t able to have it because building a lab and getting all the equipment is expensive. It’s not a huge university lab, but it houses a lot of equipment that took me years to collect, and it feels like a real achievement. On the mushroom-growing side, we focus on clean work. The lab has large flow hoods that create a sterile air environment called laminar flow. The air moves in a way that removes particles and creates a very clean workspace, which allows us to do sterile processes like culturing, preparing grains, and inoculating fruiting bags. Recently, I’ve also started working on a DNA project. We use a machine that allows us to run PCR reactions and do more advanced DNA work. That’s been a long-term goal of mine, and it’s finally starting to come together. I also teach a lot of people here, which is really rewarding. Many community members don’t have access to a lab, and part of my goal in building this space was to create access for them. I’m still working toward fully opening it to the public, but eventually I’d like to have designated times where people can come in and use the lab and its equipment. It’s been really meaningful to build a space where both science and community can come together like this."

Can you share what motivated you to start your farm and the story behind it?

"My background is in architecture. At the same time, I was working in the building industry and saw how much waste there was. That pushed me toward sustainability, and eventually toward self-sustainability. After my first daughter was born, I became a stay-at-home dad for a while, and that’s when I picked up the hobby of becoming more self-sustaining. The first thing I started doing was growing my own food. Later, I ended up in Telluride, Colorado, where I fell in love with mycology. From there, my focus shifted from growing food and permaculture into mycology. I’ve always been community driven. I enjoy sharing, teaching other people, and giving what I have to give. Eventually, I realized I could turn those passions into both a way of life and a business. I started asking myself how I could take the things that interested me and build something sustainable from them. That’s really the basic story of how it all started. I think community is one of the biggest parts of growing. When I started the farm, the idea was to create a teaching farm, a community-based place where people could come and learn. I explored a lot of different systems, including energy creation, aquaponics for a while, mycology, and many permaculture foundations. The goal was to build a regenerative model for the community, where people could come see these systems working in real life and doing something meaningful. That was really the main vision: to create a teaching farm and demonstrate what’s possible."

What are key practices you use to farm this land?

"I focus a lot on natural farming. If you’re familiar with KNF or JADAM, those approaches are a big influence. When it comes to gardening, I do a lot of no-till methods and use all-natural ferments for inputs when needed. I focus heavily on living soil and creating something beyond organic, building soil while actively growing in it. I’m also very into upcycling and repurposing materials. I try to source things that would otherwise end up in the waste stream and find alternatives to single-use products whenever possible. Unfortunately, a lot of systems still rely on single-use materials, so I try to balance that by using biodegradable packaging, glass products, or other low-input options when I can. Any waste streams we do create, I try to route back into our compost systems. We do a lot of composting with material from the mushroom farm, so the goal is to make the whole process as regenerative as possible, even in the design side of things. I moved a little further away from the planting and permaculture side once I got deeper into mycology, mostly because trying to do everything at once can be overwhelming. That’s where collaboration with the community becomes important. Education is also a major focus for me. I try to keep the information I have as open-source and accessible as possible because I believe everyone deserves equal access to knowledge and opportunity. We also host events and try to use something called the Green Bottle Method, which is a sliding-scale approach to pricing. The goal is to make events accessible and never turn anyone away because of financial circumstances. We try to find a solution that works for everyone. Those are really the main principles and practices that guide what we do."

What perspective do you want the next generation of farmers to gain from your farm?

"If I had to sum it up, I’d say these practices are accessible to anybody. Sometimes they may seem like a little more work, but they produce results at the same time. Anything is possible if you practice, stay disciplined, and really put the effort in. At the same time, I want people to understand that this kind of work is available to anyone at any level. It doesn’t have to be exclusive or complicated. Accessibility is really important to me, and making sure people feel included is a big part of why I do it."

In what ways is the community involved in your farm? If not, what would that community involvement look like to you?