Beyond Organic

We believe that organic means a whole lot more than just not spraying chemicals onto food:

  • We are committed to 100% biodegradable packaging.
  • We never use GMO seed.
  • We never spray pesticides or fungicides (even 'organic certified' ones).
  • We don't use chemical fertilizers.
  • We steward soil life through no-till methods.
  • We pay a living wage to our 3-woman crew.

Our farm is an ecosystem that each plant and creature contributes to in order to grow you the healthiest, high quality food, flowers + farm grown goods.

Our Story + Vision

Woman sitting among rows of leafy green plants in a garden

How it started

Encompass Farm began as a network of urban yards in downtown Black Mountain NC. These plots, many of which are front yards, were donated to Vannah and transformed into organic gardens.

It began as a way for a first generation farmer to start her own farm business while unable to access land. It has since become an incredible way to engage with the community and make use of formerly wasted spaces.

When Vannah achieved her dream of land ownership and purchased the forever farm in 2024, the urban sites became an incubator farm, transitioning to a new steward. These urban garden sites give new farmers the same opportunity that Vannah had to start businesses and fund the future of local food.

Vegetable field with a greenhouse in the background

Where it's going

Encompass found its forever home on seven acres in Rutherford County, nestled in the South Mountains. The spring of 2024 was extra busy as we built infrastructure and transformed a pasture into a farm!

Three acres of gently sloping land host the main production field for veggies + flowers, intersected by four perennial hedgerows providing native habitat. A two acre south sloping hill is home to the future food forest where native fruit, berries + nuts will grow alongside the laying hens grazed in their shade. An exciting ecological pond is currently in development as part of our organic pest management strategy.

As we steward this land and develop deeper relationships to the plants, animals and people growing roots here, community becomes a focal point. The farm hosts intimate farm to table dinners, feeds over 100 families each week through Veggie Box subscriptions and offers educational events with Encompass Land Design.

Know Your Farmer - Vannah Roddy

  • Person holding a bundle of white turnips in a garden setting

  • Vannah is a first generation farmer who became interested in regenerative agriculture at the age of 17. Forgoing a traditional college education, she began traveling to different regions across the US and internationally. She emphasized working on farms in a variety of climates to better understand strategies of growing food amidst climate change. Working in the high elevation desert, tropics, and Southeast Asia taught her about growing nutrient dense food in harmony with the natural world.

    After this intensive experience and travel, Vannah founded Encompass Farm in 2019 where she cultivated an acre of food + flower production on a network of urban yards. This unusual way of accessing land + starting a business eventually allowed her to purchase the forever farm in 2024.

    Today, she feeds over 100 families a week through her Veggie Box Program, and hand-crafts a line of farm products from botanical wreaths to farm-grown seasoning blends.

    At Encompass Land Design Vannah helps gardeners shorten their learning curve so that they can grow more food with less work. She shares her expertise through online classes, books, and Garden Mentorship.

    Learn more about Encompass Land Design 

Start Shopping

Explore our handcrafted, farm-grown goods!

Browse All