Meet Shelly Toombs
Shelly Toombs, is the owner of Foodclose Gardens. She is a Professional Pastry Chef and garden educator with over 20 years of experience in organic gardening who believes growing food and cooking go hand in hand. She holds a B.S. degree in Plant Biology from the University of California Davis and completed her Masters program at Oregon State University in Organic Agriculture that focused on organic pest and disease management and applied soil health.
She brings a broad organic farming and gardening perspective to the community and shares practical, well-researched, and easy to follow advice, hoping to inspire others to learn how to grow their own food close to home and deepen their connection to food and nature, thereby living a more sustainable lifestyle with ecology in mind.
Company Ethos
Here at Foodclose Gardens, our roots are grounded in creating the right garden design using the right practices based on ecology, and teaching our clients how to grow nutrient dense food.
We know the value and potential what urban lanscapes can play when connecting and conserving wildlife habitat for birds, insects, and other animals that have been affected by largescale development and habitat loss. Organic gardening relys on sytems promoting biodiversuty in lower input systems without the use of synthetic chemicals and pesticides. We believe that you dont need a huge garden to grow a lot of food if the system is designed right. A little creativity goes a long way and I can help you forage ahead in your journey to rely less on conventional produce that was grown thousands of miles away, and instead help you cultivate a more healthy lifestyle and appreciation for food when harvesting produce close to home.
We are also passionate about bird conservation, environmental protection, and social justice for farm workers- and donate a portion of procedes from Foodclose Gardens to non-profit causes we believe in each year.
Succession planting, interplanting, and block planting are just some of the creative ways to harvest fresh produce from your garden all season long!
Ready to move Forward? Let’s Talk
Have a question or a project in mind? Send us a quick note, and we’ll schedule a discovery call to help you get started.