meet the farmer
FOOD FOREST
Nathan Rosenbloom brings edible landscapes to life.
WRITTEN BY HEIDI BETHEL
PHOTOS BY CANDICE VIVIEN
Nathan Rosenbloom, owner of Loping Coyote Farms in Reno, prepares his cuttings for propagation in his tunnel house
After Nathan Rosenbloom graduated with a philosophy degree from the University of Oregon, he found himself living in Montreal pursuing his lifelong dream of writing. He quickly became disenchanted with the hustle of big city life and moved to a small farm town in New York. That’s where he fell in love with vast organic spaces.
Fast forward about a decade. Now Rosenbloom is an esteemed permaculture specialist, designer, and owner of Loping Coyote Farms in Reno. With his expertise in permaculture and biodynamics, he works to provide a suite of plants for his annual plant sale and helps others learn about and grow whole-food forests.
A detail shot of a Nathan Rosenbloom’s cuttings, from left, goumi and mulberry
Seven-layered farmscapes
Loping Coyote Farms is a micronursery specializing in heirloom and high desert varieties, which has an additional one-acre site on the west side of Reno featuring a permaculture whole-food forest demonstration garden. Rosenbloom prides himself on his knowledge of local food yields and creating landscapes in which all of the plants are edible.
“In a natural forest, you typically see seven layers of growth with [overstory], including the big trees, to ground cover and everything in between. We’ve taken this concept and incorporated seven layers of food source. This area thrives when you use edible species that work well together and feed each other. It’s a hyperproductive forest design,” he says.
Myriad plants thrive on site, including nut and stone-fruit trees, grapes, berries, hops, culinary and medicinal herbs, annual vegetables, and others.
In an effort to spread the word about whole-food forests, Rosenbloom offers public and private tours of his demonstration garden. He sees a lot of interest from school groups.
“The tours are usually set up by cool teachers, and the kids always love it,” he says. “I’m approachable by any group. The tour site is a private residence, and we welcome folks who want to learn about responsible gardening and farming.”
In addition to tending to his own sites, Rosenbloom is passionate about helping others create edible settings.
“I’m particularly tailored toward hardy, native landscaping and gardening,” he says. “People get excited about my knowledge, and I have had a lot of success incorporating our own native species. I’ve designed a diverse range of projects from smaller gardens to bigger, farm-inspired projects with more acreage. It’s great to be able to bring more focus on food and the benefits of homegrown organic produce.”
Nathan Rosenbloom, owner of Loping Coyote Farms in Reno, prepares his cuttings for propagation in his tunnel house
Plants for sale
On April 28, Rosenbloom will offer his starter plants to the public during his eighth annual plant sale at Too Soul Tea Co. in Reno. Here folks can find affordable bare-root plants ready to be bedded and thrive in the Sierra. He says to expect a variety of flora not commonly found at nurseries and retailers.
“This is a great sale for those just starting out in gardening,” he says. “We also have a lot of regulars who get all of their plants for the year here. We work really hard to make sure the product we bring is perfect for the customer and that the plants are something you might not see at other places.”
Freelance writer Heidi Bethel studied horticulture at Elko High School. She spent many semesters growing plants and flower starts in the greenhouse and understands the care that is required to have a vibrant, food-producing garden.
Resources
Loping Coyote Farms
775-686-0008 • Lopingcoyotefarms.com
Loping Coyote Farms’ Eighth Annual Plant Sale
April 28
Too Soul Tea Co.
542½ Plumas St., Reno
Featuring seedlings and saplings ready to be planted in edible landscapes around the Reno-Tahoe area. Pre-orders are recommended and can be placed online until the beginning of April, with pickup available the day of the plant sale. For a complete catalog of offerings, visit Lopingcoyotefarms.com.
