Handfuls of Joy
Ami Utah
Owner, Grower & Executive Director
Ami combines her knowledge of business and farm management with her passion and expertise in food policy, sustainability and agricultural best practice. She has worked with farmers across 4 continents, helping to advise data-driven policy, provide education and build partnerships with international, government and grassroots organizations with the goal to help develop sustainable, resilient food systems capable of withstanding rapidly changing climactic conditions while also alleviating hunger, poverty and malnutrition.
Ami is particularly passionate about working with female, minority and young farmers, promoting a connection to the community, to the land and advocating for access to funding for small-holder farmers.
Ami holds a J.D. from the Villanova University School of Law, an M.A. in International Development Economics from American University and a PhD in Economic Demography from the University of Pennsylvania.
Our ethos
We grow all of our crops following organic approaches and do not use any herbicides or pesticides. We focus on maximizing soil potential by employing regenerative practices that build its nutrition profile, and cater to the needs of native wildlife. Insects, birds, bunnies, are all part of our ecosystem and we strive to create a space where all life can co-exist in harmony.
We are laser focused on efficient farming practices, and optimizing the capabilities of the plants we cultivate. To that end we are constantly culling our plant selection to focus on varieties that thrive in our ever-changing climate. We let the seasons guide us, and grow cool food and flowers like cilantro, leaf vegetables, garlic, stock, snapdragons, ranunculus in the winter and spring, and heat-loving ones like peppers, tomatoes, zinnias, lisianthus, sunflowers, amaranth, herbs and celosia in the summer.
We also cultivate a variety of native perennials and woodies in our demonstration garden.
Send us a message or give us a call to chat about your gardening journey and how we can work with you to realize your kitchen garden dreams, subscribe for updates and follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for the most up-to-date info!
