Jeff Leyonmark: Suburban Farming

You’ve probably heard of urban farming, but what about suburban farming? Jeff Leyonmark and his community are taking the idea of turning city properties into plentiful farmscapes and bringing it to their village of Hamburg.

“[A suburban farm] is an orchard and tons of vegetable production. And we have laying chickens for eggs. And we've created a working farm right in a village setting.”

The project started out focusing on ornamental plants. But, even as people started integrating more and more farming into their spaces, they never abandoned the idea of keeping the land visually appealing. 

“The farming part is just an extension of the ornamental part. I mean, what we're trying to do is create a really beautiful farm.”

Jeff has noticed that all it takes is one person planting flowers to inspire others to beautify their neighborhoods. The way that making attractive landscapes has elevated the community keeps him deeply passionate about suburban farming. 

“It is the reason that I get up in the morning. I'm lucky I have a hobby, a passion that I can do. And into my eighties, nineties, maybe 100.”

A film by Michael Chernoff.