About the Farmer

“The boundary lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; surely I have a good inheritance. “

My name is Erin Herner, & I started Pleasant Boundaries because I’m passionate about growing clean, nutrient dense, delicious food for my family & community. Several years ago I saw the film Food, Inc. and encountered the work of Joel Salatin at Polyface Farms in Virginia. I had never considered the way the industrial food system has adversely effected the health of our nation, land & economy, although now I’ve seen it’s effect in my own family through cancers, diabetes, heart disease, etc. But I was inspired by the creativity & beauty of organic farming, the potential to heal the landscape & build relationships directly with customers.

I decided I wanted to take back responsibility for my food & our health, & set out to learn to farm organically. I was raised in the suburbs of Chicago. My grandparents were farmers in Nebraska when I was young & we visited during the summers to help out. But it wasn’t until my 20s I began to learn about organic farming & things like canning, raising chickens, etc. I found opportunities to work & volunteer on farms, eventually deciding to start my own vegetable CSA in Geneva.

I absolutely love what I do-growing food, working outdoors with my hands, being around animals, and knowing that the products I produce are contributing to improving the health and wellbeing of my customers. One of my life goals has become pursuing wholeness and healing, body, soul and spirit, and on the farm I can grow food that nourishes my body physically, and I love the idea of sharing that with my local community. I also believe there is something special about coming to the farm to pick up food. For myself, there is something very healing to my soul and spirit about getting my hands dirty, working with plants and animals, being in the sunshine. I would like to help my customers experience that too, to feel like they can connect with where their food comes from. I want you to feel welcomed when you come to the farm.

I am happy and grateful to be hosted by Pushing the Envelope Farm, where I rent land and facilities as a part of their Beginning Farmer Incubator. I truly could not be doing what I am doing here without their support.

In my free time I also enjoy all sorts of DIY projects… canning, cooking from scratch, making cheese, brewing kombucha, sewing, crocheting. among many other interests.
I look forward to getting to know you and growing with you this next season!

I love the farming lifestyle, & in the future hope to expand into raising meat animals and poultry for eggs, even some milk cows. For now I’m excited to grow high quality, fresh vegetables, with varieties chosen for flavor and/or uniqueness. I’m not certified organic, but I use all organic practices on the farm, so you can be sure your veggies are safe & nutrient packed. I hope you will taste the difference!