Who We Are

Eightfold is really all of those who participate in the farm one way or another.  Whether it's the egg CSA members, the pollinating bumble bees, or a stuffed dinner guest.


Eric Jackson

I was born and raised in Pfafftown.  I fell in love with nature while playing in my grandfathers cow pastures that adjoined my home and where Eightfold Farm is now.  I later fell in love with music which led me to spend most of my adult life collaborating on "The Wherehouse" a sort of people/music/art/business/community incubator housed in an old meat packing factory in downtown Winston-Salem, NC.  There I played much music with many people, read many books, and tried on many hats.  In 2001 I was introduced to permaculture on a tour of collectively owned living spaces and have been fascinated by that design language and vision ever since.  After reading about Wes Jackson's (no relation) work at the Land Institute breeding perennial grains in Janie Beynus' book Biomimicry in 2003 I was inspired to discipline my life focus to plants.  I started the Horticulture Technology Program at Forsyth Technical Community Collge in 2004, took a break to move to Asheville to explore and work for the Asheville City Parks and Recreation.  I returned to Winston-Salem and the Wherehouse in 2006 and completed most of the FTCC horticulture curriculum by 2008.  I then teamed up with Jay Dunbar to work on the Wherehouse Micro-Farm in the old Depot Street coal pit behind Krankies coffee where we raised our first group of egg laying hens while applying permaculture principles to green an incredibly harsh urban environment.  I've been growing heirloom vegetables and learning the art of seed saving at Old Salem Museum and Gardens since 2009 and applying what I learn to Eightfold Farm.  I'm using that knowledge to breed farm adapted vegetable varieties for our market garden.  I feel very lucky and excited to be working on my grandparents farm.  Here I hope to make a model biodiverse, regenerative, and profitable farm.