The Funny Farm is Serious About Organic Food

In an age where everything is instant and readily attainable, Duane Marcus holds fast to a decision he made more than three decades ago: to grow his own vegetables and respect nature. And when Marcus married his wife, Robin, at the age of 20, she was ready to join him.

Her grandparents and parents had already taught her the value of frugality, along with canning and preserving. Both of the newlyweds did what back then was considered "fringed and what hippies did," Marcus says. Today, though, at the age of 57, they are both riding the wave of organics and healthy eating by managing the Decatur Farmer's Market and growing their own herbs and vegetables here in Stone Mountain.

Robin helps Duane harvest the vegetables and makes the pickles and jellies, while also canning the produce for use in the winter season. And, out of his large parcel of land, Marcus puts all his education and work experience into growing his organic crops. But this wasn't always so.

"Robin and I made a decision to step outside the box a long time ago," he says. "I became disillusioned with my corporate life, and one day, after talking about having our own business, a light bulb went off."

After others told him he was insane to want to build a totally organic gardening center with a mission to be "stewards of the planet," he and his wife went on to build a very successful business in Atlanta. But after a while, they realized that city life was not for them, so they bought the land and started working on what now is The Funny Farm.

"We realized that all the work we did in downtown Atlanta, we could have done and do here now," Marcus says. "And, while every season has its challenges, the first was the most interesting."

He and his wife planted, but it didn't turn out as well as they'd hoped, so he called a friend who worked with the Atlanta Zoo. Telling him he was looking for the "best" manure he could find, his friend suggested using the elephant manure "leftover" at the zoo. And, after the initial delivery, Marcus ended up with tomato plants 10 feet tall that first spring.

A neighbor or two have complained about the size of his garden, and even when officials come out to investigate, they tell him, "It's not illegal to have a big garden, Mr. Marcus." And, Mr. Marcus knows this, so he keeps planting vegetables and herbs on every available piece of his property.

The work at the farm includes harvesting rainwater for plant production, growing three kinds of thyme, bug scaping, and even has the beginnings of an apple orchard. His land holds a large pond, and he composts and grows worms in his barn.

After Marcus harvests his vegetables and herbs, he takes them to the Decatur Farmers Market, an enterprise he manages that sells the wares of other growers, bakers and makers of organic and fine foods.

In addition to the work on the farm and the farmer's market, Marcus teaches classes for both the novice and expert gardener. "We teach classes so that we can empower people to take some measure of control over where their food comes from. Even if they do not go on to grow much of their own food, they will know more about the limitations of the existing food system and how to make better food choices that will improve their health and the health of the planet."

CONTACT: Contact via email,  Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/TheFunnyFarmAtl, blog http://happyfood-funnyfarm.blogspot.com or follow him on Twitter @leekfixer. Info on the workshops is on his website, www.funnyfarmatl.com