Where We're From

Eden's Organic

Garden Center &

Eden's Garden CSA Farm

How it all started...

"Eden's Organic Garden Center was conceived out of my passion to share the beauty of nature, the simplicity of organic gardening and the hope of helping create a safer place in which families and individuals could enjoy their little piece of paradise at home, or wherever their paradise was found. It continues to be my passion to bring safe solutions to people who have no idea how harmful toxic pesticides and common home and yard chemicals can be to themselves, their families and pets or neighboring properties.

In 2007, I looked around and saw that there was not a source for locally grown, organic food of any kind in my community, so I invited farmers and ranchers and Market Day was started.

In 2008, I took things one step further with the launching of a local farm made possible through Community Supported Agriculture. "

There is a big demand for good, safe and organically grown local food in Dallas and a shortage of small, local organic farms. Our food is being outsourced to faraway lands, grown places that don't share our same standards for safe, organic foods.

"I've been working and playing in the horticultural field for many years - over 2 decades - and I think it is time for me to help feed my neighbors something they don't have a lot of access to." There is a lot of news out there about eating local and eating organic, this is a farm that is both local and using all natural methods to raise its crops. Certified Naturally Grown, a grass roots organization of farmers, follows the same outline as the USDA's organic certification process does, and in some ways stricter, but without the costly fees farmers are required to pay to grow their crops without the use of toxic chemicals. It is a peer reviewed certification process and farmers help each other, visiting each other's farms and ranches, assuring that the farmer is using the best natural methods available. "We can't call our products "organic" officially - or legally - but we know how we grow them and so does anyone who visits our place and knows how strongly I feel about doing things naturally. I won't put anything on your food I wouldn't eat myself"

Photo by artsbyjphotography.com

The "crew" poses for a photo op while spreading compost out over the soon to be Eden's Gardens. Eden's Community Supported Agriculture group is made up of volunteers and working share members. (photo by Jenice Johnson)

Another reason behind Marie's decision to farm stems from her passion to make healthy foods available to anyone who wants them. "Why should it be, or be perceived to be, cheaper to eat junk food than healthy, safe food? Our kids are growing up overweight, sickly, and without having hardly ever eaten a totally fresh meal, knowing where or how vegetables are grown, what it is like to cook something from scratch - rather than opening a box or package and popping it into a microwave oven - or that certain foods may not be all that good for you, even though you can walk into a store and buy them."

Children are shown how to hold "Sister's Daughter" one of our hens, while visiting Market Day.

"Seeing the statistics on our younger generation of children's incidence of diabetes and obesity - which of course leads to a plethora of health issues - has really tugged on my heart strings. I believe I have found a calling worthy of answering. Quite worthy. In fact, I don't see how it couldn't be an "official" calling. Surely, it is God putting people in place almost every week that are helping make the pieces of this puzzle fit - making a reality of this dream to have a sustainable, organic urban farm where many people will have affordable access to real, healthy and healing foods!"

Eden's also has an area for Community Gardens where they offer lectures on nutrition, healthy well-being and teach cooking with seasonal foods and fresh herbs, canning and preserving as well as gardening basics for kids and seniors. It doesn't do any good to grow things you don't know how to prepare, store or eat!

By putting a part of the land into farm production, it also brings another local source of fresh, all natural produce to the twice monthly Market Days. "I'm very excited to be able to work the soil for a living and actually get to see the people who are going to be eating it! It is a big step for me, (to farm full time), but I'm ready."

Marie Tedei, the founder and owner of Eden's Organic Garden Center, the farm and horse boarding facility, has been into organics and the green solutions for a very long time. Originally from the Midwest, she remembers recycling and thinking "green" in grade school. As a gardener, upon moving to Texas, she quickly learned that fire ants are not at all like the benign picnic ants back home, the soil was either sticky as paste or hard as a rock and yet, the options for planting year round seemed endless due to the wonderful mild Dallas winter climate.

Located in the formerly rural community of Balch Springs, an old farming town, "back in the day". Eden's is bringing that "day" back by opening an organic farm right in the middle of a fast growing city!

In addition to the many years at the "school of hard chunks (of soil)", she studied at Collin County Community College in the horticulture program, managed one of the industry leading organic garden centers in Dallas for nearly two years, worked in sales for a commercial landscape company where she encouraged and taught organic practices with the crew she oversaw at the residential properties she handled in far north Dallas.

Eventually running her own private gardening business out of her all natural 14 acre "horse and chicken" ranch in southeast Dallas county, she handled landscapes for several small commercial properties which she converted to organics.

After a short stint in far north Lake Highlands, a neighborhood of north Dallas, Eden's Organic Garden Center moved back to the farm in Balch Springs..

Marie celebrating the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with family, (above-late father), and friends, (below).

In the spring of 2007, Eden's reopened in Balch Springs, where Marie also boards a few horses, raises free range chickens for their eggs and enjoys a bit of peace and quiet. "This is where I originally wanted to put the garden center. It is a fun place to visit and a great place to work." Marie adds, "I dare you to come and watch these crazy chickens and ducks and try not to smile!"

The shop reopened with the same mission - to share with others the wonders of the awesome cycle of life in the garden - like it must have been in Eden; "..a Paradise

Marie Celebrates the re-grand opening/ribbon cutting at the Balch Springs location in April of 2007, with friends and colleagues.

without the use of toxic synthetic pesticides or "miraculous" fertilizers.." If there is a need to control a pest or unpleasant situation, we look for the most natural, least toxic and inexpensive way to solve the problem. Anyone can have a safe home and yard, without the worry of dangerous pesticides or harsh chemicals or cleaners."

It seems every year, more of the previously considered "safe" chemicals are being pulled off the shelves. We can help reestablish the imbalance done to our environments with harsh chemicals and soil stripping synthetic fertilizers..

Eden's Organic Garden Center is a small, old fashioned style shop where you may see a "gone to lunch but come on in and browse" sign on the gate. The shop closes down for the winter season except for special orders and by appointments. "We'll meet you if you need something, or if you're feeding one of the natural/organic animal feeds we carry, of course we'll keep it coming through the off-season. In fact, I'm looking to expand and carry organic chicken feed soon.

Eden's can ship or deliver products to those who live where organic garden centers and the products haven't quite made it yet. "The organic movement is growing and we want to be able to share what wonderful products we have in the Dallas area market with folks around the USA."

"Anyone should be able to afford a bit of the Garden of Eden's paradise, wherever they live." And that also means reasonable prices on products, full instructions and when possible, follow-up calls to check progress. "One of my goals is that we're never so big that we lose the ability to bring a personal touch to our customers. I may not remember everyone's name, but we'll take good care of you - like that cousin whose name you can't ever remember!"

Marie loves God's little critters, too. And you'll find plenty of them running around the garden shop. Chickens and horses can wreak havoc in the garden - but you'll find natural feed and supplements for them as well as natural fly and pest control products at the shop. "We've not had too much trouble with them, they seem to be content eating bugs and weeds!"

"I try to live and eat naturally and organically, at least as much as I can, and I want my animals to have that same opportunity."

Eden's Organic Garden Center is working to reach out to the community around it with the community garden, free classes to the public or small nonprofit groups, hosting of a twice monthly Market Day and Marie still writes a blog on various gardening topics found here. Old copies of the on line Dallas Morning News magazine, and gardening articles may be archived and found in the Friday Dallas Morning News NeighborsGO Mesquite/Sunnyvale/Balch Springs edition.

Marie was past president for the Dallas Organic Garden Club from 2007-08 and has spoken to various groups such as White Rock Lake's "For the Love of the Lake", "Historical Rose Society of Dallas", the "Sierra Club of Dallas", SMU Cox Business School and at the annual TOFGA TCOOPS conference.

"I hope to share some Paradise with everyone who visits my shop, farm or who needs help with their yard. II Peter 1:3 says, in my words, that, God gave us everything we need to live a good, full, and godly life. I like to think the organic way reflects that scripture, and I try to live as naturally as I can!"

Pack up the kids and come and visit Marie, her farm friends and the slice of Paradise she calls Eden's.

Photo by artsbyjphotography.com

Want to help? Farm's Wish List