Meet the team that makes it all possible
Bryan Vellinga
Owner and Operator of Garden Farms of Nevada
Originally from the beautiful countryside of western Montana, I moved to Las Vegas in 1987, and have been in the landscaping and gardening industry here in the valley for over 28 years. After Graduating from Clark High School in Las Vegas I obtained a degree in Horticulture at CSN. I worked as the Director of Horticulture at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, MS and at other resorts in Las Vegas including The Mirage Hotel and Shadow Creek Golf Course.
I have had a passion for growing food in the desert since I was young, and have successfully proven an uncanny ability to grow vegetables and fruit trees throughout our harsh desert climates in Nevada. I am married to the lovely Brittany Vellinga (co-owner and operator of Garden Farms of Nevada) and together we have five beautiful children, and five grandchildren. In my spare time, I enjoy fly fishing, food preservation, spending time with my wife and family and (of course) gardening.
Brittany vellinga
Co-owner and Operator of Garden Farms of Nevada
In addition to being a busy mother of 5 children and 5 grandchildren, I work on the farm and service some of the residential and school gardens in Las Vegas. I love working with the kids and others, putting my 20+ years of gardening experience in Las Vegas to good use. After graduating High School I pursued further education with the travel and tourism industry, and then became a certified Herbalist.
In addition to Working at Garden Farms of Nevada, I have worked as a day care specialist, substitute teacher, swim teacher, PTA President, and various community services, and am a certified CPR instructor, producing a tea line for Garden Farms Herbs, and hosting a podcast show for women. My hobbies and interests include gardening (of course), camping, spending quality time with my kids and grand baby, sewing, running, walking, painting, food preservation, reading, cooking, making cakes, and exercise.
Wendy wilson
General Manager of Garden Farms of Nevada
I’m very passionate about growing my own food and teaching the concept to anyone who will listen. Growing food for ourselves has been lost through busy lifestyles and the ease of grocery stores. There is something so satisfying in self-reliance and having everything on your table grown from a seed you collected from the previous year’s harvest.
For over 18 years I have taught myself how to grow through trial and error as well as being a member of a local community garden, and I’ve really enjoyed helping countless people remedy problems in their own gardens. I’ve taken classes through Springs Preserve, community colleges and university extension offices, and I’ve also participated in planning the vegetable gardens at the Springs Preserve through extensive classes on the subject.
I started out saying, “Thank goodness my family won’t starve this winter because we have a grocery store too!” but now my own garden is better than the local grocer, and we have everything we need right at home!
Allie Pieroni
Director of Operations for Garden Farms of Nevada
Originally from the East Coast, I grew up growing food in my backyard. After school everyday it was, "Finish your homework then meet Mom in the garden to harvest for dinner!”
When we weren’t gardening, we were out exploring and experiencing nature! At such a young age, this instilled in me a passion for our environment and living sustainably. I have always felt that humans were meant to live close to, and in tune with nature.
When I moved to Vegas in 2016, I tried to continue this practice to no avail. The harsh weather did a number on my crops! After years of trial and error, thankfully, I found Garden Farms! From them, I learned the secret to farming in the desert! Believe it or not, my own garden right here in Vegas is now flourishing! YAY!! No more sad plants!
From their zero-waste policy to their water conservation efforts, Garden Farms is more than just a company, it’s a movement. One the world needs right now. And I feel so incredibly lucky to be a part of it.
Lorenzo Gonzalez
Project Design Manager
I was born and raised in Vegas– I grew up in a food family where my dad was a head pastry chef at a casino until he opened up his own bakery. Eating, trying new recipes, and their ingredients was always a big thing growing up. Both my parents lived on farms as children so we always had herbs and fruits in the backyard. As big of a connection to food I have and that is forever present in my life, I knew from a young age that I didn’t want to be a baker. I wanted to build and create stuff.
I would go on to East Career and Technical Academy for their construction management program, and later went to UNLV to major in Architecture, where I decided to focus in Landscape Architecture. I then learned of the concept of Urban Agriculture and how it could benefit both the health of people, society, and the environment. After working many years researching and writing papers on the subject, I have become very passionate about the idea of a simple act of more people growing their own food, or planting fruit trees instead of ornamentals, which can go a long way in creating a future that is both healthier and more sustainable.
It was the concept of Urban Agriculture that synthesized my background of Landscape Architecture and my upbringing around food that led to me being very excited to join the Garden Farms team to actually implement many of the ideas I spent years researching to help my local community. As Garden Farms Project Manager and on staff Landscape Designer, I look forward to helping you realize your dream of establishing your very own Urban Farm.
Sarah Wagstaff
Professional Urban Farmer
I have been gardening in Southern Nevada and the surrounding region for 18 years. I enjoy working with home gardeners to develop site-adapted planting plans over the course of several growing seasons. As one farmer among many at Garden Farms, I have had the opportunity to help weave customer feedback and localized environmental feedback into a larger garden patchwork here in the Valley.
Overlooked items in your home can be repurposed as essential additions to your gardening toolkit -- and this also goes for the toolkit itself! Once, on a whim, I repurposed a collapsible laundry hamper with rope handles as a garden carryall, and to this day it works better for me than any store-bought gardening tote advertised as such. I bring it with me to gather up plants for easy transport, to haul debris away, and to move miscellaneous supplies around. It's also a real space saver, folding flat when not in use.
Pam davis
Professional Urban Farmer
I grew up a farmer’s daughter. Learned to drive in the cotton fields of central California. We had 5 acres of pistachios. I dug the holes with a post hole digger and planted the trees. I’ve hauled sacks of grain and moved large irrigation lines. Harvested and grated peaches.
All that said I am a Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Wellness Consultant, and Health Coach. Exercise, nutrition, and organic supplements are my nerdy thing and Natural Medicine from organic plants, fruits and vegetables are my passion. Let food be your medicine .
Growing your own food in this time maybe the best thing you can do for yourself. Everyday I work for Garden Farms is an educational experience and I love it! Having a garden in Las Vegas is awesome and teaching others to be successful at growing their food here is the best.
Lexi Ohriner
Professional Urban Farmer
Like a true Desert Rat, my favorite plants are Cacti. I've always found them calming. When I moved out of my family home, I decided to take some Cacti cuttings and attempt to grow them at the new place to help me feel rooted. Turns out I had a green thumb and it wasn't long before my houseplants became a full-on Jungle! When the chaos of 2020 hit, I went right back home and shifted my botanical focus from tropical houseplants to more practical things. Foraging and Herbalism became my new obsessions. But when I started growing micro greens, I finally experienced the joy of really being able to grow my own food for the first time, and that is the most fulfilling feeling ever. Like the infamous Farmer Ron Finley says "Grow your own food, it's like printing your own money."
I've been working with Garden Farms since November 2021, and it's amazing how much I learn on the job everyday! If I had to describe my gardening style in a few words I'd say "resourceful but relaxed". My favorite thing at work is seeing my lessons evolve and get richer each time I revisit a topic for a new group of students. I love sharing my knowledge with students and staff at the schools, and helping families find ways to utilize all the great stuff in their garden!
Advice from someone who was still a beginner until recently; If you are intimidated by the idea of starting a garden but you want to try growing your own food, start with micro greens! Only 10 days from seed to harvest, it's extremely rewarding, can be done indoors, in any season, and you'll learn a lot about how seeds grow.. which is a pretty essential part of the process!
carissa Guffey
Professional Urban Farmer
I was born and raised in Boulder City, Nevada. I didn’t know much about gardening growing up, as there was no one around me that knew too much about it.
In 2021 my neighbor helped me out of a tough spot and taught me about gardening. Since then I’ve been able to use gardening as a therapy and have my own little garden at home.
Over time I have learned that growing your own food is not as easy as it seems to be, and it takes a lot of patience.
Peninah Engel
Professional Urban Farmer
I'm a recent transplant from the East Coast, having grown up in New Jersey and moving out here in 2020. I received my BS in Agricultural Science at Cornell University, with a concentration in sustainable agriculture, and I'm now concluding a master's (from a distance!) at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where I'm studying Plant Biology, focusing on plant-associated fungi. As much as I love plants, I have to admit that I also have a soft spot for plant pathogens (microorganisms that cause plant disease), and I've spent time as a research assistant in a variety of agricultural research labs, getting a little bit of experience in a wide range of fungal plant diseases. I view every garden as an ecosystem, and I especially love being able to introduce to others how connected the living beings of a garden are when I teach garden lessons. Gardening can be so empowering when it connects us to nature around us, and keeps us attuned to new information (and flavors) throughout the seasons. It's a treat for me to get to spend time with plants and this team of people who care about them!
Sadi Kirtley
Professional Urban Farmer
As a third generation Nevadan, my life has revolved around making a life in the harsh desert landscape. My grandmother, a Colombian transplant drawn to the desert for love, grew up on rich farmland and did everything she could to replicate the lush green life she knew at her home in the desert. She taught me everything she knew about farming and homesteading, and as I grew up, I found myself more and more drawn to a self-sustained way of life and plants in general. In 2017 I started my first project: a 10x10 block wall garden that had lain empty for 20 years and needed reshaping. By the time the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, I had an established garden my family could rely on even during quarantine or shortages. I realized then that my passion was actually something desperately needed in our society. I transitioned from hobbyist to career gardener for good; joining the Garden Farms Urban Farmer team in 2022. My passion lies in educating others on self-sustainability as well as continuing my own personal study in the field of how our ever-changing climate can continue to support life; as well as what lessons we can learn from our extreme environment.
Riley molina
Professional Urban Farmer
Howdy! I was born and raised here in the heat wave of Las Vegas! Growing up my family always tended to a seasonal garden kept primarily for warmer months. The occasional pumpkins, tomatoes, and herbs planted in terracotta pots decorating a pathway home. I remember playing in the soil, being terrifyingly fascinated by insects, and patiently awaiting for the first flowers to open. The spaces plants created in my childhood memories are formative. However, I was an observer in awe. A seedling awaiting for its chance to sprout!
During my teen years I avidly hiked and explored the vast sepia red landscape that encircles Vegas. Growing fond of the treasure troves of natural phenomena that only exists in our one of a kind state! I took interest in ecology during my time studying Earth and Environmental sciences. Surrounded myself with towering pine trees while being a camp counselor in Mt. Charleston. Followed by a time working for a nursery before the opportunity at Garden Farms arose! Where I blossomed from the seeds planted so many years ago!
My passion lies in seeing the connections gardens forge in communities. The collaboration between people to create and be present with the seasons in a way we've forgotten. Above all else, I garden because it warms my soul to see the joy that nature brings to others.
Im lucky to have gone full circle. From being an observer, to having the chance to return the beauty of mother nature to others.
I hope to see ya'll out in gardens!
Destiny Cooke
Professional Urban Farmer
Food is the cornerstone to a thriving community so from a young age I knew I’d like to be a farmer or gardener. In Palau, where I’m from, fresh produce is harvested from family gardens where many hours are spent tending to and learning the land. After volunteering at various gardening events around the city I was excited to hear that garden farms was hiring. It’s allowed me to build connections with other farmers and learn years of cultivated knowledge that can only be gained through experience. My position has also aided me in my journey to self sufficiency- I’m learning methods of food preservation and how to care for fruits and vegetables at different stages of growth of as well as seed harvesting. Im also learning how to better identify plants which will help me hone my foraging skills. I’m so excited to see where this new journey takes me and I’m loving the ride (:
Julie Bianchi
Professional Urban Farmer
Before finding Garden Farms, I had no idea that growing food was even possible in Vegas’ extreme weather.
Since joining the Garden Farms fam, I have learned numerous skills that will last me a lifetime. Such as pruning, harvesting, composting, natural pest control, companion planting, crop rotation and even seed saving!
Thomas Barraza
Professional Urban Farmer
For growing up in a city in the middle of a dry desert, flowers and plants have been my fascination. Though I never grew for a personal garden, my enthusiasm for a future one lives on. My appreciation for the wonders of natural beauty grew significantly as I recently served a 2-year mission for my church, alongside the Apache tribe in Arizona. For generations, the Apache people have carried on the traditions of maintaining and harvesting sacred crops. Thus, I am inspired to learn more and exercise my devotion to this “green” hobby.
Garden Farms of Nevada has opened up vast opportunities for new learnings on plant life, and I’m very eager to see how I will implement these practices in my life. When I’m not exploring in a garden bed, I also grow my passion in Landscape Architecture and designs as I take note on what makes a peculiar landscape stick in my mind. I hope that as I invest time and dedication into this field, I can create meaningful designs for future clients in a career. There is a sense of satisfaction and creativity when I get to walk up to a stunning piece of landscape art in a yard or park. I am learning each day as I labor and soak in the wealth of knowledge from the experienced farmers all around me!
Rafael Guzman
Garden Installation Manager
The man who gets the job done!