About Us
Nestled on the eastern side of Washoe Valley, Ripcord Farm overlooks the Sierra front with sweeping views of the high desert below. The land once echoed with the rhythm of rodeo horses — its sandy soil packed hard from years of hoofbeats. It wasn’t the obvious place to start a farm, but for Garrett, it was the only place that made sense. Family roots and the challenge of restoring this unconventional site turned it into the perfect home for Ripcord.
Today, Ripcord Farm is a registered producer with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, dedicated to building healthy soil, growing nutrient-dense food, and reconnecting the Washoe Valley community to its agricultural heritage.
Meet Your Farmer
Garrett grew up right here in Washoe Valley, spending his childhood covered in dirt and “helping” his mom in the family garden. After earning an engineering degree in Southern California and working as an aerospace engineer at SpaceX, he found himself drawn back to the land that raised him.
Trading rocket science for soil science, Garrett dove into local agriculture — running Down To Earth Composting, interning at Prema Farm, serving on the Board of Directors at the Great Basin Community Food Co-op, and now leading production at the Desert Farming Initiative. His journey reflects a passion for sustainability, community, and hands-on learning — all of which fuel Ripcord Farm’s mission to grow food that’s both local and deeply rooted in place.
How We farm
Everything we do revolves around stewarding healthy soil, and working alongside Mother Nature to share high-quality produce that few people can currently enjoy (but everyone deserves).
Sufficiency
Our goal isn’t to grow endlessly. It’s to grow year-round veggies for fifty families in our community, and to do this year after year in a way that perpetually renews ourselves and our soils.
Simplicity
From the varieties we offer to the way we start seedlings, we resist the urge (hello, engineering brain) to make things more complicated than they need to be.
Stewardship
We’re partners with nature, not her master. We don’t strive to control any aspect of farming – we help create the conditions for nature to do her thing, and intervene as little as possible.
