Our Story
Our relationship with plants can make us healthier and happier.
Our talented team of gardeners, designers, stone masons, carpenters, welders, herbalists, permaculture designers, educators, farmers, and artists are passionate about creating edible landscapes.
Our mission is to transform urban spaces into attractive and regenerative edible ecosystems. We love when our inviting gardens help connect people to the natural world and their food source.
“We get excited when we help people grow their own food. There's immense satisfaction in tending to your plants, watching them thrive and mature, harvesting the bounty, and sharing the harvest with friends and family. Growing our own food is one of the most positive things we can do for ourselves, our families, our community, and our environment.
Gardens, especially edible gardens, help to facilitate connection with nature. This mindset of sustainability and ability to see our natural world with more reverence and gratitude is why we do what we do.”
- Ben Barkan, Owner & Founder of HomeHarvest
Our Team
BEN BARKAN: Owner & Founder, Sales, Designer & Consultant, Licensed GC (HIC # 188371)
Inspired by working on more than 35 organic farms in New England, California, Oregon, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, and Costa Rica, Ben applies lessons learned to HomeHarvest's unique custom garden installations. Ben earned a degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture (4.0 GPA), is permaculture-design certified, and started HomeHarvest with just a bicycle and shovel in 2008. Ben is licensed in Massachusetts as a Construction Supervisor, Home Improvement Contractor, and enjoys designing and selling beautiful landscapes with custom construction and creative plant integration.
ARIEL GORDON: Garden Installation Leader & Operations Manager
Ariel is a certified arborist and has years of experience with arbor care and leading garden installations. With a passion for growing food organically and affinity for trees, we're so happy to have Ariel on our team. Ariel can be found leading our installation team, planting trees, berries and perennials of all sorts, and leading our biodiverse garden installations. Ariel grew up on his family farm in Jamaica and enjoys going back home most winters to tend to the tropical fruit trees on his family's land. Cheers to planting more and more trees throughout our HomeHarvest landscapes! Thank you Ariel!
RACHEL KLINGER: Maintenance Manager & Garden Leader
Rachel leads our maintenance division and is the driving force that allows our edible landscapes to thrive optimally. Coordinating our maintenance calendar, teaching customers about our gardening practices, and leading our edible and ornamental gardening work is what Rachel does most of the time. With 8 years experience in organic farming, gardening, medicinal herbalism, native plant work, and managing pollinator plant nursery work, we're grateful for their vast experience, enthusiasm for growing, and awesome communication skills. Thank you Rachel!
PETE ANDERSON: Carpenter & Construction Specialist
Since 2013, Pete has been diligently helping us to build intricate construction projects throughout Boston. Pete's advanced woodworking skills and build-focused interests are a perfect match for HomeHarvest. His work ethic and intuitive eye for detail are evident as we design/install chicken coops, raised beds, greenhouses, garden art, arbors, decks, and all other uses of wood as a building material. Pete recently lead a complicated greenhouse installation and we couldn't be happier. His work continues to amaze us and our clients. Thank you Pete!
KEVIN LINK
Kevin assists our company in all aspects of edible and ornamental garden maintenance, horticultural plant pathology, organic integrated pest management methods, and anything related to plant health. With a B.A. of Science in Horticulture, experience with tree care, and a general love of gardening and plants, we're so grateful for Kevin's experience and positive attitude on our maintenance team. Whenever we see a new plant disease or insect, we often say, 'That's a Kevin question', and defer to Kevin's vast experience when diagnosing and treating whatever comes our way. Thank you Kevin!
SAM BOSTON: Garden Installation Specialist
With 8+ years of experience in masonry construction, landscape maintenance, and planting projects, we're so happy to have Sam on our team helping with all our garden installations. Sam takes great pride in our HomeHarvest garden installations and enjoys learning about all the unique edible plants we grow in our nursery and incorporate into our landscapes. Thank you Sam!
MICHAEL ULMAN: Artist, Builder & Welder
Mike's passion for creating art began at a young age while helping his architect father weld metal scraps into large sculptures. He now conceives and fabricates fantastic sculptures with found metal objects, welding pergolas, trellises, water features, arbors, and unique garden art. HomeHarvest's approach and appeal are greatly enhanced by blending one-of-a-kind garden art with edible garden and landscape design. Thank you Mike!