Ladybug Lane Veggies
Ladybug Lane Veggies
Origin Story & Identity
Farming has not always been a part of my life. In 2020, I was in a STEM degree program that I was not passionate about and I wanted to make a change. I dropped out during the pandemic and began working on a farm and growing my own vegetables. I realized there is so much impact I can make by bringing chemical-free, homegrown food to my community and I was hooked!
I moved to Texas in 2022 and discovered a whole new world of long season gardening. Long story short, Ladybug Lane was born as a small market garden in my backyard, and I started selling at the Denton Community Market last year, in 2025. I completed my B.A. in Sustainable Agriculture from UMASS in 2025 as well. So far, I have been experimenting with no tillage, integrated pest management, and sustainable growing practices. I am currently a one woman farm and everything is grown by my own two hands, plus lots of blood, sweat, and tears!
Fun Fact:
The name Ladybug Lane is actually a pretty interesting story. It was early February 2024 and I was itching to start my own farm, but I was scared to quit my job and take the leap of faith. I was nearly done with my bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture, so I had a lot of knowledge about sustainable farming, but I had never managed my own farm, which takes a lot more skills than just growing plants.
I had a small garden at the time, in which I had overwintered Russian Kale as a “banker crop,” which is an idea I learned in an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) class. A banker crop supplies a “bank” of pests, in order to support predatory insects in the field. In this case, the Russian Kale was getting covered in aphids, the first pests of the year. As a result of the early Texas spring weather, the ladybugs were flocking to the kale to eat the aphids. Every single day, I would go outside and see A TON of ladybugs, and I was really inspired! As I wrestled with my ambition and my fear, I felt like the ladybugs were instilling in me the confidence that I DID know a lot about sustainable farming and it WAS possible for me to start my own farm! It has not been easy, but my core belief that sustainable farming is a legitimate way to feed people has kept me motivated and excited to continue my journey as a small farm.
What do you grow/produce?
Ladybug Lane is a 1⁄4 acre market garden where I grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, seedlings, and most recently, seeds! I am a beginner farmer so I am experimenting with growing lots of different crops and varieties. I started as just a vegetable farmer, but it has been a lot of fun to discover the joy of growing many other crops, like fresh herbs and flowers! Texas has such a long growing season with so few frosts, there really is the opportunity to grow thousands of different crops.
My newest venture is saving seeds. In 2o25, I grew a row of Tohono O’odham heirloom cowpeas, which is a culturally significant variety from the Sonoran desert. My investigation into seed saving has led me to learning about food sovereignty and Traditional Ecological Knowledge, which is really important and interesting!
What are you most proud of producing?
Honestly, I am proud of producing every single item that makes its way to a customer. Only a couple of years ago, having my own farm seemed like an unattainable goal. But through hundreds of tiny steps, a ton of hard work, and the support of my family, I have made it to where I am today!
Shop Ladybug Lane Veggies
Fresh Snapdragon Bouquets (approx 7 stems)
Fresh Snapdragon Bouquets (approx 7 stems)
$25.00 USD
Sale price
$25.00 USD
Regular price
Philosophy & Practices
The health of the ecosystem is the most important thing on my farm. At the core of any farm is the soil, you have to take care of it in order to be successful. I support healthy soil by not tilling or using chemicals, and instead, I add lots of organic matter in the form of compost. Healthy soil microbes lead to healthy beneficial insects and organisms, which contribute to crops by creating less pest and disease pressure. Other ways I support the ecosystem is through pollinator crops, adding more Texas native plants, and planting a high level of diversity on my farm.
The conservation of natural resources is also extremely important to me, particularly fresh water. For this reason, I use drip irrigation for all my crops, which allows water to be applied directly to plant roots, minimizing water loss to evaporation. My watering schedule is on a timer, which runs just before sunrise, the coolest part of the day during the hot summer months. I also use lots of mulch, typically in the form of wood chips, which keeps the soil cool and prevents excess drying out.
What’s something about your practices that most people don’t know — but should?
I have a couple insider tips! First, don’t buy plants or seedlings from big box stores like Home Depot. Typically those plants are sprayed with a lot of fertilizers, which results in them dying when you bring them home because they are no longer being fed with synthetic chemicals constantly. When people tell me, “I kill every plant I touch!” this is the first point I bring up. Usually, growing annual crops like vegetables from seed is cheaper and opens the door to many more varieties!
My next tip is don’t buy ladybugs for your garden! Ladybugs are unethically harvested in California and releasing them in other locations can spread disease and have negative impacts on your local ecosystem. Additionally, they are harvested in their dormant period, which means when you release them they typically fly away immediately! Instead, when you see aphids in your garden, leave them alone for as long as possible, and I guarantee the ladybugs will show up on their own, it’s actually pretty easy.
Along those same lines, pests are not always a problem for your garden! In order for the ecosystem to be properly functioning, there needs to be pests and predators both present. Unless you are losing entire crops, pests might not be as big a problem as you think. Instead of heading straight to pesticides, instead, observe your garden and see what kinds of insect species are around (I use the app PictureInsect for identification). Take pictures, make note of how many pests you see in a typical square foot (also called monitoring) and research Integrated Pest Management before ever applying chemicals!
What’s the biggest challenge of growing food the way you do?
My biggest challenge on my sustainable small farm is weed pressure, specifically from bermuda grass and other non native turf grasses. Since I do not till, the pressure of these weeds is high, resulting in a lot of my time spent handweeding and plenty of crops lost to the aggressive grasses in late summer. This year, I am experimenting with new methods of physical suppression, in order to avoid spraying chemical herbicides like glyphosate.
Daily Life & Personal Connection to the Work
What’s your favorite part of the work you do every day?
There are really so many different components of running a small farm business. I am a business manager, an accountant, a marketer, a vendor, a small engine mechanic, a meteorologist, a botanist, an ecologist, and an agronomist, all in addition to being a farmer. But in my heart, being a farmer is the best part of the job.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy something you grow/raise?
I really enjoy drinking the many types of herbal tea that I grow. In 2025, I grew chamomile for the first time and I was blown away by how flavorful and aromatic it was! Fresh chamomile is sweet and fruity and much more complex than store bought. In the summer, I grew a ton of Tulsi, also known as “Holy Basil,” and it was so delicious. I really enjoy providing something novel for customers that can’t be found at the grocery store!
What are you excited to grow, offer, or dream up for the future of your farm?
Up until now, Ladybug Lane has been primarily vegetables and herbs! But recently, my eyes have been open to how important native plants are for the ecosystem. And in DFW, we live in the intersection of three very fragile ecoregions that are endangered because of the rapid development of the area, and the emphasis on planting non native turf lawns and landscapes. In 2026, I am excited to grow and offer native plant seedlings for folks to add to their gardens! This will support pollinators and bugs that need these host plants to survive, and they will create a more resilient home garden in the process.
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