Marian was gardening with her father since she was 4 years old. They created urban prairie gardens on vacant lots in Chicago. James started garden later in life at the age of 24 with his sister. They joined Forging Friends and learned wild plant identification and combined that with gardening. Marian and James became host for the World Wide Organization of Organic Farmers in 2014. James was certified in Permaculture Design and was certified to build sandbag homes by Cal-Earth. They previously lived off grid for 13 years. Previous owners of Herbal Renewal and Float to Relax.
They did herbal classes for the Colorado Springs Park and Recreation Department at the Garden of the Gods. They have done interpersonal workshops and were Resident Councilors for The Transition Living Process in Chicago, transitioning wards of the states into the next phase of their lives. Marian was a Montessori Teacher and still works lessons with some children. Jim was a Massage Therapist, Ski Instructor, and General Contractor. Both have visited and volunteered at several intentional communities in the past.