Reverence Gardens is a three acre sustainable market garden in Richmond, IL. Chris Pado, the principal of Reverence Gardens, is a corporate escapee who survived 23 years in Human Resources for Chicago area companies.Chris started Reverence Gardens just last year, in 2007.  Chris sold her produce (and she was amazed as just how much she managed to grow) at the Lake Bluff and Woodstock Farmer's Markets where customers looked forward to the number of varieties of delicious produce she brought to market. 

Chris founded Reverence Gardens on the premise that all life is worthy of respect, and uses no animal inputs such as manures, fish emulsion, or slaughterhouse products such as blood, feather or bone meals.  In addition, absolutely no pesticides are used.  Soil fertility is managed using only plant inputs such as organic alfalfa meal as well as foliar sprays and root soaks derived from seaweed, molasses or other plant ingredients. 

Chris relies on maintaining both healthy plants and a healthy ecosystem for pest and disease control.  Since there is no water on the property and all irrigation must be done by hand, Chris also relies on plant based mulches (leaves, hay, and straw) to hold in soil moisture and to reduce weeds.  Chris also depends a lot on hard work and just plain good luck!