Our Farm's Roots
Grounded in soil, grown with intention.
A Wild Child Family Farm Story
Wild Child Family Farm began long before we ever planted our first seed.
Its roots reach back to 2009, when two high school sweethearts—Juan and Kayla—found each other and unknowingly began growing the life they live today.
While our paths looked different at first, they were quietly running parallel.
Kayla pursued agriculture at the University of Arizona, eventually earning her master’s degree in Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering with a focus on computational fluid dynamics, controlled environmental systems, energy management, and greenhouse design.
Juan, a former competitive athlete turned sous-chef, stepped into the horticultural world through the medicinal cannabis field, where he learned organic agriculture, soil systems, and the operational rhythms of large-scale cultivation.
Those early years shaped us—Kayla through science, systems, and sustainability; Juan through soil, flavor, and living plant instinct. Together, they became the foundation of who we are as farmers today.
Oregon: Where Our First Seeds Took Root
In 2016, Kayla accepted a job with Solexx, a greenhouse company in Oregon. We packed our life into a car, moved to Portland, and eventually bought a small acre in Independence, outside of Salem.
That little acre changed everything.
It was part orchard, part overgrown field, and completely enchanted. There, we started our first true farm—growing peppers, tomatoes, raspberries, apples, pears, cherries, grapes, and anything else that sparked curiosity. It became our training ground, our teacher, and our first home grown by hand.
When we eventually sold that property, it became the seed money for the next chapter of our life—returning to Arizona to be close to family after COVID.
Elgin, Arizona: Home
In January 2023, we bought our land in Elgin, Arizona…
sight unseen.
With only photos and the blessing of our family and friends who walked the property for us, we trusted the land would feel like home. And it did.
We arrived with two kids, a truck camper, a used trailer, and a dream bigger than our bank account—but we had dedication, skill, and the willingness to work. For a year and a half we lived in that camper while simultaneously building our home and building the farm from the ground up.
Goats, pigs, chickens, children, seedlings, long days, longer nights—those seasons shaped us as much as we shaped the land.
How We Grow
We’ve always joked that our “certification” is simple:
We grow the way we’d want food grown for our own kids.
No poisons.
No shortcuts.
No chemicals with complicated warnings.
Even many approved organic pesticides are far harsher than people realize—so we just choose not to use them. With kids running barefoot between rows, good stewardship matters. So we rely on:
Intelligent crop planning
Strong soil biology
Balanced fertilization
Thoughtful water management
IPM built on prevention, not reaction
Stress-conscious cultivation that makes plants stronger, more nutrient-dense, and more flavorful
And at the center of everything we do is a simple belief:
We believe in closing the loop — creating a system where nutrients, energy, and life cycle back into the soil without relying on outside inputs.
Our long-term goal is a farm ecosystem that can nourish itself, regenerate itself, and honor the land that feeds us, year after year.
We work closely with the NRCS on conservation practices, hedgerows, greenhouse improvements, and long-term land health. We're passionate about perennials and annuals, multiseason strategies, and growing things with real substance—garlic, squash, melons, baby corn, heirloom tomatoes, herbs, and more.
