In 2015, Reverend D'Andre Miles would lose his grandfather (Carl M. Miles) to cancer. Consequently, the Miles legacy of the 19-acre family farm could not be saved from foreclosure. The next tragedy would follow on September 27, 2016 in the departing of Rev. Miles's mother (Belle), who would also pass from the same disease. In honor of her and a new healthier lifestyle...
Belle’s Barn & Garden® was founded in 2017 in Turley, Oklahoma. Nestled in the food desert of a north Tulsa suburb, our mission was simple: To be the healthier alternative to traditional farming by providing our customers with a safer product to consume. In addition, we would be the oasis of the blighted and underserved community in which we would aid through education, revitalization and economics. We joined community partners like the Greenwood Farmers' Market and EduCare Tulsa to make this vision a reality. Along with the generous donors from the Soul Fire Farm's "Reparations" initiative we were able to accelerate our growth.
In 2022, we would expand our footprint to Desoto, Texas with an additional property in the Dallas suburb. In partnership with organizations, such as For Oak Cliff's community center and farmers' market, we continued to deliver on the promise of the healthiest, nature-made products we had become known for. In addition, Rev. Miles would lay the ground work to establish Belle’s Barn & Garden® as a pillar to the St. Louis region in 2023 as a cohort graduate of the Cortex Ignite program. However, we have now found the perfect opportunity to consolidate our operations from the states of Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri by relocating to Jackson, Mississippi.
In Memory of...
Belle R. Carroll
1964 ~ 2016
True organic products obtain their nutrients from natural material. At Belle’s Barn & Garden®, we refrain from any synthetic solutions in our farming practices. We recycle all of our bio-matter back into the ecosystem, creating a self-sustaining environment. To further offset our carbon footprint, 75% of the water we use comes from rain collection and 85% of our building material has been upcycled (re-purposed). At the right time and season, one could witness different climate phenomenon’s (i.e.- rain, temperature change) on our farm due to it having its own micro climate. One contribution to this is our efforts to restore native plant and animal species to the land. The “No Intervention” model we exercise test the idea that the less you disturb natural habitat, the healthier its environment. We need nature; it doesn’t need us! This symbiotic relationship, fosters a positive feedback amongst species. Our vegetation and livestock receive little contact from us forcing them to depend on one another as in the wild. We’re not opposed to those who use conventional methods because without them, the world would starve. Farmers only make up 2% of the U.S. population. So, at Belle’s Barn & Garden®, we’re okay with being a niche within a niche. We’re not out to feed the world; our goal is to nourish our community.
Family owned and operated the values and beliefs of Belle’s Barn & Garden® are personal. We desire to leave a heritage farm that our community can equally celebrate. The added subsequent value to society was never factored in to any business plan. However, we now recognize and embrace our new responsibility. What began out of loss, grief and uncertainty has set a fire in our spirits and forged steel. Now that we have become a beacon of light to others with that same flame, we will not be dimmed. Come and join the family!