"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world."

‐ Dr. George Carver (he never knew his middle name)

Background and History

Martin Acres has the lowest and the highest point in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, and has been used for timber, hunting, coal mining, oil & gas extraction, and agriculture. It has been in a state of transition since the untimely death of Herbert L. Martin and the migration of many people in this black family to the north for factory jobs. Since the late‐1980s, this family has not practiced agriculture. However, hundreds of acres are leased by a neighboring farm. Halls Creek, Drake Creek, and Jarrels Creek run through Martin Acres, there are two ponds, and other places where water flows creating diverse ecosystems.

In the late 1990s, twin brothers (sixth generation descendants of Lorenza/Lourenza and Minnie Martin) Irucka Ajani and Obiora Embry, tried, through presentations to the family, to encourage the family to grow food organically as a means of generating on‐farm income. However, after a few years of making no traction they decided to put their ideas on the back burner.

In 2006, Obiora developed a business name, logo, and brochure for Getting Back to Nature. His idea was for the business entity to perform agri‐tourism—this was before he had heard the term—activities at Martin Acres. In 2008 Obiora and two relatives worked on creating a holistic business plan for a business entity called Back to Nature. However, nothing ever materialized from the business plan.

In December 2012, Obiora and Irucka decided to quit talkin’ about it and be about it (Obiora’s motto from the 2000s). The twins sought two acres of Martin Acres farmland to develop an edible forest garden. The two acres were previously used for cattle grazing, but had been left fallow for 40 or more years. On it were mature trees, bramble, grasses, and bushes. In early 2013, the area was cleared and bulldozed for our usage. This left exposed soil and barren land, two large brush piles, uprooted trees, and plants that looked like they were dying. In March 2013, they went to visit the area for the first time.

In 2017, through the respective businesses of Irucka, EcoC²S, and Obiora, EConsulting™, they decided to look to the past while moving forward and resurrected Getting Back to Nature™. In doing so, Obiora and Irucka started to develop a more holistic vision for their two acres inspired by their ideas from the past 20+ years.