About

Hi, my name is Jessica. I’m an artist and a farmer. This blog was created as an illustrated journal of all the things I’ve learned farming, foraging, cooking, food preserving, and being a naturalist.

I am trained as a science illustrator. Growing up in Michigan, I loved to draw. I was also the kid who would blurt out the latest animal fact I had learned to anyone who would listen. For instance: Did you know the fastest animal in the world isn’t a cheetah? It’s a peregrine falcon! When I learned there was a career that would allow me to make drawings to teach people cool nature facts, I was all in. After earning a BA and then getting my graduate certificate in science illustration from CSUMB, I went on to work for universities, scientists, and non-profits. I make art to explain science to the public.

In 2020, my partner and I moved to North Carolina together. He had experience working in the agricultural industry out west, and dreamed of growing food on a smaller scale. That year, he began growing and selling vegetables at local farmer’s markets. I signed up to be the farmhand. Having little gardening experience myself, I gained a lot of knowledge in a short amount of time.

In talking to other growers and customers at farmer’s markets, I quickly realized how much misinformation abounded about our food system. A lot of people didn’t know how the food we eat actually grows. I once had a customer ask me with a straight face whether we had gathered all of our produce (carrots, collards, beets, kale, etc.) from the forest. And yes, they were serious.

Other people had questions: what does organic mean? Why don’t you have tomatoes year round? What kind of pesticides do you use, and are they safe? Still more expressed fears around food safety, health, and access to nutritious food.

With the stripping back of government regulations and the increased ability for anyone with a phone to spread misinformation, I figured, why not throw my hat in the ring? I wanted to share evidence-based information on the topics that kept coming up at the farmer’s market stand.

I began writing and illustrating my own articles. Some are as mundane as busting gardening myths, sharing recipes, and explaining how to preserve food. Other times I may deep dive into history, speak about foraging, or champion endangered species.

It’s my job to use art to explain science to the public. As such, I can’t be an expert on everything, but I know how to research. I strive to cite reliable sources wherever possible.

I hope you’ll find my illustrations and writings to just as fun and engaging as they are educational. If there is a topic you’d like to know more about, please leave a comment or e-mail me at jhfren@gmail.com.