Native Landscaping

Restoration Ecology

Regenerative Agriculture

Landwork & Consulting

by Jacob Mckean

Innovative Native Habitats by Jacob McKean

Repair The Land specializes in crafting forward-thinking landscapes that harness the ecological power and aesthetics of native plants to create beautiful, resilient, low-input sites. Climate-adapted design and planting plans promote biodiversity, rebuild soil health, support pollinators and wildlife, and minimize maintenance and irrigation needs. Delivering attractive, seasonally-dynamic environments that reflect their native bioregion, Repair The Land focuses on installations that offer a yield will requiring fewer inputs over time.

Projects

Native Edible Hedge

A 2,900’ native edible hedge installed at 3 Waters Farm in Ghent, NY. American plums and sunchokes line the outside of organic hayfields, turning what was once a mowed strip of grass into a show-stopping habitat for birds, pollinators, and wildlife. The sunchokes yield an immense quantity of marketable tubers, while the plums are growing into a woody screen filled with spring floral resources and fall fruit.

Native Cut Flower Garden

7 species of native wildflowers suitable for use as cut flowers were selected and installed at Sweet Flower Farm in Copake, NY. These beautiful species offer both ecological value and commercial utility, with selective harvest supporting both a plethora of pollinators and a thriving cut flower business.

Living Willow Fence

Basketry meets landscaping in this stunning living willow fence at Sweet Flower Farm in Copake, NY. Using live willow stakes, this fence was meticulously woven into a continuous 320’ fence, which now provides a stunning visual feature as well as enhanced deer protection, shelter for birds, and a continuous yield of willow material. In collaboration with Cambium Lost Arts.

Foundation Beds

A series of native foundation beds wrapping around a handsome farmhouse were installed at 3 Waters Farm in Ghent, NY and lined with hand-woven willow garden borders in collaboration with Cambium Lost Arts. Spanning a wide variety of unique microhabitats, the foundation beds feature abundant native blooms in sun and shade, dryness and moisture, and even in the ceaseless breeze of a now-concealed heat pump. They are a feast for the senses, with numerous species offering edible, herbal, and traditional medicinal value.

Organizing

When I’m not installing and consulting on native landscapes, I serve as Chair of the Agroecology Working Group of the Hudson Valley Young Farmers Coalition. My goal is to make high-yield, low-maintenance edible native landscapes accessible to all, so that we can truly begin to repair the land at the scale we need.