Since then Mike and Alison have successfully added chickens, but abandoned their guinea hen project after the birds kept escaping to be eaten by the family dog. “It is humbling to have two doctorate degrees in one household and no idea how to take care of basic things like food and shelter,” Mike said. 

“We have always been interested in environmental, education, and equity issues,” said Alison. “When the recession hit we realized how important it was for everyone to know how to grow or raise their own food, attain energy efficient housing, and learn new ways to meet their basic needs.” 

As they learned about sustainability for themselves, Mike and Alison realized there were particular needs in Mississippi that had to be addressed. Most of the experimentation in organic gardening has been done in other regions of the country. Mississippi has soil and pest issues that make it a special challenge for environmentally friendly gardening and there are few information resources specific to our region. “We read all about the effects of pesticides on our three kids and tried to avoid them. Then, two dozen fire ant hills took over our yard. What were we going to do?” said Alison. “We learned that if all else failed we could grow sweet potatoes in the clay in our yard,” joked Mike, “other than that, our soil was going to need some serious work.” 

Alison wants to try goats as a future project, but thinks their family may wait a year. “Goat cheese sounds incredible,” said Alison. “Milking twice a day does not!”

You can follow the family's adventures at: http://www.fireantfarm.wordpress.org

Mike and Alison envisioned a place where Mississippi could showcase, learn and grow in the area of sustainable living. They wanted to form an interdisciplinary organization among agriculture, forestry, architecture, health, and education that would improve the lives of Mississippians. It would be a place to exhibit advances in ecological design, environmentally sound landscaping and architecture practices, and advances in sustainable living. It would be the first of its kind in Mississippi, possibly the Southeast. 

On January 23, 2010 many interested, mostly from the Starkville area, participated in the first strategic meeting, where the mission of the organization was formed and a working plan was laid out. Later that summer the first statewide sustainability conference was Gaining Ground's first success.