Meet an Eco-Farmer: 180 Degree Farm

Scott and Nicole Tyson, 180 Degree Farm. Photo by Joe Lamp’l.

Why did you begin farming?

My wife and I purchased property in Sharpsburg, Georgia, eight years ago. We had envisioned building a house and starting a small farm. Soon after the purchase, my son Mason was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma, a childhood form of cancer. As Mason’s cancer became nonprogressive, we realized we needed to do more than just grow good food for ourselves. So we started this farm as a nonprofit organization. Today, 180 Degree Farm donates to those who are sick or in need within our community. We also have a CSA and farm-to-hospital program with Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Newnan, Georgia.

Have you always been an eco-farmer, or did you make a change?

Yes, when I started, we didn’t have a lot of money to spend on chemicals, so I learned how to grow chemical-free out of necessity. I only started to understand why that was a great choice after Mason was diagnosed.

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