Location: Springfield, Mo.
Owners: Alyssa and Riley Hughes
History: Sustainable By Nature came to fruition in November 2013, after husband and wife owners Riley and Alyssa Hughes attended a permaculture course from Alder Leaf Wilderness College. Permaculture (the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient) became a passion for them, and after constructing a permaculture landscape in Riley’s mother’s backyard, they decided to take their passion and turn it into a full-fledged business.
“We wanted to bring functional landscaping to people,” Riley said. Today, the company employs five additional contractors and provides services to the entire Ozarks area.
Products and Services: Sustainable By Nature (SBN) designs, installs and maintains functional and edible landscapes and gardens. Some of their installations have included a rooftop garden, a raised bed garden and a beehive at two of the Mama Jean’s Natural Market locations in Springfield, rain gardens with riparian plants, a permeable hardscape courtyard, and a “wicking” bed that features a built-in watering system and pump situated below a regular raised garden bed so that the moisture can be wicked up into the soil. SBN will consult with a client and create a design plan, or work from a pre-existing design created by the client. Once the installation is complete, SBN will maintain the landscape or garden to the client’s specifications. Alyssa and Riley prefer to utilize native and edible plants in their designs and installations – Echinacea flowers, perennial herbs, fruit trees and berries are some company favorites. SBN also sells cedar garden beds kits, and locally manufactured rain barrels.
Future Plans: “Our focus is getting organized and implementing sustainable processes,” Riley said of their growing business. “Then we would like to expand into other niches, like building greenhouses and chicken coops.”
