Meet Zeth Kinnett of Agricultural Ecosystem Design in Apache Junction

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zeth Kinnett.

Zeth, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
AED started out of a drive and passion to be doing something, be working towards something for the greater good and to inspire/show others others that there is another way of doing things which has a much lower impact on the planet and that makes much more sense given our location here in the Sonoran Desert. We are still in the early stages of starting up this business. We’ve been going at it just over a year now and are the only licensed contractors in the greater Phoenix area which solely focuses on permaculture/regenerative based landscape design and install. Our goal is to create beautiful and timeless landscapes using natural materials and for those landscapes to be highly functional rather than purely aesthetic.

We can develop landscapes which appear lush and green yet rely on rainwater alone, integrate edibles and natives which may require more water but in a way which allows them to thrive here in the Sonoran Desert with the most minimal water use possible. We do this by directing roof rainwater into basins or dperessions where the water collects and sinks into the ground rather than running off to the street or by integrating grey water systems which can be simple or complex and integrated into your irrigation system.

There are many techniques we utilize as each site is different and we let the site inform our designs rather than plopping down a few common landscape plants which have high water usage and no benefit or forcing a complex design into a landscape it is not appropriate for. The average household here uses 70% or more of their water in the landscape. We can reduce that or eliminate it while creating a beautiful landscape. A family of four can save nearly 40,000 gallons of water a year on greywater alone.

We also create suburban food forests. Our test site for growing edibles has over 5 varieties of trees on just 8,000 sq. ft. and yes, it is low maintenance. By growing ones own food, they can improve the quality of their life, health, save money, time, water, create a cooling effect, improve the quality of the soil and so on. All that being said we just keep pushing uphill defying the norm and making our way, making an impact and hopefully doing good for people and the environment.

Has it been a smooth road?
This business has been rewarding and yet an uphill battle. We are unique, different, new, our work informed by great teachers such as Dan Dorsey of the Sonoran Permaculture Guild out of Tucson, Brad Lancaster, Warren Brush and our mentor out of Cailfornia, Eric Ohlson of Permaculture Artisans. Our struggle comes from the fact that here in the Sonoran Desert lush green landscapes are not seen in a positive light, as high maintenance or high water use, expensive and are simply not the norm and maybe even banned by most HOA’s. But if you just travel to somewhere like the Boyce Thomspon Arboretum or the Desert Botanical Gardens you can see that beautiful green landscapes can exist here. The more trees we plant the more ground we cover with plants, the cooler the environment comes, the more rains come, more moisture stays in the soil where it belongs and so forth.

A large part of what we do requires educating the public and our clients to show them a way which simply makes more sense. Not everyone is receptive or understands, which is where our challenge begins. There are groups here working to change all of this however. Groups such as the Watershed Management Group, Arizona Sustainability Alliance, ourselves and even the American Rainwater Catchement Systems Association is based out of Scottsdale. You also have the uprise of many gardeners, YouTubers, tropical fruit tree nurseries etc which are all helping to open the eyes of the public int he Greater Phoenix area. Without them, we would have no business at all and are grateful for everyone else’s efforts put in top making this environment a greener place.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are different, we like it that way. We are not your typical landscaper blow and go or come lay pavers type of business. We analyze the site, the soil the rainfall, the contours, the existing plants and trees. We search for an alternative way of doing things. Things as simple as laying permeable pavers or preferably natural stones which allows the water to penetrate into the earth rather than run off a hard surface. Pruning properly and not shearing plants which causes them to eventually die, show less blooms which is why they were purchased in the first place and ultimately use much more water because they are stressed out. We occasionally provide maintenance services to the right clients and do not use any chemicals, which pollute our homes, destroy our health, destroy the environment, etc. Our landscape care is entirely organic. We are known for being thoughtful, caring and personal. Installations sometimes require extensive consultations which can take hours and multiple site visits. None of this you get from your typical landscape contractor. We specialize in creating timeless, regenerative landscapes which have a much lower impact on the environment.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, definitely. This is an excellent place to start a permaculture/regenerative based landscaping business because this environment here is crying for the services we offer. Some cities are starting to step up to the plate in terms of offering classes to the public. Especially the city of Chandler. The university of AZ also works to educate the public but then again, they also work against themselves as to promote both regenerative and non-regenerative landscaping. I would love to see more cities stepping up to the plate, opening their minds and truly working to make a difference. A great resource for any city is the Arizona Sustainability Alliance.

As far as anyone just starting out in this business, I recommend that they learn first. Do this by gaining a permaculture certification from the Sonoran Permaculture Guild and then go from there. There is also an excellent program to gain general landscaping knowledge. It is called Smart Scape and is put on by the university. There are more intensive programs out there with people like Warren Brush or Eric Ohlson whom operates one of, if not the most successful permaculture based landscape contracting businesses in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.agriculturalecosystemdesign.com
• Phone: (480) 668-6629
• Email: agriculturalecosystemdesign@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/agriculturalecosystemdesign
• Facebook: facebook.com/agriculturalecosystemdesign
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/agricultural-ecosystem-design-apache-junction-4

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