It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Nick Cutsumpas, our plant-friend better known online as Farmer Nick NYC. Nick is a “plantrepreneur” passionate about all things green. He spends his time as a plant coach and apartment farmer that believes in the same sustainable farming mission as us. Nick will be hosting 4 Instagram Lives for us this month, sharing his green-thumb gift and inspiring us to live a more eco-conscious lifestyle. He’ll be bringing a few friends along on the ride, so tune in weekly, and watch your community grow and thrive.

We recently sat down with Nick to ask him a few questions about how he got started, advice he would give to new growers, and much more. Read what he has to say and check him out on Instagram @FarmerNickNYC and get to know him a little bit better!

My first experience gardening was after graduating college in 2014. I had the summer off before starting my corporate job in NYC, and my mom suggested I start a garden in the backyard for a fun summer project. I was a former college athlete and personal trainer, and food and nutrition were important to me, so I went for it. I started with just a few tomato plants and from then on I was hooked! The satisfaction of literally tasting the fruits of my labor was incredible, and each year the garden grew more robust.

A friend of mine wanted to bring plants into his home for the first time and I acted as his "plant coach". A friend then convinced me to dedicate my Instagram to plants and the rest was history!

Houseplant: monstera. I have a 6-foot monstera back home in New York and I couldn't bear to part with it, even after moving to LA.

Edible plant: snap peas. Nothing better than fresh peas off the vine!

It has taught me so much patience and gave me a new appreciation for nature. Like many Millennials living and working in an urban city like New York City, life was incredibly fast-paced but plants forced me to slow down.

I want to inspire people living in urban spaces that they can in fact grow their own food. Whether it is in dirt or in a hydroponic system, I want to make all of our cities greener and more edible. Doing so will not only help the environment but will give urbanites a better appreciation for farmers and an understanding of our food system.

I used community mulch without sterilizing it and a fungal disease took out all of my tomato plants. Rookie mistake!

The chipmunks that lay siege to my garden each summer. They're small enough to get through my chicken wire fence!

Probably somewhere in the Caribbean or Mediterranean. Would ideally want an orchard of fruit trees.

John Wooden
Michael Pollan
Barack Obama
Alice Waters
Stephen Colbert

Don't be afraid to start growing with seeds! It's a cheap way to experiment with new varieties and it is great practice.

Glass gem corn all the way. Good thing it isn't actually edible haha!

I'd like to think of myself as a sweet potato.