Our Commitment to Nature

The Story Behind Asali Acres: A Legacy of Clean Eating, Culture, and Sustainability

At Asali Acres, farming is not just about sustainability—it’s about legacy. It’s about preserving the wisdom of the pastwhile cultivating a brighter, cleaner future. My name is Davilyn Freeman, and my journey into self-sufficiency, clean eating, and farming began long before Asali Acres was ever a dream.

It started in my childhood, shaped by summers on my extended family’s farm in LaPorte, Indiana, where I first learned the rhythm of the land, the value of hard work, and the deep connection between food, family, and health. But my passion for clean eating was truly ignited when I was just 12 years old—a journey guided by my stepmother, a woman whose strength and wisdom changed my life.

She wasn’t just teaching me how to eat; she was fighting for her own life.

🌱 A Fight for Health: The Clean Eating Journey That Changed Everything

At 12, I was introduced to clean eating and a raw food diet—uncooked, plant-based, and completely free of meats or animal byproducts. My stepmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and instead of following a conventional path, she turned to food as her medicine. She embraced the power of living, plant-based nutrition as a way to heal her body and fight her illness.

I watched firsthand as what she ate transformed her health, and in turn, it transformed my own relationship with food.

Raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds became more than just ingredients—they were life-giving forces, filled with energy, nutrients, and healing properties. This diet wasn’t just about survival; it was about thriving.

It was during this time that I began to understand something profound:

Food is more than just sustenance—it is medicine. It is energy. It is the foundation of a long, healthy life.

This way of living stayed with me, even as I spent my summers on my family’s farm, where I learned to grow, harvest, and respect food from the earth.

🌾 Summers on the Farm: Learning the Land

Every summer, I packed my bags and left the city behind for LaPorte, Indiana, where the air was fresh, the land was open, and the farm was alive with work and purpose.

Mornings started long before the sun fully stretched across the sky. One of my greatest joys was riding horses across the farm’s sprawling acres, each one with its own personality. We learned to bond with them through care and patience, feeding them, brushing them down, and making sure their stalls were clean. It was hard work, but it never felt like a chore—it gave me a sense of freedom and responsibility at the same time.

After caring for the horses, we turned our attention to the chickens, gathering fresh eggs every morning and learning the natural cycles of farm life. Then came the best part of the day—the harvest.

With baskets in hand, we would pick the ripest vegetables, fruits, and herbs, gathering food that we would later cook and share as a family. Nothing was store-bought; every meal was prepared with ingredients that had been grown, nurtured, and harvested with care.

Evenings were a celebration of food, family, and tradition—the entire house filled with the sound of children, laughter, and the smell of home-cooked meals.

🌿 Wisdom from My Grandmother: The Backyard Garden

In addition to summers on the farm, I spent countless afternoons learning from my grandmother, who had her own garden in her backyard. She grew everything—tomatoes, cucumbers, greens, peppers, berries—right there behind her house.

She taught me how to compost, how to enrich the soil, how to grind and reuse organic matter, and how to read the land in a way that only someone with a true green thumb could. Her hands told stories, and her garden was her classroom. She passed down those skills to me with love and intention, helping shape me into the gardener and steward I am today.