Our Story

Okay, so what is Farm Jio? Well, let me start by introducing myself. Hi, I’m Sarah Jio, aka, head farmer and a lifelong lover of plants, flowers and natural things. In my other life, I’m a veteran journalist (Glamour, Real Simple, O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, NPR, etc.). I’m also a New York Times bestselling author of twelve novels published by Penguin, Random House and HarperCollins in the US and in 30+ countries worldwide. I love the writing life, and if I’m lucky, I’ll be the eccentric old lady with big sunglasses by a pool somewhere (or better yet, beside a sprawling garden) while writing her 54th novel. 

But back to the farm. My husband, Brandon, and I make our home in Seattle’s beautiful Magnolia neighborhood. When we built our house, I insisted upon a rooftop deck for growing things, and I’ve transformed the entirety into an urban farm that is an organic  oasis. In short, if you can imagine it, I’m probably growing it—on the roof.

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” –Marcus Tullius Cicero

My garden is my happy place—where I daydream, destress and grow beautiful organic produce and herbs for my family. I make flower bouquets for friends and our own kitchen table, and my kids come up to pick fresh berries or snip mint, basil and a million other herbs for our meals. Two years ago, my now-13-year-old son’s eyes got big when he watched me harvest a few heads of broccoli from the rooftop, which is when he exclaimed, “Wow, Mommy! You’re a real farmer!” 

That’s when it hit me: No matter how big or small the plot of land (BTW, containers on your apartment's balcony count, too!), I am a "real farmer." Maybe you are too?

“To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”—Rudyard Kipling

My husband and I have a large family, which comprises of my three boys and my amazing three step kiddos (yes, we are SO “The Brady Bunch”—minus Alice, but we need an Alice. Ahem, everybody needs an Alice!. P.S. Check out the New York Times article on our Brady Bunch family and home, though I promise, this casa is waaaaaay messier in real life. 

Besides picking up socks and feeding teenagers, in any month of any year, you’ll find me planting, tending, harvesting and preserving. My rooftop garden is my most private and sacred space, where I lose myself in the work of planting, watering, pruning and weeding. 

“Gardening is how I relax. It’s another form of creating and playing with colors.”—Oscar de la Renta

In short, I love this life—the wild, beautiful messiness of it all, and I want to share a bit of it with you. In blog posts, photos and select product offerings that I curate and create from my little farm and wild harvest nearby, I invite you to dip your fingers into the soil with me.

“To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow.”—Audrey Hepburn 

With love from the farm, 

Sarah xoxo