Miranda first worked with Mexican Mint Marigold, also known as Pericón, in Oaxaca, where it grows wild in the region's many valleys. This versatile plant is a common seasoning in the local culinary fare of Oaxaca, a storied tea with use dating back to Pre-Columbian times, and a rich dye. Both the flowers and the plant itself yield color, with results ranging from greens, to vibrant yellow to rich ochre.
Miranda Bennett Studio is a clothing, accessories and home brand with naturally dyed apparel ethically made in the USA with regenerative agricultural practices. We have grown our own dyes in the Austin area with organic-certified, permaculture methodology.
We have locally grown close to 2,000 pounds of certified organic whole plants within the Texas Hill Country and continue to use the yields from our second harvest in our dye practice today.
We are currently planning our next agricultural partnership with Cassiopeia Farm, a slow, sustainable flower farm in Austin, TX.
Regenerative Agriculture
Our crops were established through the regenerative agriculture methodology of permaculture, grown without the use of pesticides. Permaculture is a philosophy of working with the existing features of a property to model a farm after a natural ecosystem and allows farmers to: care for the land and people within a long-term-use plan; manage water flow to prevent flooding and mitigate against drought; use renewable resources and limit waste; choose planting and structure locations to conserve human energy. The Berm Swale system that our perennial Mexican Mint Marigold grew upon dramatically decreased the amount of water needed to nourish the plant. Growing these plants in this way supported restoration of the nutrient balance of the plots, priming it for future crop rotation to edible plants, all while sequestering carbon in the soil.
