Escape to NWA
Returning Home. Rebuilding Purpose. Rooted in the Ozarks.
We’re Darrin and Irma Surls, and we’re building Gammy’s Garden Gate Farms — a teaching and community farm for families, veterans, and future growers.
Join us on our journey home to Northwest Arkansas.
Our Focus Areas
Veteran Purpose & Support
Many veterans find healing through structure, routine, and working with the land.
Our farm provides quiet, purpose-filled farm work and community support — no pressure, no noise, just room to breathe.
Teaching Farm
Hands-on education in gardening, homesteading, soil health, and sustainable living for families and new growers.
Community Resilience
Helping families build self-reliance through food production, resourcefulness, and shared community learning.
Who We Are
We’re Darrin and Irma Surls — a husband-and-wife team returning home to Northwest Arkansas after half a decade away.
With our nonprofit, Escape to NWA, we’re building Gammy’s Garden Gate Farms: a place where hands meet soil, hearts find purpose, and families and veterans grow together.
This isn’t a hobby farm — it’s a mission to plant hope in the Ozarks.
