Intro
Our Story
The Journey Home to Northwest Arkansas
Escape to NWA began with a simple truth we can’t ignore any longer:
It is time to go home.
After half a decade living and working in Iowa, we feel the deep pull back to the Ozark hills — back to the people, the pace, and the purpose that shaped us.
This isn’t just a move.
It’s a mission to build something lasting, something healing, and something rooted in the values we were raised with.
The Journey Home
The Journey Back to the Ozarks
For five years, we’ve lived in Iowa — working hard, building experience, and raising our family. But no matter how full life became, we never stopped missing the place that felt like home.
Northwest Arkansas was where we spent our best years. It’s where we grew roots, made memories, and learned what mattered most:
faith, family, community, and honest work.
Over time, the dream grew louder:
“What if we went back and built something that could help others too?”
Escape to NWA is our answer to that question!
Who We Are
We’re Darrin and Irma Surls — husband and wife, parents, believers, and builders.
We’ve worked in plants, in trades, in offices, and in the dirt. We’ve weathered life’s seasons, held onto each other through the hard ones, and always tried to choose the path that leads to purpose.
We are not influencers.
We are not celebrities.
We are not a corporation.
We’re just a couple with a calling — to return home and build a place where people can learn, heal, and grow.
And now, with Escape to NWA, we’re ready to do exactly that.
WHY A FARM?
A farm teaches more than how to grow food.
It teaches responsibility, resilience, problem-solving, and gratitude.
It gives peace to restless minds and purpose to busy hands.
We chose a teaching farm because we believe that:
• skills change futures
• purpose heals people
• families grow stronger when they grow together
• veterans need space and mission, not pressure
Escape to NWA isn’t just about land.
It’s about planting hope — and helping others do the same.
Who is Gammy?
Gammy’s Garden Gate Farms is named in honor of the woman who showed us what generosity looks like in real life.
Gammy believed in feeding people, helping neighbors, and keeping a garden gate that was always open — to family, to friends, and to anyone who needed a place to rest and feel loved.
She taught us that what you grow in the garden is never just food.
It’s kindness.
It’s patience.
It’s hope.
This farm is our way of carrying her legacy into the next generation.
Why a Farm?
A farm teaches more than how to grow food.
It teaches responsibility, resilience, problem-solving, and gratitude.
It gives peace to restless minds and purpose to busy hands.
We chose a teaching farm because we believe that:
• skills change futures
• purpose heals people
• families grow stronger when they grow together
• veterans need space and mission, not pressure
Escape to NWA isn’t just about land.
It’s about planting hope — and helping others do the same.
Call to Action
Be Part of Our Journey
We are building something real, something rooted, something that will outlast us.
If our story speaks to you, we invite you to walk with us as we build Gammy’s Garden Gate Farms.
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!