Our Sustainable Journey
At Wise Guy Gardens, we believe that the most meaningful food comes from your own backyard.
Our journey began with a simple passion: to transform ordinary outdoor spaces into high-yielding, artisanal home food systems. We combine traditional craftsmanship with modern sustainable practices to build garden beds that are as beautiful as they are productive.
For us, it’s not just about gardening; it’s about empowering homeowners to reconnect with the earth and take the first steps toward true food independence. We take pride in every custom-designed solution we create, ensuring each home food program respects the natural landscape while providing a bountiful harvest for years to come.
Family Business
Cole Wenman
Founder & Master Builder
Charlie Shelton
Founder & Grower
Wyatt Wenman
Builder + Grower In Training
Together, we combine food-growing expertise and construction experience to create raised garden systems that are both beautiful and productive. We don’t simply build boxes and fill them with soil. We help families design backyard food spaces tailored to their goals, whether that’s growing salad greens for the kitchen, teaching children where food comes from, producing fresh vegetables all season long, or taking the first steps toward greater self-sufficiency. Every project includes thoughtful design, quality construction, and practical growing guidance based on what your family actually enjoys eating.
Our mission is to transform ordinary backyards into thriving food gardens that nourish families, strengthen communities, and create lasting memories for generations to come.
More About Us
Charlie Shelton
Charlie has spent more than a decade helping communities reconnect with local food. His work has included building and managing school gardens, greenhouse programs, urban farms, community growing spaces, and educational food initiatives across Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Throughout his career, Charlie has helped establish and support dozens of gardens, worked with schools to teach children where food comes from, developed seed-to-plate education programs, and grown everything from backyard vegetables to greenhouse crops. Today, Charlie combines his experience in agriculture, education, and community development to create customized growing plans that fit each family’s favorite foods, available space, and lifestyle. His goal is to make growing food simple, enjoyable, and rewarding for every client. For Charlie, food independence starts with a single seed and a little bit of patience.
Cole Wenman
While Charlie focuses on what happens inside the garden, his brother focuses on building the foundation that makes it possible.
With years of experience working in construction, carpentry, and hands-on building projects, he brings craftsmanship, durability, and attention to detail to every raised bed installation. His background includes residential construction, job-site management, woodworking, equipment operation, and the practical skills needed to build structures that stand the test of time.
From precise measurements and material selection to clean finishes and structural integrity, he ensures every garden bed is built with the same care and quality he would expect in his own backyard.
Wyatt Wenman
Wyatt represents the next generation of Wise Guy Gardens, learning the ropes from the ground up as a builder and grower. He focuses on helping us develop and build our programs for kids. Growing up in a family of builders and growers, he’s dedicated to learning how to make home-grown food accessible for everyone.