Meet Nicole Dragani Cicco

I’m Nicole Cicco — accountant, gardener, herbalist, soul-healer, mother, and founder of The Red Dragon Growers. My journey has been one of transformation: from chronic pain and nervous-system crisis to reclaiming health, purpose, and creative connection with the land. I created this work because nothing less than regeneration is required: for the Earth, and for ourselves.

For years I lived with a condition called arachnoiditis — a persistent pain syndrome that forced me to slow down, to feel deeply, and to question everything I thought I knew about healing. In that struggle I discovered something vital: our bodies, our minds, our nervous systems are interconnected with the soil beneath our feet, the air we breathe, the plants we grow, and the ecosystems we live in. Healing truly happens when we recognise the link between our inner terrain and the outer terrain of the planet.

At the same time I was being guided by ancestral knowledges and indigenous teachings. My Cherokee roots, the wisdom of the Hopi, the Mayan, and the Q’ero Paqos (keepers of the Munay Ki) all point to a time of transformation—a moment when humanity stands at a crossroads. These traditions speak of a choice: to continue down the path of disconnection and exploitation, or to walk the path of regeneration, stewardship, and sacred alliance with the Earth. I chose the latter.

In starting The Red Dragon Growers, I chose to plant more than seeds. I chose to plant a movement. Here on our ⅓-acre property in USDA Zone 7A, we grow food, herbs, and medicines — not just to nourish bodies, but to restore connection, health, and meaning. Everything we do is handmade, intentional, and rooted in sustainability. The land is our laboratory, the plants our co-teachers, and the healing of the Earth is inseparable from the healing of the human body and spirit.

The name “Red Dragon” embodies the fire of transformation, the ancient instinct inside all of us to protect, nurture, and regenerate life. In my work I draw from cognitive-behavioural therapy, neuro-linguistic programming, hypnosis, EFT, TFT, advanced integrative energy therapy, meditation, and Reiki — alongside herbal alchemy, yoga, somatic healing, and sound medicine. Because real transformation requires both science and spirit.

As a mother of three, I also pass this legacy on. Through our Red Dragon Homeschool Academy, children learn not only how to grow food and herbal allies, but how to become caregivers of the land, stewards of their nervous system, and sovereign creators of their own lives. My own path of pain turning into purpose is the foundation of our teaching: fear can be transformed into wisdom, isolation into community, fragmentation into wholeness.

The time is here for a new way of living. The Earth needs allies. Our bodies need healing. Our souls need reconnection. If you feel the pull to be part of that – to live differently, more whole, more aligned – you’re welcome here. The seeds are planted. The soil is ready. Let’s grow, together.

— Nicole Cicco, Founder
The Red Dragon Growers