The mountain property becomes an oasis for entertaining friends and putting down roots
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In 2014 when Chris Adjani and Aria Alpert Adjani stumbled upon a forgotten and unloved former vineyard on Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg, California, the cou
This past week we had the opportunity to tour Tomales Farmstead Creamery as a part of the California Artisan Cheese Festival. We got to cuddle with baby goats, watch a milking, and taste plenty of cheese. We also had the opportunity to peek inside their gorgeous modern farmhouse, which is available to rent on Airbnb
A passion for farming and horticulture traces back almost a century at The Farmstead Tatura in Victoria's Goulburn Valley.
B R Y A R T O N F A R M We purchased the 1893 farmhouse, 1900 barn, and beautiful surrounding acreage in May of 2014. Here are a few shots of what the farm looked like Before our restoration wor…
A passion for farming and horticulture traces back almost a century at The Farmstead Tatura in Victoria's Goulburn Valley.
On an 18th-century farmstead in rural Sweden, two Copenhagen designers handcraft a summerhouse that seamlessly melds the modern and the traditional. Photo 3 of 12 in Modern Meets Traditional in a Swedish Summer House. Browse inspirational photos of modern homes.
This Northern California farm is a one-stop-shop for any of your wining and dining needs. If this isn't heaven, we don't know what is!
The von Trapp Farmstead is a certified organic dairy and creamery located in Vermont’s scenic Mad River Valley. Now in its third generation, Sebastian von Trapp is stewarding the farm’s cheese and land to new heights of sustainability and deliciousness! The von Trapps’ commitment to their land and their animals runs deep. Sebastian and his family have made the decision to go beyond organic to practice regenerative agriculture, a method of farming that builds soil health, fosters biodiversity, improves the groundwater supply, and reverses the effects of global warming by sequestering carbon in the soil. In celebration of Earth Day and American artisan cheesemakers committed to reinventing and reinvigorating our rural landscapes, we’re doing a deep dive into the world of von Trapp Farmstead and regenerative agriculture. The von Trapp Farmstead was founded by Sebastian’s grandparents, his ‘Oma’ and ‘Opa’ in 1959. They fled their native Austria after the second World War and were drawn to Vermont’s spectacular mountain landscape because it reminded them of home. They were not farmers by background, but taught themselves to manage a small, sustainable family dairy. Sebastian’s parents took over the farm in 1979, and though they had always farmed ‘organically’ (meaning pasturing their cows, not using antibiotics or growth hormones on their animals, and not using synthetic fertilizers or chemicals on their land) the farm gained its official organic certification in 2006. Sebastian re-joined the business in 2009 with the aim of adding value to the farm’s milk by turning it into artisan cheese. The first cheese that they produced was called Oma, a pungent washed rind cheese in homage to Sebastian’s grandmother. Oma is still produced on the farm; it is then shipped to the Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm to be ripened, aged, and sold. Over the years, Sebastian added Mt Alice - a buttery bloomy-rind cheese, Mad River Blue - a fudgy, earthy blue cheese, and Savage - a nutty, aged Alpine-style cheese to their lineup. If the foundation for great cheese is great milk, it follows that the foundation for great milk is an amalgam of pasture and healthy animals; and the foundation for a healthy, varied pasture is the soil and its microbiome. The von Trapps are dedicated to these ideals, and use the basic tenets of regenerative agriculture to make their farm a holistic and sustainable farming system whose delicious byproduct is cheese! Sebastian says that while organic is a wonderful system, it focuses more on what one cannot do. Ultimately organic farming is playing defense against the behemoths that are ‘Big Ag’. Organic principles say you cannot use synthetic fertilizers (essentially toxic chemicals), you cannot keep animals indoors all the time, and that you cannot use growth hormones and antibiotics. Regenerative agriculture takes organic one step further by saying what you can do; it is playing offense for planet Earth to harness the power of agriculture to improve soils and biodiversity. So - what are the tenets of regenerative agriculture? Minimal to no tilling or plowing the land. Tilling and plowing the land releases carbon stored in the soil and disrupts the delicate matrix of life present there. By minimizing disturbance, the soil’s ecosystem can thrive and the roots of plants can grow deeper, making the soil resistant to erosion and allowing it to store more carbon. Increase soil fertility by application of manure, compost, and rotation of cover crops. Manure is nature’s original and best fertilizer! Cows are the poster children for regenerative agriculture, grazing and leaving cowpies behind to nourish the soil. In fact, there would be no regenerative agriculture without animals. Livestock (and their manure) replenish the soil with the nutrients necessary for it to thrive, eliminating the need for commercial fertilizers. Secondarily, by using crop rotations and planting cover crops, farmers like the von Trapps can incorporate plants into their pastures and hay fields that put minerals into the soil and fix nitrogen. Stimulate plant growth and carbon sequestration with well managed grazing practices. Sebastian von Trapp says that when grazing is managed correctly, cows help turn sunlight and grass into healthy soil. It has been demonstrated that grasslands can sequester more carbon than the rainforest, so the more we graze our livestock in responsible ways, the more we can harness the power of the cow to reverse climate change! Cows (more specifically the manure and methane they produce) have been blamed for exacerbating climate change. That is true of industrial farming, where animals are concentrated indoors and their waste is collected in vast pools, turning a potential resource into a liability. However, when livestock are incorporated into a regenerative system, they become agents of climate change reversal. Build biological ecosystem diversity. Once again, it all starts with soil! If soil is healthy and home to a complex ecosystem of organisms, the benefits trickle up and down. Healthy pasture begets insects which in turn bring birds and other animals to the farm, and below the soil water is being both filtered by and absorbed by the ground, decreasing erosion and runoff, which in turn helps our waterways and their habitats. Healthier soil also translates into more nutrients in the plants that grow there - be it pasture grasses for cows or produce for humans. In sum, when you eat the von Trapp’s cheese, you are voting with your dollars and with your cheese knives for small farms, rural economies, and planet Earth too! Who knew that eating cheese could be such a delicious and virtuous proposition?! Click here to shop von Trapp Farmstead Cheese
Designing a farm layout for a 10-acre property offers an exciting opportunity to create a diverse and productive landscape that aligns with your vision for sust
The Tithe Barn was built in the early 14th century as part of the medieval farmstead belonging to Shaftesbury Abbey. Its function was to store the produce of the farm, and of the farms of the manor. Tenant farms contributed a tithe, meaning a tenth of their produce. King Ethelred gave the Manor of Bradford, including the monastery founded by St Aldhelm, to the Abbess of Shaftesbury in 1001. The barn is now owned and maintained by English Heritage.
A Cotswold farmhouse in poppy season. I took this due to the combination of poppies, farmhouse and tractor lines in the field. The image seems to have 4 parts and appeared to go against the grain of thirds. The HDR gave the image that look of a painting. Canon 50D 60mm@F16 1/80 ISO100
Nestled in a shallow valley, this farmstead was likely settled between 1913 and 1935. The farm was able to survive the depression era, only to be abandoned in the 1970s, according to Tim, the new property owner. His cattle graze the surrounding land. The screens on the porch seemed odd to me, as there aren't many insects in the area. Kent, Oregon.
We can write an entire book when it comes to practical tips and advice for beginner homesteaders. There are simply too many topics to cover in one blog post.
The mountain property becomes an oasis for entertaining friends and putting down roots
Let’s talk about practical, tactical, and agricultural survival principles and details that pertain to developing land in a way that will facilitate agricultural productivity, sustainability, and security. Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. Prov. 24:27. Assessing the Land The Land First of all, we are likely to be constrained by property boundaries. Therefore, in selecting property, what are our priorities? Not everyone has the same priorities, and priorities change as the world around us changes. For example, a property that is perfectly usable today may become untenable if …
Fifteen years ago Ruth Klahsen was the first artisan cheesemaker to receive recognition from both chefs and food critics in our part of the province. She
The more technologically advanced we become, the more there is a renewed interest in home made and artisanal products and country life.
Drawn to visit the Kyneton Annual Daffodil Festival, we found the Fox Family's 'Bringalbit' in nearby Sidonia has everything a holidaymaker seeking accommodation on a farm could envisage, and then some! Lovely walks to view gardens, a lake, cattle, sheep, poultry—even art and cookery classes!
This past week we had the opportunity to tour Tomales Farmstead Creamery as a part of the California Artisan Cheese Festival. We got to cuddle with baby goats, watch a milking, and taste plenty of cheese. We also had the opportunity to peek inside their gorgeous modern farmhouse, which is available to rent on Airbnb
Elphinstones were a noble and baronial family who’s name came from the place name of Elphinstone. There is a family tradition that claims that the...
Located in Round Top, just southwest of Brenham, "The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell" is a...
Black Barn Farm, a family Farm in north-east Victoria is also home to a pick-your-own Apples venture. Read the story of how two passionate food-growers and permaculture experts turned their dream of a small-scale farm into a reality.
This week’s Aesthetic Thursday brings you to a calm place far outside the city. Not that Toronto in the winter doesn’t have its perks, but the color palette can get a bit drab as I̵…
New dating technique used to prove Llwyn Celyn farmhouse is medieval marvel
The Art of Slow Living features an inspiring woman farmer who practices regenerative agriculture and shows people where their food comes from
Follow me down the path?
Marga Dirube
