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FARMSTEAD Photographed by Silas Fallstich Written by Madison Ludlow
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Along 200 acres of California soil, halfway between Buellton and Santa Barbara, The Farmstead is tucked in the Nojoqui Valley. Less than a mile from the coast, with a backdrop of the Valley’s rolling hills, this organic farm is bursting with the freshest heirloom produce.
I drive up the gravel road to see towering sunflowers draping over the road ahead. Petite organic watermelons have fallen into the rows of asparagus and along the farmer’s pathway. As I step away from my car and walk towards the barn’s symmetrical doors, I hear the wind tunneling through the trees blowing the sweet scent of fresh berries my way. I’m welcomed in the barn’s entryway by farmer Abel who greets me with a strong handshake covered in soil. He guides me out the back door towards the playful noises of the farm
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animals grazing on the other side of the barn. Kunekune pigs, Nigerian dwarf goats, Sicilian donkeys, and llamas playfully interact with me as I walk through their feeding grounds. Abel hands me a bell pepper, he’s just pulled from the ground, and I soon find myself kneeling amongst five hungry snorting pigs trying to each get a mouthful of the pepper in my hand. It is an adorable mess! After the feeding frenzy, Abel leads us out through the front doors of the market toward the sunflowers I admired on my way in. I quickly find myself surrounded by the reddest strawberries I have ever seen. I reach down, brush the dirt from the strawberry’s delicate skin, and plop the whole thing in my mouth. It’s sweet with that fresh farmers-market feel. As we carefully step around the fresh berries, I can’t help myself from grabbing a few more as we continue on.