Natural Farming
| Biodynamic & Organic |
Only to him who stands where the barley
stands and listens well, will it speak and
tell, for his sake, what man is.
-- Masanobu Fukuoka, 1985
stands and listens well, will it speak and
tell, for his sake, what man is.
-- Masanobu Fukuoka, 1985
A Little About Our Farming
For much of the past few years, we have concentrated time and energy to the study and
implementation of organic farming, natural horsemanship, as well as restoring the farm
buildings, soil and immediate surroundings.
The past few growing seasons we have grown (and our Guests have eaten): mesclun
mixes (including arugula, various mustard cresses, peas, radicchio, bok choi, tat-soi,
mizuna, chicory, endive), garlic, basil, dill, sage, apple mint, dandelion greens, squash
(delicata, buttercup, red kuri, spaghetti, pattypan. Romanesco zucchini, yellow crookneck),
kale (lacinato, Russian, and blue curly), Swiss chard, spinach, cabbage, leeks, potatoes,
corn, beets, radishes, broccoli, broccoli raab, brussel sprouts, blueberries, raspberries,
strawberries, tomatoes, pumpkins, and true watercress (in & around our forest stream).
This year we are looking forward to also having radishes, beets, stringbeans, cantaloupes
and watermelons.
The 100% organic seeds that we use are carefully placed into the organic soil in a rich
seed nest of Vermont Compost's Fort Vee organic compost. Our farm (which in the past
century-plus, has been a sheep farm, a dairy farm, and a soft-woods forest) has, to the
very best of our knowledge, not had chemical fertilizers added to it. We water our crops
with our well water (and the gentle, non-acidic rain), and then they are bathed in the rich
mountaintop air.
We've been experimenting with growing some of our vegetables with companion plants --
such as marigolds, buckwheat, flax, arugula, dill, and nasturtiums. The results in taste and
energy (and eye-appeal) are spectacular, plus they attract bees and pollinators.
Transplants from our indoor 'greenhouse' are carefully placed in our outdoor beds into little
pockets of Vermont Compost's Fort Vee, and top-dressed with Vermont Compost's
Compost Plus. We also make some of our own compost and incorporate that into newly-
turned areas that are especially nutrient-deficient.
Stephanie, our gardener/photographer/web master, has been gardening since 1955. She
also works with wildflowers, perennials (with a focus on daylilies & heritage varieties of
plants), and woodland plants -- especially ones with multiple uses. Her ancestors were
goatherds, weavers and woodcarvers/cabinet makers in the foothills of the French
Pyrenees mountains.
The Bourdelles are passionate caretakers of Mother Earth and Her rich abundant natural
gifts to us all. Marc's foster father (his first agriculture teacher) spent the first eleven years
of his life on his family's farm. Marc's stepmother, Mary Barto -- a pure Appalachian --
"never left the family farm." Marc's passion/love for nature,animals and the Arts was
enthusiastically supported in his early childhood. Mother Eva (with Masters degrees in
Music & Psychology), taught music, directed and performed in the theater, wrote one-
woman performances, lectured passionately about developing imagination in children, and
For much of the past few years, we have concentrated time and energy to the study and
implementation of organic farming, natural horsemanship, as well as restoring the farm
buildings, soil and immediate surroundings.
The past few growing seasons we have grown (and our Guests have eaten): mesclun
mixes (including arugula, various mustard cresses, peas, radicchio, bok choi, tat-soi,
mizuna, chicory, endive), garlic, basil, dill, sage, apple mint, dandelion greens, squash
(delicata, buttercup, red kuri, spaghetti, pattypan. Romanesco zucchini, yellow crookneck),
kale (lacinato, Russian, and blue curly), Swiss chard, spinach, cabbage, leeks, potatoes,
corn, beets, radishes, broccoli, broccoli raab, brussel sprouts, blueberries, raspberries,
strawberries, tomatoes, pumpkins, and true watercress (in & around our forest stream).
This year we are looking forward to also having radishes, beets, stringbeans, cantaloupes
and watermelons.
The 100% organic seeds that we use are carefully placed into the organic soil in a rich
seed nest of Vermont Compost's Fort Vee organic compost. Our farm (which in the past
century-plus, has been a sheep farm, a dairy farm, and a soft-woods forest) has, to the
very best of our knowledge, not had chemical fertilizers added to it. We water our crops
with our well water (and the gentle, non-acidic rain), and then they are bathed in the rich
mountaintop air.
We've been experimenting with growing some of our vegetables with companion plants --
such as marigolds, buckwheat, flax, arugula, dill, and nasturtiums. The results in taste and
energy (and eye-appeal) are spectacular, plus they attract bees and pollinators.
Transplants from our indoor 'greenhouse' are carefully placed in our outdoor beds into little
pockets of Vermont Compost's Fort Vee, and top-dressed with Vermont Compost's
Compost Plus. We also make some of our own compost and incorporate that into newly-
turned areas that are especially nutrient-deficient.
Stephanie, our gardener/photographer/web master, has been gardening since 1955. She
also works with wildflowers, perennials (with a focus on daylilies & heritage varieties of
plants), and woodland plants -- especially ones with multiple uses. Her ancestors were
goatherds, weavers and woodcarvers/cabinet makers in the foothills of the French
Pyrenees mountains.
The Bourdelles are passionate caretakers of Mother Earth and Her rich abundant natural
gifts to us all. Marc's foster father (his first agriculture teacher) spent the first eleven years
of his life on his family's farm. Marc's stepmother, Mary Barto -- a pure Appalachian --
"never left the family farm." Marc's passion/love for nature,animals and the Arts was
enthusiastically supported in his early childhood. Mother Eva (with Masters degrees in
Music & Psychology), taught music, directed and performed in the theater, wrote one-
woman performances, lectured passionately about developing imagination in children, and
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
"The greatest fine
art of the future,
will be the making
of a comfortable
living on a small
piece of land."
President
Abraham Lincoln
cast Marc in play after play. Marc began
acting professionally at the age of 18, and
buckled down to seriously study acting
when he was 26. He began his studies of
Acting, Hypnosis,Tai Chi [Bagua] and Chi
Gung in the mid-70's, and continued his
studies well into the mid-1990s ' Marc is
an apprentice of the Quero Apache,
Maria Yraceburu.
acting professionally at the age of 18, and
buckled down to seriously study acting
when he was 26. He began his studies of
Acting, Hypnosis,Tai Chi [Bagua] and Chi
Gung in the mid-70's, and continued his
studies well into the mid-1990s ' Marc is
an apprentice of the Quero Apache,
Maria Yraceburu.
Our rich, healthy soil produces
vibrant colors in the frogs here
vibrant colors in the frogs here
The North Pasture -- which cannot be seen from
the Guest House -- has been mostly cleared of
stumps now. This is part of the process of
bringing the land back to being able to grow
food. On the left is Stephanie at the 'Dozer. The
following photos show the progress of stumps
clearing, and the fence we are creating with them
to keep the moose out -- who are free to amble
and eat in areas we have set aside & protected
for them, but our cultivated vegetables are for us.
the Guest House -- has been mostly cleared of
stumps now. This is part of the process of
bringing the land back to being able to grow
food. On the left is Stephanie at the 'Dozer. The
following photos show the progress of stumps
clearing, and the fence we are creating with them
to keep the moose out -- who are free to amble
and eat in areas we have set aside & protected
for them, but our cultivated vegetables are for us.
| Removed stumps cleared away, North Pasture land ready for next steps |
| West Pasture, 1940 Manure Spreader, and West Vegetable Garden |
| Stumps lined up along old logging road for a Moose fence |
| Stumps after being bulldozed into Moose fencing -- Stephanie shown for scale |
Uprooted stumps after overwintering, so that the topsoil will have
fallen off the stumps back onto the land -- where it belongs.
fallen off the stumps back onto the land -- where it belongs.
Stumps prior to being bulldozed
| Marc has been clearing thousands of root pieces and rocks, and adding them to the Moose Fence |
De-stumping the North Pasture