Help Wild Earth Farm hit the ground running in VT!

Help Wild Earth grow our flerd and plant a food forest in Vermont!

 

 

 

Introduction: Hi, we’re Katie Steere and Ben Aalvik, life partners and business partners about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. In the summer of 2021, we stumbled upon our dream farm in Randolph, Vermont. As we read through the description that included 143 acres with 100 acres of organic pasture, a renovated farmhouse, and plenty of barn space for the animals, we thought it would be well beyond our budget. But, the sellers were taking applications to choose a buyer who aligned with their values and selling it at an affordable price. We rushed home, wrote a heartfelt email, and a few weeks and visits to Vermont later; the Beidlers chose us to purchase the farm. As we begin moving our entire farm operation to Vermont, we are asking our community for help to grow our flerd and plant our silvopasture food forest.

 

Wondering what the heck a flerd and silvopasture are? Keep reading!

 

Our Story:

In 2015, I (Katie) left my job in commercial banking in Silicon Valley to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, intern at Polyface Farm, and move back to Rhode Island to rebuild my family’s shuttered farm. In 2017, Deep Roots (now Wild Earth) Farm was born with me raising grass-fed beef, pastured pork, and pastured poultry. Although the animals and the farm thrived, family dynamics were toxic and abusive, and after four years, I relocated to leased land a few miles down the road. The business grew but finding enough land to expand onto in Rhode Island was a considerable challenge. In 2021, after struggling to find enough secure land for my growing business, I decided to shut down the farm until I found land to buy. That same week my beloved dog, Odin, had to be put to rest.

 

 

 

 

The next day, too sad to be home, Ben and I went to a local coffee shop. I joked that I would find our farm while Ben worked. While scrolling through the usual sites, I came across a farm on Vermont Land Link. As I read down the list, my heart caught in my throat. 143 acres, with 100 acres of certified organic pasture. A perennial flower garden with an entire row of peonies. Only a few miles from a cute downtown area with a great coffee shop. I braced myself for the price at the bottom only to read that they were taking applications and choosing a buyer. “Ben, we need to leave now. I think I actually found our farm!!”

 

I wrote a heartfelt email to the sellers, and two short weeks later, we were driving to Vermont to meet the Beidlers. I was so nervous that in the space of five minutes, I asked Ben to drive slower, so the neighbors didn't think we were jerks, and then to drive faster, so we arrived perfectly on time aka two minutes early. After a four hour-long tour and conversation with the Beidlers, we were in love. And the feeling was mutual, because we were offered the opportunity to purchase the farm right then and there. We, of course, jumped.

 

We have served our community through thick and thin for the past five years and now we humbly ask for your help to hit the ground running on our farm in Vermont.

 

Our Plan:

We are purchasing a 143 acre farm property in Randolph, Vermont. We are financing the farm through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) joint financing program and we’re also taking out an operation loan through the FSA. The operating loan will cover fencing projects (we have 100 acres to fence!), safe handling facilities for the cow herd and sheep flock, and other necessary equipment to operate the farm.

 

 

 

 

Our Vision:

We will be raising organic, grass-fed beef and Icelandic lamb on our 100 acres of pasture. We hope to eventually run a flerd, running a cowherd and a sheep flock together. We will convert the pasture to silvopasture over the next 5-10 years, integrating forest into a perennial pasture system. This benefits the animals and the land in countless ways. For the animals, the trees will provide shade, wind protection, and fodder(feed). For the land, the trees will provide shade from drought and protection from extreme rain events. If you’d like to learn more, head to our blog post here . We are so excited to plant trees that can feed animals and humans alike, including chestnut trees, honey locust trees, persimmon trees, and mulberry trees. Once our chestnut trees are producing, we plan to offer pick-your-own chestnuts. Once established, these trees have the power to double the amount of animal feed we are growing per acre, making it possible for us to be 100% self-sufficient. In addition to raising trees and animals, we will host guests through Airbnb in our yurt and renovated airstream and hold weekend retreats to welcome people to the farm and give them a connection to the earth and their food. With farmland quickly disappearing, we hope Wild Earth Vermont will give people a connection to the land that they so desperately need.

 

 

 

 

How we’ll use the money:

Purchase four British White breeding cows at $2,200 each ($8,800)

Purchase 15 Icelandic breeding ewes at $800 each ($12,000)

Plant 200 (100 each) Chestnut and Honey Locust Trees at $25 each ($5,000)

Any additional funds will go directly towards planting more trees, and ok, probably another cow (our eventual goal is 4,500-5000 trees)

 

 

 

 

 

We have some tremendous Thank You gifts lined up, and we hope you’re as excited about them as we are!

 

Thank You Gifts:

$25- Plant a tree. With your $25 donation, we can plant a tree and protect it with a tree shelter. We will plant 40-50 trees per acre with a long-term goal of covering all 100 of our open acres.

$35- Pick-Your-Own Bouquet at our farm in Vermont. (late June-September) Or if you’re in RI, a Spring bouquet of our own tulips (pickup at farm or farmer’s market in RI)

$50-$99- Limited Edition Wild Earth Farm Tote Bag

$100-$199- Wild Earth Farm hoodie (Please note your unisex size in your comment)

$200-$299 - Wild Earth Farm hoodie plus baseball cap

$300-$399 - Hoodie, baseball cap plus $50 off Farm stay on Airbnb

$400-$499- two-night stay in our yurt (must complete in 2022), plus a private farm tour

$500-$799 - two-night stay in our airstream (must complete 2022) , plus a private farm tour

$800 - Buy Wild Earth an Icelandic ewe and name her plus a two night stay in the yurt for two people and a private tour of Wild Earth Farm to meet the herd and flock.

 

$1,500- A romantic weekend for two. Enjoy a two night stay in our fully renovated airstream which we’ll fill with flowers from our organic flower gardens. Savor a farm-to-table dinner for two in the flower garden under the twinkly lights. We'll take you on a private tour of the farm complete with photo ops with the cows. This weekend will include two dinners and two breakfasts. Must be enjoyed July-September due to seasonality.

 

$2000 - Buy Wild Earth and name a Momma cow and name her babies. A two night stay in the Airstream for up to four people plus a private tour of Wild Earth Farm to meet the herd and flock.

 

$10,000 (limit 2) - The Ultimate Weekend Getaway for 8. Immerse yourselves in the green hills of Vermont and enjoy a two-night stay in our 1850s farmhouse. Take in the sunrise or sunset from our wraparound porch while you sip your morning latte or enjoy an evening beverage. On Saturday night, renowned chef, Jake Rojas of Tallulah’s, will prepare you a family-style farm-to-table dinner in the flower garden, complete with twinkly lights (weather permitting). We’ll take you on a private tour of the farm to meet the animals and snap some photos. Enjoy the local towns or take a hike on the trails in our backyard. Experience the magic of farm life in Vermont and head home with some great swag to remember your stay.

 

The Details:

 

If you've gotten this far, thank you SO much for considering supporting our new adventure! We only get one chance to hit the ground running in our first year and we are forever grateful for the support this will provide.

 

Most Sincerely,

Katie and Ben

 

 

 

 

If you're hungering to read more of our story, check out our blog here .