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McFadden
Farm grows and sells a wide variety of speciality foods: garlic
woven into handsome braids, bay leaves gathered into beautiful
wreaths, rare wild rice, fragrant organic culinary herbs and
herb blends ...
A feast for the senses and the soul. In
Northern California, Potter Valley lies on the edge of the
Mendocino National Forest and by the headwaters of the Russian
River. A wide range of native and cultivated plants thrive
in its rich, deep soils.
Head
north of San Francisco, 120 miles or so, through Mendocino
County. Take a right out of the fast lane, then a left into
another world: The rolling green expanse of Potter Valley.
Tucked away at the north end of the valley, nestled against
the headwaters of the Russian River, is McFadden Farm.
It's
a quiet, pastoral place ... far from the bustling city and
roaring highway. A country lane winds past the vineyard, past
the herb garden, barns and pond, over the covered bridge,
up the hill to the McFadden home.
Born
and raised in New York City, Guinness McFadden came to this
peaceful place in 1970. After Notre Dame, ten years as a Naval
officer, and a stint at Stanford Business School, he decided
against a future in pin-striped suits and city offices to
seek out a new living in the country. He found that and more.
The McFadden family settled in to a life of hard work and
enviable happiness on this special piece of ground.
As
he learned the ropes of farming, Guinness became convinced
that he didn't need, or want, the chemical pesticides and
herbicides so common in modern agriculture. He pursued more
natural farming methods, joined the California Certified Organic
Farmers, and kept his small farm in tune with nature, a safe
place for the family and its crops.
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