The Loop Farmstead is a working agroecological farm on 4.6 acres in New Martinsville, West Virginia. We grow food, raise animals, and document what we learn for others walking the same path.
Work with the land, not against it. Ask what the land wants to grow. Plant for people you will never meet.
The Quadrants
We divide our land into four quadrants for planning and management. Each serves different functions based on sun exposure, water flow, and soil conditions.
Q1: Southeast
Primary food production zone. Maximum sun exposure. Home to 40+ fruit trees and annual vegetable gardens.
Q2: Northeast
Vines and perennial systems. 15 grape vines, developing food forest edge, shade-tolerant plantings.
Q3: Southwest
Garden expansion and infrastructure. Compost systems, animal housing, succession plantings.
Q4: Northwest
Woodland management. Wild edibles, medicinal plants, mushroom cultivation, future expansion.
Current Plantings (2026)
Recent plantings demonstrate our approach to succession planting, interplanting, and variety selection:
| Crop | Variety | Quantity | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fava Beans | Broad Windsor | 45 seeds | Plot 4, Q1 | 2026-03-12 |
| Swiss Chard | Ford Hook | 72-cell tray | Started indoors | 2026-03-12 |
| Bok Choy | Snow White | 20 seeds | Interplanted with favas | 2026-03-12 |
Strategy: Fava beans fix nitrogen. Swiss chard provides continuous harvest. Bok choy matures quickly, filling gaps. Three crops, one plot, multiple functions.
Established Systems
Fruit Trees (40+)
Our orchard includes apples, pears, peaches, plums, and cherries. Planted for long-term production, these trees will outlive us. We chose heritage and disease-resistant varieties suited to Appalachian conditions.
Grape Vines (15)
Fifteen years from full harvest. We planted anyway. This is what it means to plant for people you will never meet. The vines teach patience. They teach trust in the future.
Annual Gardens
Succession-planted vegetables provide continuous harvest from May through October. We focus on storage crops (winter squash, potatoes, onions) and nutrient-dense greens (chard, kale, spinach).
Animals
Animals serve multiple functions in our system: pest control, fertility, meat, companionship, and land management.
🐷 Pigs
Two Berkshire pigs (George & Peppa). Harvested 2026-03-25, 250 lbs pork. Pigs clear land, till soil, and convert waste into protein.
🐕 Livestock Guardians
Two Great Pyrenees (Odin & Lada, 8 months). Protect future poultry and provide companionship. Working breed, not pets.
🐔 Poultry (Developing)
Chicken systems in development. Will serve multiple functions: pest control, fertility, eggs, meat, soil turning.
Infrastructure
Our infrastructure supports autonomous operation: water capture, energy generation, food preservation, and tool storage.
Philosophy
Everything we do is guided by agroecological principles and permaculture ethics. We work with natural systems, not against them. We build resilience, not just yield.
- Observe and interact — Learn what the land wants before imposing plans
- Catch and store energy — Rain barrels, compost, seed saving, preserved food
- Obtain a yield — Every system should produce something useful
- Apply self-regulation — Limit consumption, accept feedback
- Use and value diversity — Multiple varieties, multiple functions, multiple backups
- Use edges and value the marginal — Edge zones are most productive
- Respond creatively to change — Adapt, improvise, learn from failure