The Farm
Filigreen Farm is situated on 97 acres in Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, California. It is a Demeter-certified Biodynamic and CCOF-certified organic diversified farm whose primary products are tree fruits, blueberries, olives, wine and table grapes, and houses a production garden (flowers and vegetables), livestock, apiary, and an ongoing inquiry into water revitalization. Filigreen is located on land once inhabited and managed by the Tabahtea (Tah-bah-tay) Pomo First Peoples named after Taa-Bo-Tah, or Long Valley.
From Homestead to Biodynamic Farm
Situated between mixed coniferous forest of redwood and fir to the west and oak woodland to the east, Filigreen borrows from both climatic zones to house a diverse range of cultivars. The farm was originally homesteaded by the Farrer family in 1906, following European colonization. The Farrers ran a dairy and produced hops, apples and alfalfa, along with seasonal vegetables for sale at their roadside stand. In the late 1980s the property was developed as a Biodynamic apple orchard, and then in 2000 was donated to the Yggdrasil Land Foundation, who leased the land to Filigreen Farm, LLC. A conservation easement held by the Anderson Valley Land Trust assures its use for organic and Biodynamic agriculture in perpetuity.
Today, the farm takes its cues from the larger ecosystem in which it sits. Chris and Stephanie Tebbutt, who now lead Filigreen Farm, ensure most inputs are sourced on-site and continually experiment with new cultivars, rootstocks, training methods, and nursery techniques that give the farm the independence it needs for intensive production. Year-round experimentation and research are core elements of the farm’s mission. Six other families participate in the working life of the farm, four of whom reside at Filigreen.
Anderson Creek, a major tributary of the Navarro River, bisects the farm. Over the past 30 years, the Tebbutts have undertaken extensive stream bank stabilization efforts. This stretch of the creek now offers a model for other at-risk riparian lands.
Production crop diversity and a range of cultivars within those crops extend the harvest season as well as their associate flowering and fruiting cycles. Hundreds of other plant species give the bees and local wildlife food and shelter.
Find Our Produce
Velma’s Farm Stand, open seasonally off Highway 128, makes available to the public the entire offerings at Filigreen.
The farm also values its longstanding relationships with the local Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op and Live Power Community Farm, one of California’s oldest CSAs.
In addition, Filigreen Farm partners with FEED Sonoma, which brings small family farm produce to local consumers through a forward-thinking business model with transparency as a central tenet. The farm also lists produce through MendoLake Food Hub.