Falling for Farm Life
“I don’t care where we go, as long as there are trees.” River Neff only had one simple requirement when his partner, Sarina Roscigno, was looking for farmland in the High Country. Living in Southern Oregon at the time, the two had a plan to raise sheep but wanted to settle somewhere more affordable in a temperate climate.
Sarina would fly out to the North Carolina/Tennessee area to scout for possible plots. In Trade, Tennessee she toured a piece of land that won her over with its abundance of water and shade. “Just take pictures of all the trees,” River asked. With River’s reaction to the beauty of the photos, they quickly bought the land and moved down to start their farm - Mezzaluna Farmstead.
With no previous experience, the thought of becoming farmers always seemed like a far off possibility. But they took the plunge. “We got the land, put up some fence along the road, and then brought home some sheep,” Sarina laughed.
Besides the amazing land, there were several things that drew them to the area. With the local farmers' markets and now High Country Food Hub, they could see that folks were trying to improve local food networking and opportunities for farmers. They store their lamb at the Food Hub and sell 65%-70% of it through the service. “It made this weird little pipe dream of ‘I’m going to farm some Icelandic sheep’ actually function,” Sarina said.
When River isn’t working retail in Boone or helping Sarina on the farm, he can be found carving wooden spoons. Before his farming career, he used to work with computers and web development, even dabbling in programming. But all of the time in front of a computer screen took a toll on his hands, giving him tendinitis that could potentially turn to carpal tunnel.
While trying to figure out how to work without injuring his hands, his friend told him of a man in the U.K. who made a living carving and selling wooden spoons. Baffled by this, River went home, watched some Youtube tutorials, and soon was carving his own spoons. “It’s been an experience,” River explained. “I’ve gotten into spoons, learned about woodworking, and because I’m carving all the time I had to learn about sharpening my tools. And now I’m making my own tools to carve bowls.”
Sarina does her own crafting using the wool she hand shears from the sheep. Products that she handmakes include everything from practical woolen pot holders to fashionably warm shawls and collars. She works with Icelandic wool through an incredibly labor-intensive process to produce unique pieces of art.
Between grass-fed lamb, woolcraft, and wooden spoons, Mezzaluna Farmstead has found its place in the High Country. To support Sarina and River, head on over to the King Street Market or try the High Country Food Hub. Farmers contribute so much to this little community, and we #Boonies can, too.