PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 105 future farmers twistedfields.com the collection of freshly laid eggs. Outside of the fenced-off field, watchful white Akbash dogs help safeguard the flock from hungry predators like mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats and skunks. “We focus on having as wide and diverse a population of chickens as possible,” Daniel says. While heritage birds may not produce as many eggs as their conventional counterparts, Twisted Fields customers love the colorful results. “Genetic diversity is really important in everything we do here,” Daniel says, gesturing toward trestle tables covered with plastic pots growing elderberry, yarrow and loquats. “We propagate plants from seeds and incubate our own chickens.” Even the redwood saplings he’s been planting to restore the creekbanks are grown from seeds. Twisted Fields is an unlikely farm with an unlikely business model: eschewing more efficient industrialized agriculture for timehonored sustainable practices. Rotate8 is developing low-cost tools for farmers—people who rarely have much money to spend on anything, let alone experimental equipment. And its open-source platform means customers will be able to adapt it themselves. “A customer said to us, 'If you make it so simple, people are going to hack it,'” says Katie. “But that’s the whole idea.” Or, as Daniel puts it: “We think we will do well by doing good.” Field Studıes
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