Continuing in the vision of Chuck Hinsch, it is our intent to create and maintain a family operated farm that will serve as an example of the principles of sustainable living. We will do this through locally supported sustainable agriculture, viticulture, silviculture, animal husbandry, and soil science, with highest reguard for the environment (locally, regionally, and globally). Farming without the use of hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and insecticides, we will consider and weigh all ecological impacts so that our actions may benefit a diverse, sustainable farm.

We wish to live a lifestyle in which these ideals are manifested daily so that Old Mill Farm is one harmonious working body whose actions create a symbiotic relationship between all organisms, from the microrganism in the soil to the greater summation of energy which encompasses this land, and to the community in which we live. It is our goal be an example of a working small farm, and to provide our local community with our goods and services.

Sadly, Chuck Hinsch died in a tractor accident on April 19, 2000. He left the farm to his only son, Anderson Hinsch. In turn, Anderson placed the farm under the guidance and management of his stepfather Ben, mother Barbara, and brother Cas Sochacki. Since Chuck's death the family has been revitalizing the farm to facilitate the ease of management of a farm that will steadily increase productivity to provide a substantial amount of goods for our local community as well as educate the public about the joys of country living.

Old Mill Farm is off the grid. We are equipped with solar photovoltaics that provide all of the electricity that we use on the farm. Solar powered pumps move our water from cisterns on the mountainside up to tanks which gravity feed our water systems for household and agricultural use. We use firewood sustainably harvested from our forests to heat our homes and water. We grow all our own produce bio-intensively and organically and experiment with biodynamic agriculture.

We try our best to live off of what we produce from the land and consume as little as possible from the outside world. We hope to provide food to our community to help reduce the consumption of fossil fuels used in the transportation of goods across the country.

Old Mill Farm is comprised of almost 40 acres of farmable land and 280 acres of timberland covered by redwood, Douglas fir, and a minor component of oak, madrone, bay, and a few other hardwoods. In 2001 we began writing a Non-Industrial Timber Management Plan (NTMP), which is a sustainable management plan for the next 100 years. This plan -- formulated by local forester Darcie Mahoney and Cas Sochacki -- is a detailed plan aimed to increase the volume of timber on the property over the next 40 years while preserving the remaining virgin timber pockets on the farm. Local logging operations have and will continue to execute the harvest. We wish to sell our product to companies and individuals who are committed to using sustainably-harvested lumber.

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