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2012: A Return to the Farmstead

Farmstead Chef, co-authored by Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko, captures the movement back into the kitchen, and gardens. Whether to savor the flavor of fresh, unprocessed foods, to reduce the number of miles some foods are shipped from farm field to plate, or just save some money by eating seasonally and locally, millions of people are hitting the farmers’ markets, supporting restaurants that feature locally sourced ingredients or growing their own food in their backyards, rooftops or community gardens.

Kivirist and Ivanko are operators of the award-winning Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast in Browntown, Wisconsin, and long-time TIES members. Their new cookbook Farmstead Chef explores how to reclaim the kitchen with accessible recipes for dishes that are inspired by the melting pot of American cultures and ethnicities and the global culinary fusion that’s underway thanks to travel.

Photo Essay: Renewable Energy, Organic Gardens and More

The following is a brief photo essay of their journey from a fossil fuel-based farmstay to being a largely fossil-fuel free hospitality operation, thriving on the sun just like their plants do.

Photo of Farmstead Chef co-author Lisa Kivirist with Inn Serendipity wind turbine spinning in the background. The 10 kW Bergey wind turbine produces about 10,000 kWhs a year, allowing the award-winning B&B to sell the surplus electricity back to the public utility, in essence becoming a net producer of renewable energy on site.

Farmstead Chef is about preparing great tasting dishes with local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients, like the Chicken Satay or…

Vegetarian Nori-wrapped Sushi

Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast and Farm is completely powered by the wind and sun.

Inn Serendipity’s organic growing fields, allowing John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist to grow about 70 percent of all the fruits, vegetables and herbs the Inn uses in its vegetarian breakfasts. The owners call it their “100-foot diet” (100 feet from the back door).

Kivirist and Ivanko even use a solar oven to bake their breads and other appetizers offered to their guests (also a sidebar in the Farmstead Chef cookbook).

Inn Serendipity’s all-electric CitiCar is recharged with a solar electric (photovoltaic system) and used for running to the bank. This is one of the many things the small Inn does that allows it to operate in ways that are “carbon negative”. Their organic farming practices, sustainable forestry and participation in carbon-offset programs also help to contribute to the Inn’s climate-friendly operations.

Photos by John Ivanko & Lisa Kivirist

>> See Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast’s member profile on Ecotourism.org