Until you’ve been here, it might be difficult to appreciate the rugged remoteness the lodge. The closest decent “grocery store”, for example, is a five hour drive from the lodge!
Initially born out of necesity, now our farm produces nearly all of the food served at Patagonian BaseCamp. Our daughters, Elena and Isabel, have grown up on the farm, chasing animals and picking eggs.
At any given time, the farm has about 50 sheep/lambs, 200 chickens, 30 turkeys, 3 female pigs (resulting in about 25 piglets per season), and 4 calves (beef for the season). At times we hunt or barter for meat from our neighbors, so guests frequently enjoy fresh wild hare and venison (red stag). In the right season we fish for spring chinook salmon , which then we can serve throughout the season. The dairy products are also local, either raised here or on neighboring farms. Some of our own meats and fish we smoke, and we make a delicacy called graved lachs.
And it’s not just the meat that’s home grown. Our extensive gardens provide organic vegetables including lettuce, spinach, kale, snap peas, green beans, pumpkins, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, bell peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, and beets; and fresh fruit including apples, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, plums, and cherries, which are used for fresh table fruit as well as juices, marmalades, sauces, and dressings. Many of the herbs also come from the farm: mint, fennel, cilantro, and parsley.
