Skyfarm

TEXT JOVETTE ELISE CUTAIAR 

VISUAL TOBIAS LEVENE

 

I’ve lived here for many years, but never imagined that there could be a magical abode sitting on an acre of land overlooking the downtown Los Angeles skyline. It’s a stone’s throw from, yet high above, the high-speed, tech-driven urban center.

The twists and turns of the dusty driveway leading up the side of the mountain feels like a journey into a rural mountainscape. 4,000 feet up, a beautiful woman dressed in Bohemian vintage stands in front of her home. Ilse warmly beckons us into a place that reflects both the ease and comfort of her attire.

Ilse is a hippie with style, and keeps you engaged with a wicked sense of humor that makes you feel like a part of her tribe within minutes.

Her journey to California began with a curious mind, a backpacker’s budget, an empty journal and a funky, psychedelic Cadillac.

Shortly after the birth of her first child, a lifestyle change was inevitable. The $5,000 per month lease on their DTLA loft combined with her infraction-laden landlord catalyzed Ilse’s decision to find a new home. An ad at the back of a local rag with the statement “Artistic Vision Required” caught her eye. Enter SkyFarm.

Ilse was seduced by the dream of living in a sky-high plot of land overlooking the city, but the hard reality she encountered on arrival was splintered wood, no heat, and endless construction. Her and her husband, Meeno, salvaged and restored what they could (which included removing an actual mountain from inside the house). From there, they have been redesigning and expanding what was once a small one-story Victorian house into an eclectic (and very pink) two-story country crib.

Other tenants include several chickens, dogs and kittens, a 150 pound tortoise named Rex with a penchant for taking excursions off-property, honey bees, two rambunctious goats, a pot bellied pig and their two beautiful and wildly inspiring daughters, Bindi and Mette.

Ilsa grows mulberries, bananas and persimmons. She uses gray water that’s clean yet non-potable, to sustain her produce. Though many people might shy away from using water leftover from washers and kitchen sinks for their produce, research shows that plants filter out unnecessary chemicals. It’s a perfectly sustainable solution for the most expensive aspect of growing produce. Ilse also pursues other sustainable efforts, such as composting and harnessing solar energy and teaches this at local schools.

SkyFarm’s newest addition is a yurt. Traditional yurts consist of a felt cover and Mongolian skins supported by an expanding wooden circular frame, but not Ilse’s yurt. Designed by the Oregon-based company Pacific Yurts, her structure utilizes architectural fabrics and cutting edge structural engineering. Ilse’s yurt is now a popular secluded LA glamping site that can be booked on Airbnb.