Community Character & Economic Vitality What’s the connection?.

Charlottesville Tomorrow (www.cvilletomorrow.org) is sponsoring a conversation about the future of the Albemarle County / Charlottesville Community entitled “Community Character & Economic Vitality What’s the connection?” .  The event is featuring a special presentation by Edward T. McMahon.  Ed McMahon is a Senior Fellow with the Urban Land Institute and recently published a book on [...]

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards – DAY EIGHTEEN: upper beam & kitchen girders, forklift fun, engineer site visit

Today was a busy day with cold but good weather. We divided into two crews with one setting the girders, interior posts and buttresses in the kitchen section–and the other crew working to put the upper beam onto the recently installed post saddles for the rest of the main venue–proud to say we almost finished [...]

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards – DAY 16: buttresses and eave wall framing

We were able to see the building take on more of its final shape today 
with the remaining high buttresses installed as well as most of the wall
 framing on the tasting room side where we now have the massive 
wall/foundation in place.  I left at midday knowing the crew was in very 
capable hands [...]

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyard – DAY FOURTEEN: rafters ready, diagonals done, george whacks his head

Today we got everything done we could do as far as we have gotten–and 
the new concrete sills await our posts tomorrow.  The crews cut rafters,
finished the diagonal framing as far as they could get, and we began 
cutting blocks for the roof system for when we hope will be the week 
right before Christmas. [...]

Late Winter Afternoon at Bundoran Farm

Here are few quick snapshots of the Bundoran Farm landscape sent to us by Dorothy Tompkins that were taken from the front of her home over weekend.  With dramatic views like this, who needs anything else

Bird Notes by Dorothy Tompkins – The American Goldfinch

The American Goldfinch Carduelis tritis American goldfinches delight us with their beauty in the spring and summer, with their affinity for our feeders in winter and throughout the year with their songs and calls.  They are vocal little birds with six different types of calls.  Goldfinches appear to continue learning calls into adulthood and paired [...]

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards – DAY TEN: machines & mud, bolts & beams

We had a great day today which was a great antidote to the last two through which we struggled, slogged and stressed out.  The crew ran full tilt today and we have half the upper beams done–all ensconced in their massive steel fabricated saddles.  I was able to keep the guys supplied with routered 2x12x24 [...]

Guild Member Profile — Ilex Construction & Woodworking, Inc.

Ilex Construction & Woodworking, Inc. is a proud member of the Bundoran Farm Guild.  They have been working with clients for 25 years to build or remodel some of the finest homes in the region.  Ilex’s talented employees work hard to shape our clients dreams into a tangible reality. There is no mistaking the feel [...]

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards – DAY FOUR: girders, buttresses, taking shape with an amazing crew

Well….we had a truly fabulous day–as much with the crew jelling and
consolidating into a well oiled machine–as with how much high
visibility production took place.  One crew got all the high girders up
to the post tops–as far as they can go until the rest of the adjacent
tasting room foundation is poured next week.  Jerry was the [...]

Albemarle Garden Club Field Trip at Bundoran Farm

Lief Riddervold, Bundoran Farm’s Natural Resources Manager, led the Albemarle Garden Club on a horticulture event of a different sort on October 21st. On a trail up Israel Mountain the fall colors were spectacular in the late morning sunlight. Spicebush, hickory, birch and others were bright yellow with black gum and maple providing bright red. [...]