Local Spotlight: NaVera Farms in Callahan, Florida

As part of my role at Native Sun Natural Foods, I have had the pleasure of working on an "Eat Local, Go Native" campaign to help highlight some of our local vendors. Basically, I am traveling to several of our local vendors and taking portraits of the faces behind the brands. Included in this list is Farm Life Foundation at NaVera Farms.

Meet Bill Di Stanisloa.

Bill is one of the directors of the holistic and educational farm and is the picture of health and happiness. He has an infectious grin and tangible charm, and his animals can vouch for that. Housed at NaVera are over 260 animals, all with a name that Bill knows without missing a beat. He greets them all with a smile, a kiss and addresses them by name, telling them he loves them. I have to tell you, this farm was one of the most quiet and serene places I have been to. Bill says that's "the sound of a well-maintained farm".

Visiting NaVera was truly an uplifting experience. I had such a great time at NaVera and met so many lovely animals, that I really just want to share some of my favorite shots from the day.

One of the most interesting things I learned from Bill on our tour was how most people incorrectly refer to hens as "chickens". Chicken is something we put on our plate and hens are animals that lay eggs. Thanks for the knowledge, Bill.

Farm Life Foundation is truly a magical place, with no wi-fi, cell phones or toxic chemicals allowed. If you ever feel like you need to get back to basics, or if you just want to learn about or experience NaVera, they are always accepting volunteers as well as scheduling tours.