Stretched between three branches of the Carpathian Mountains lies the Transylvanian Plateau, an expanse of valleys, forests and ravines where Ferma Ecologica Topa sits. The farm is run by Dan Cismas and his wife Tincuta, both of whom grew up in the village of Topa in Mures County. Dan Cismas has been farming for 30 years but for the past seven years the family’s entire livelihood has been their farm. Motivated by the desire to provide both their family and their community with healthy food, the couple aims to promote environmentally friendly, sustainable farming while strengthening their community. The sense of community is probably the most important aspect of farming for Ferma Ecologica Topa, along with strong land stewardship. Dan summed up this outlook by saying “Farming at a small scale, makes that human interactions are kept alive, people are tied to each other and it develops the spirit of the community…Our direction is towards keeping our neighbors close and to develop our community spirit.”