A Rescued Structure Becomes a Home
Between Ubud and Canggu, in the quiet village of Sibang, a 15-by-15-metre Javanese joglo sits at the centre of something unusual for Bali: a working regenerative farm that its owners have chosen not to subdivide, not to commercialise, and not to fence off from the community around it.
The family behind it is led by Stefan Magnus, founder and CEO of sustainable bedding brand Heveya. He and his wife, who is Indonesian, originally planned a one-year move from Singapore in 2018. The pandemic extended that stay, and what followed was a gradual shift in how they wanted to live. After several years in Canggu, they bought land in Sibang, opposite Green School Bali, where their son studies.
The joglo itself had been carefully dismantled from its original site elsewhere and rebuilt on the property. As CNA Luxury first reported, this practice is common in Bali: reclaiming traditional timber structures is faster, more affordable, and far less resource-intensive than new concrete construction. The result is a largely open-plan home with linen dividers instead of walls, reclaimed wood floors, an outdoor kitchen anchored by a table made from recycled chopsticks and bamboo, and a bathroom featuring a carved onyx stone tub and ironwood detailing.
What the Farm Actually Does
The 1.3-hectare Heveya Farm Sibang is not decorative. It runs 100 raised planting beds of leafy greens, fruit trees including mango and papaya, a flock of chickens and ducks, and 32 hives of stingless bees. Only around 20 percent of the honey is harvested. A black soldier fly system produces larvae that feed the chickens, eliminating the need for antibiotics. Earthworm composting happens in a repurposed bathtub; the resulting liquid, mixed with biochar, fertilises the beds.
The raised beds are intentional: digging into the soil disrupts microbial life, so the farm builds upward instead. No pesticides are used. Planting combinations are chosen to protect crops from one another, supporting biodiversity. When porcupines raid the peanuts or birds take the papayas, Magnus is unbothered. Sharing the space with wildlife is part of the philosophy.
Produce flows outward into the community. Neighbours collect what they need. A nearby restaurant has a standing arrangement for aloe vera. In return, organic waste comes back to the compost system. The farm also receives daily visitors and has formed a partnership with the Forest School, where farm visits are part of the orientation for new students and parents.
Slower, by Choice
Magnus has been regularly approached to subdivide the land into rental villas, the standard income model for Bali landowners. He has declined each time. The value he found, he explained, is in the quietness, the space, and the connection to nature rather than in yield per square metre.
For visitors and friends, his advice is simple: stay in one place longer rather than moving quickly between destinations. Life in this environment, he noted, requires less because the quality of food and objects improves when you pay attention to them.
The experience has also shaped his brand. A recently introduced bed frame avoids polyurethane foam entirely, using teak, oak, upcycled natural latex, and organic cotton, made by a local Balinese craftsman.
Why It Matters for Hosts
Independent operators in the Ubud-to-Canggu corridor are under constant pressure to maximise land use through villa rentals. The Heveya Farm Sibang model points to an alternative: properties that offer food, community access, and educational programming can generate genuine guest loyalty and local goodwill without subdividing. Hosts with even modest garden space could explore standing supply arrangements with nearby restaurants or schools, creating reciprocal relationships that reduce waste costs and build a local reputation that no paid promotion can replicate.
The details in this post were first reported by CNA Luxury, written by Toh Ee Ming, and published on 28 June 2026. This post is published by the Qontaktly travel blog.
First reported by Bali Travel.