We are lucky
to be the stewards of 28 acres of highly diverse land which has been
certified organic since 1973. Our land is on the original site of the School
of Homesteading Farm, founded by local organic pioneer and scholar Maynard
Kaufman. Our farm includes woodlands, wetlands, meadows, orchard and
farmland, and is nestled on the banks of the Black River.
We see ourselves as soil farmers,
and realize that we are deeply interconnected with all that lives and grows
here. The health of the soil and ecosystems here guide us in all that we do
in regards to growing and helping the land here flourish. We believe that by
growing organically we can create soil that will nourish and nurture not
only our present community, but the future generations to come.
We use a lot of compost
and organic amendments as well as crop rotation, mulch, cover cropping, and
other time tested ways of growing to keep our soils healthy and productive.
We do not use plastic mulch, synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. As part of
our organic certification, our farm grows not only in a "no spray" fashion,
but also uses certified organic non-GMO seeds and our own plant starts,
and we follow strict organic growing guidelines to ensure healthy produce
from start to finish, not only in the finished produce but
also in regards to air and soil quality here at the farm.
In addition to our organic growing
practices, we are also dedicated to
growing with the use of renewable energy sources. The home and farm are
currently powered by the sun with the use of solar panels, and with the
addition this spring of our wind turbine, we can now also harvest wind
energy to help power our home and business. We believe that renewable energy
is healthier for people and the planet!
