Our Organic Growing Methods

We are certified organic by Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO). We are also proud members of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), and the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA).

Our organic farming methods foster the vitality of our living farm eco-system. Through our emphasis on the health and diversity of the farm, we also create tasty and nutritious crops. We build and maintain soil fertility through the use of cover crops, composts, rock powders and careful crop rotation. We do not use synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides or hormones, and none have been applied to our farm for at least four years (with the exception of our orchard, which is low -spray). We oppose the use of genetically engineered seeds, and choose our varieties to thrive in our local conditions, and to provide the tastiest, most nutritious crops. Many of our varieties are open-pollinated, heirloom varieties.

We encourage natural insect predators, such as our favorites: toads and dragonflies, which both prosper thanks to the pond adjoining the vegetable gardens. Bluebirds, tree and barn swallows are also frequent companions in the garden. We frequently utilize buckwheat and various umbelliferous inter-plantings, such as parsley, parsnips etc. to provide a bountiful habitat for beneficial insects.

Daisy herding turkeys