We have been grateful for members' help on our farm. CSA families often come to work on the land and with their enthusiasm warm our community. Supervised children learn first hand about farming and gain a real sense of connectedness to the earth and the food it provides. Joyous participation through meaningful work builds genuine community.
To help the farm economically and preserve the harvest, we offer "added value" products of soups, sauces, and pestos for sale to the public from our certified kitchen. In November and December, we create natural holiday wreaths and sprays for the season.
The CSA model derives from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner, on "associative economics" where the producers (farmers) and consumers (CSA members) work collaboratively for their mutual benefit. The first CSAs in this country came from biodynamic farms in the American northeast.
Economic sustainability of the farm is always a challenge!
We strive to keep the cost of shares reasonable and welcome the goodwill and material support of our friends.
The founders of the farm, Caroline and Robert Phinney, have always been teachers. Bob has been for many years a professor of Geosciences at Princeton University. Caroline a longtime Waldorf teacher, has previous teaching experience in Burundi, Africa, where her love of the earth and farming arose. As educators, they are committed to sharing experiences of hands on farming, care for the earth and the environment and helping children and families to develop in healthy and sustainable ways.