stewardship
We consider ourselves stakeholders in the conservation and rehabilitation of the Catawissa Creek and Chesapeake Bay watershed. We understand everything we do has the potential to impact those downstream.
This is precisely why we practice organic field and pasture management. We use regenerative agriculture practices such as cover-cropping and field rotations to add and replenish organic matter in the soil. We use row-covers for pest management, weed by hand and limit our irrigation. All of our produce is grown with love.
We are inspired by permaculture and are on a long term journey and investment into our relationship with the land. We have spent the past three seasons observing the patterns of water and weather as it shapes our landscape, as well as how the animals move across to better situate ourselves in our design practice. Our property is 130 acres in total and we have many different areas to explore.
All that to say, we have plans to incorporate more systems and techniques but are not in a rush to do so. We want to ensure that any thing we do to the land is equitable for the creatures who already live here.
In 2024, we surrendered our organic certification due to the costly initiatives of the USDA being pushed on small farms such as our own. Though we are no longer audited, we continue to use the same organic practices and believe transparency is key. You can view our seed orders, and inputs here. These are the same materials that the organic auditor would view during yearly inspections. We believe in the movement and are open to re-certifying in the future when it makes sense for our operation.
allies us with those who grow, harvest and prepare it
Eating food binds us to the source from which it came,
aligns us to the methods it was produced and
-David Darling, Farmer, Co-Founder
The Farm is home to our flock of American Merino sheep. They are 100% grass fed and we rotate their pasture every few days.
The decision to add sheep was easy as they manage the land better than we can and also boost soil fertility. In addition to their impact on the land, they also produce fine wool, delicious milk, and tasty meat from lamb rams who are not purchased or kept.
They are gorgeous fine wool sheep with a sweet and docile temperament. Our flock originates from right here in Pennsylvania and was originally bred to be a hand-spinners flock for the home knitter. So instead of pure white sheep we have a beautiful mix of colors including black, white, and moorit. We expect lambs every spring so reach out for availability.
Anne comes from a fashion background, working as a lead designer in NYC for a major global retailer before moving to the farm. She specialized in knitwear because of the ability to produce garments with little to no waste and firmly believed this was the future of fashion. (You can read her bio here. Some of Anne’s designs are pictured in photos.)
Adding sheep to the farm aligned perfectly with this mission of producing sustainable garments that regenerate the soil and steward the earth. Harvesting merino wool directly from our fields, in a variety of gorgeous natural colors, is the perfect starting point for the Farm’s luxury knitwear brand.
We will continually update our progress on this venture as we gather more equipment, grow our flock and turn wool into yarn.
For more sheep and fashion updates, join our email and follow us on Instagram. If you are interested in purchasing lambs, email us at catawissafarm@gmail.com
We grow over 100 varieties of produce, flowers and culinary/medicinal herbs. Previously we have run CSAs and sell weekly produce boxes. Our food is served at all of our events including retreats and farm meals. All our natural products are seasonal. The email list is the best way to stay up to date on our latest product drops and availability.
Sign up for our email list for event details and product drops.
We raise a small flock of Rhode Island Red Laying Hens. The are raised on pasture, with the coup moved daily. Their diet of clover and bugs is supplemented with locally produced certified organic feed. Eggs can be purchased through our webshop (link here). For stock updates, be sure to get on our email list.
We integrate our farm into the natural landscape by refusing to use plastic mulches, synthetic materials and fertilizers while retaining habitat for beneficial insects and creatures in the meadows surrounding our fields and preserve a massive riparian buffer to protect the Catawissa Creek and those downstream in the Susquehanna and Chesapeake Bay.