About us

Orchard Farm Organics' 61 acre farm consists of fields of raised beds, berry patches and some fruit trees near the farmhouse, and woodlands and pastures beyond. It is bordered on the north by the scenic Bedens Brook and Cherry Brook meanders through the land. We are neighbors to the Waldorf School of Princeton's 20 acre campus. Students come frequently to help out on the farm or visit baby chicks, a new kid or calf. Across Cherry Hill Road, we are buffered by the Hilaire Tract, a Montgomery Township nature preserve with trails and a lake. Just down the road, is Dressler Farm, a horse boarding and training center. We welcome to the farm our neighbors, CSA members and the larger community to enjoy the healthy environment and experience the invigorating farm life.

We are dedicated to the biodynamic approach (founded by Rudolf Steiner in 1924), in which the farm strives to be a self-sustaining entity, embracing diversity of landscapes, of crops, of fertility. Our fertility derives from on-farm composting of vegetable and weed debris and the manures from our cows, goats and chickens and treated with biodynamic preparations. We wish to enrich and enliven the soil and respect the influences from the wider environment of the cosmos.

We strive to be a model of sustainability for the sake of the earth, the nutrient density of crops and also for the education of the community. We use raised beds, with no-till practices. Tilling generally creates a hard pan (compaction) or layer of impermeability to the deeper layers of soil. We want the roots of our crops to travel deeply to gather the maximum mineral benefit. Beds rich in organic matter also encourage extension of root systems through biological and mycorrhizal activity. Our contoured beds are enriched with compost each season. A drip irrigation system maximizes watering benefit, minimizes erosion and saves water. We use companion planting where certain plants mutually benefit each other. Crop rotation minimizes insect and disease carry over. Where possible, we harvest naturally growing native crops rich in nutrients. All our seedlings are grown in the field or in our greenhouse with our own potting soil.