Hawthorne Valley Farm
Ghent, New York
The Farm
Hawthorne Valley Farm is a 900-acre, biodynamic and organic certified farm producing grass-fed dairy products and meat. The farm consists of fields and pasture growing grass for the dairy herd; 14-acres of vegetable growing for their farmstore, education programs, and New York City and Hudson Valley markets; and 60 acres of grain for their bakery and livestock feed. In addition to maintaining forest on the land and working with an onsite ecology team to enhance beneficial ecological features, Hawthorne Valley has begun a silvopasture project in recent years. The farm is a strong example of a small-scale organic dairy, an increasingly rare farming business threatened by consolidation and industrialized farming. Hawthorne Valley hosts a K-12 Waldorf school onsite, as well as farmer training programs, a farm store, art center, and Farmscape Ecology.
The Team
Participants will learn from Spencer Fenniman, Farming Director, who has been at Hawthorne Valley since 2012. Spencer brings deep knowledge of organic and biodynamic farming practices, and will share a holistic view of the operations taking places on the land as well as the land’s history dating back to pre-colonial times. Participants will also learn from members of the vegetable team, livestock team, dairy, and the Farmscape Ecology team. The Farmscape Ecology team not only works closely with Hawthorne Valley but also various other farms in the Hudson Valley.
What’s special about Climate Farm School at Hawthorne Valley?
This is the only Climate Farm School hosted at a biodynamic farm. While some aspects of biodynamics are controversial, there is no doubt that if you are following the biodynamic standard, you are practicing some of the most ecologically beneficial agriculture that exists today. Hawthorne Valley is an extremely rare farm in that they have their own onsite ecology team that is seeking to understand agricultural impacts on the landscape and working closely with farmers to implement restoration projects and beneficial practices in concert with food production. The Hudson Valley is home to a special food system with many small and medium scale farms focused on sustainable production for the community. There are an incredible amount of local producers creating a rare community that can be seen as a model in many ways. Included in this is a frequent visit of Climate Farm School: Stonehouse Grain run by Jay Goldmark. Stonehouse grain is on the cutting edge of implementing regenerative practices in grain production for livestock feed - developing a model that has the potential to influence some of the largest farms in the United States, an agricultural system dominated by grains.
Typical On-Farm Week
Full Course Pricing
Private Room: $3600
Shared Room: $3250
Camping/Offsite: $2950
Short Course Pricing
Private Room: $1950
Shared Room: $1775
Camping/Offsite: $1625
"This is the way to do it for anyone who wants to learn about Farming and Climate because this isn't a boutique experience. Instead, the time spent with farmers shows the real side of farming and how weather and climate affect the farms and farmers. In addition, Ryan and Laney were excellent facilitators who balanced educating the group with listening and learning."
-Jamilla Jones, Founder of Generational Seeds