Harlem Valley Homestead
Description
Farming is not a career that our society applauds with the big bucks or many Hollywood plots, so this new generation of young farmers deserves far more praise than can be invoked here. But they are the future of how we eat. And they are fighting hard to make us better, both our specific farm, and even more, our society, and its relationship to the production of food, and working the land.
We grow diverse crop varieties that are bred for taste, beauty and abundance. We rotate our growing areas and use cover crops to build soil fertility. This helps manage weed, pest, and disease pressure naturally. We fertilize with organically approved soil amendments and fertility from our own animals. Our goal is to produce beautiful, delicious crops which are healthy for our customers, employees, soil and surrounding habitat.
Our cows spend their lives outside, doing what cows do best. They feast on fresh pasture during the summer and fermented hay in the winter. We practice rotational grazing, which improves pasture health through distribution of nutrients and prevents overgrazing. Grazing this way sequesters carbon, which improves soil health and the quality of our pastures. Our cows live happy lives and it makes a difference— our pasture-raised beef is full of complex flavors and healthy fats.
We cultivate a diverse variety of seasonal gourmet mushrooms May – November. Our mushrooms are grown on sawdust supplemented with organic grain, and harvested daily for peak freshness. Our main varieties are oysters and shiitake, with more exotic varieties like lion’s mane making an appearance when the time is right.
Our honey is unpasteurized and unprocessed, straight from the hive. Full of rich flavor, sweetness, pollen and nutrients, you are getting a real taste of the land from our honeybees who forage in our ample pollinator habitat and cultivated crops.