PHF is Certified Naturally Grown^TM! Go to: www.naturallygrown.org to find out more. Click on the List of Farms where you can view our Grower Declaration, Application, and Inspection Reports.

“Organic gardening is not a system of rules to abide by or be punished for breaking. It is a way of looking at the world.  The garden is a model of how we would like to live.  We should all garden organically, not because it is currently politically correct but simply because it is the most sensible and best way to make a good garden.”

From the Garden to the Table: Growing, Cooking, and Eating Your Own Food by Sarah & Monty Don.

Naturally Grown Food!

Crop Rotation + Companion Planting + Compost + Natural Fertilizers = Higher Soil Fertility, which results in Nutritionally Superior Foods!

Conscientious consumers want to know exactly where their food comes from, and who can blame them?  There is growing concern about synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in the foods we eat, GMOs, contamination from improper handling and mass production, and the loss of nutrition that results from the length of time required to deliver the food from field to table.  At Pennington Hollow Farm, we employ time-honored methods to grow healthy produce.

 
Colorful plate of sliced Heirloom Tomatoes

INSECT CONTROL: Row covers are used to keep pests away from plants during their most vulnerable stage of growth. Flowers and cover crops planted throughout the garden attract Ladybugs, Praying Mantises, Tachnid Wasps and other beneficial insects that destroy pests.  Our laying hens are allowed to roam the garden in the fall and winter months to devour all the insects they can find. In the spring and summer, our children have fun hand-picking Japanese Beetles and Cabbage Lopers off the host plants and feeding them to the baby chicks!

DISEASE CONTROL: No crop is grown on the same soil for at least 3 years, often longer. This rotation helps prevent the buildup of diseases and pests in the soil.

It has been determined that plants which overcome pests and diseases on their own actually produce more nutrients in order to keep healthy.  This is beneficial for those of us who eat o-----cally* grown produce. If ever we are faced with a high occurrence of pests or diseases, we use products that have been derived from plants and that are approved for O-----c* gardeners, though we choose this option only as a last resort.

• SOIL FERTILITY:  We do not force feed our plants synthetic fertilizers, which destroy beneficial microscopic soil organisms and promote unnatural rapid growth and loss of nutrients. We use natural fertilizers, approximately 95% of which comes from local sources, including composted animal manures, straw, cover crops and composted farm vegetation. These are supplemented with fish and seaweed emulsions that we purchase from a local greenhouse.  Over time the soil actually becomes better, producing healthier plants with a high nutritional value.
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  Freshly sifted compost destined for the garden.

Gardening in this all-natural manner is more challenging and labor-intensive than conventional agriculture, but we find that it is a worthwhile endeavor to provide wholesome, all-natural foods for our families and the families that support us.