by Barbara Diskin   

After a lengthy conversation with Erik Landowne of Kimberton CSA, I have an even greater respect for biodynamic farming.  Kimberton is located in rural Pennsylvania, not too far from Philadelphia. The garden takes 10-acres of the farm shared with Seven Stars Dairy Farm, the producers of our wonderful yogurt, on the property of a Waldorf School.  (Waldorf schools were developed in 1919 by Rudolph Steiner, the man who also started biodynamic farming and gardening.)  It’s where we get our eggs in the winter and any excess produce they have in the summer.

Erik’s love of farming is life-long.   He dreamed of being a farmer when he was a child.  His dream was nurtured by the Waldorf School he attended.  After high school, he apprenticed on a farm in Northern Illinois and then one in New Hampshire, where he met his wife, another aspiring farmer.  After living for several years in Germany, they moved back to the US and began working at Kimberton CSA.  By 2002 they were managing the CSA.

Erik and his wife Birgit run the CSA with the help of several apprentices, who receive room and board and a small weekly stipend. As in all Biodynamic farms, it’s a lot of work for everyone involved.

They maintain the nutrient level of the farm by applying cow manure from the dairy farm and mushroom compost from another local farm.  The flock of chickens also provides useful natural fertilizer.

Although Kimberton focuses on growing vegetables, they also have around 150 chickens at any point in time.  These are the ones who produce the delicious brown eggs we enjoy all winter, when the Kimberton CSA is not operational. 

The chickens are a mix of Rhode Island reds and White leghorns, all laying brown eggs.   I asked about the life of a typical chicken on this biodynamic farm.  The day after the chickens are hatched, they arrive at Kimberton.  They get one or two vaccinations, but no beak trimming, as would be done on a large commercial chicken farm.  They live in the chicken house for 4-5 weeks until they are too big to slip through the electric fence.  From that point on, they nest in the chicken house, but pretty much have the run of the farm.  They get their feed and water outside, eating the vegetable scraps and worms that they dig from the rotating field where they are placed, plus a mix of organic grains, soybeans, and corn. 

There are only 3 roosters for the 150 chickens.  They serve as the eyes and ears of the flock, often warding off potential predators.  The electric fence also helps keep away animals that might otherwise prey on the chickens.

Kimberton CSA is too small to have much left over after their 200 members have been served.  During the winter months, for many years they have been providing eggs to Spiritual Foods CSA, but otherwise in summer everything they produce goes to their members.

As a relatively young man of 33 years, Erik says his biggest challenge is trying to figure out how to farm long-term without wearing out his knees and back. The season from May through October is intense with a huge workload. 

His long-term goal is to have his own farm, instead of managing someone else’s farm.  He would like to have more land and a more stable financial situation.  He would like to be able to afford health insurance.

But for now, it’s his love of what he is doing and the fruits of his labor that keep him going.

For more information on the nutritional benefits of free range eggs go here.