Hedge Rose Farm

We are a small, community-focused, primarily horse-powered farm. Woman and LGBTQ+ owned and operated.

We source strictly non-GMO seeds and plants. Where possible we also source organic and open-pollinated and locally adapted seeds and plant varieties. On farm, we try to maintain as closed a circle as possible for inputs- we save our own seed where we can, create as much of our own animal feeds as possible, compost all farm and animal wastes, and practice rotational animal grazing as well as cover crops and rotational plantings. We work hard to build and improve our soils.

We follow organic principles and do not use synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers in our food or hay production areas. We are conscientiously not certified at this time. (We have applied for Certified Naturally Grown certification, and hope to complete the process by Summer 2024).

A large piece of sustainability for us is also in working with draft horses as our primary power source. Our horses help reduce the soil compaction and fossil-fuel consumption that tractor farming would create. Though we do use a small 1950’s tractor for specific tasks (like subsoiling, discing, and hay baling) and a two-wheel walk-behind BCS tractor for others (such as in the high tunnel and small produce plots), our horses do nearly all of the plowing, some of the planting, all of the cultivation, some of the harvesting, grain grinding, and most of the hay mowing and raking. The horses also help with snow plowing on the farm as well as a few of our neighbors’ driveways and at our local cemetery.